Should name be required on timer, log, table?

[zcorpan]

ARIA requires accessible name on the timer, log, table roles (among others).

For timer, why is it required? The examples I've seen don't set an accessible name.

For log, why is it required?

For table, this is a mismatch with HTML, which doesn't require a caption element.

cc @mcking65

[zcorpan]

cc @spectranaut

[jnurthen]

(chair hat off - personal opinion)

For timer, why is it required? The examples I've seen don't set an accessible name.

Knowing something about the timer seems useful but I agree making it required seems a little overboard.

For log, why is it required?

As timer

For table, this is a mismatch with HTML, which doesn't require a caption element.

I agree it is a mismatch but something as complex as a table really does need an accessible name. I'd argue it is HTML that has got this wrong not ARIA.

[zcorpan]

Not all tables are complex, though.

Also, making caption required in HTML could have the unintended consequence of web developers adding bogus caption elements to their tables (whether they are data tables or layout tables), which could damage accessibility (by adding bogus cruft or by having layout tables be misidentified as data tables).

[jnurthen]

@zcorpan I am not arguing to make caption required on HTML tables - partly due to the layout table problem (which we don't have to deal with with the aria table role) and partly due to the issues laying out caption in a satisfactory manner.

Personally, I don't feel that HTML and ARIA have to align here.

[carmacleod]

For timer and log it might make sense to say something like, "Required if there's more than one, in order to differentiate".

[jnurthen]

For timer and log it might make sense to say something like, "Required if there's more than one, in order to differentiate".

IMO that becomes authoring guidance and not spec language at that point and should fit better in the APG. We also don't do this for things like navigation and search which would have the same requirement.