H63: Using the scope attribute to associate header cells with data cells in data tables | WAI | W3C Skip to content

Technique H63:Using the scope attribute to associate header cells with data cells in data tables

About this Technique

This technique relates to 1.3.1: Info and Relationships (Sufficient when used for making information and relationships conveyed through presentation programmatically determinable).

This technique applies to HTML.

Description

The objective of this technique is to associate header cells with data cells in complex tables using the scope attribute. The scope attribute may be used to clarify the scope of any cell used as a header. The scope identifies whether the cell is a header for a row, column, or group of rows or columns. The values row, col, rowgroup, and colgroup identify these possible scopes, respectively.

For simple data tables where the header is not in the first row or column, like the one in Example 1, this technique can be used.

Note

For simple tables that have the headers in the first row or column, it is sufficient to simply use the th elements without scope.

For complex tables use ids and headers as in Using id and headers attributes to associate data cells with header cells in data tables.

Some users may find it easier to work with several simple tables than one more complex table. Authors may wish to consider whether they can convert complex tables to one or more simple tables.

Examples

Example 1: A simple schedule

In the following example, the first column contains serial numbers for rows in the table, and the second column contains the key value for the row. The cells in the second column may then use scope="row". The cells in the first row too are marked up with td and use scope="col".

<table>
  <caption>Contact Information</caption>
  <tr>
    <td></td>
    <th scope="col">Name</th>
    <th scope="col">Phone Number</th>
    <th scope="col">City</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>1.</td>
    <th scope="row">Charlotte Smith</th>
    <td>412-212-5421</td>
    <td>Pittsburgh</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2.</td>
    <th scope="row">Joetta Frere</th>
    <td>410-306-5400</td>
    <td>Baltimore</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>3.</td>
    <th scope="row">David Walls</th>
    <td>281-511-6600</td>
    <td>New York</td>
  </tr>
</table>

Related Resources

No endorsement implied.

Tests

Procedure

For each data table:

  1. Check that all th elements have a scope attribute.
  2. Check that all scope attributes have the value row, col, rowgroup, or colgroup.

Expected Results

  • All checks above are true.
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