[webkit-dev] Attaching Additional Semantics to Markup

[Maciej Stachowiak]

On Sep 15, 2009, at 10:55 PM, Alex Milowski wrote:

> I'm curious to see if there is someway an "plugin" or "extension"  
> can be
> added to a WebKit-based browser to add additional semantics for  
> certain
> content without going over to the "browser host" side of things?
>
> For example, I'd like users to be able to install an "add on" that  
> augments
> the browser and "reads" MathML to the user using the native TTS  
> engine on the
> platform.  This isn't a plugin in the traditional sense as WebCore is
> doing the actual rendering of the content.
>
> I've looked at Chrome extensions but that seems to be at a higher  
> level.  What
> I want to do is add semantics associated with a certain kind of  
> markup.  Think
> of it as a "speak Math" service.
>
> Any ideas?

Code to enable reading of MathML via assistive technologies should go  
right into WebKit itself - that's where we have the support for  
reading paragraphs or tables. It doesn't have to be an extension.  
WebCore/accessibility would be the place to look. In particular that's  
where code to read math via VoiceOver on Mac, Orca on Linux, or tools  
like JAWS or Windows-Eyes on Windows. I'm not sure if that's the sort  
of thing you have in mind.

Regards,
Maciej