Case Studies #2 - Nutrition Facts table

Overview

Tranform a Nutrition Facts table into a HTML table can not be done straight forward. Why ? simply the relationship between the data and the header are not cleary defined and when the need to be WCAG Level AA compliant become harder.

Original Data Source

The Table Analysing

Before...

Before to start the table analysing, it's important to understand all the information included in the table.

Caption

Almost always there, the table caption is often the first information provided. The table caption is considerated to be a group header cell at level 1.

Table Description / Table Summary

There is a difference between a table summary and a group summary. The table summary is a table description. The group summary is often represented by a row named "Total" after a data group.

Row group heading section

A table can only contain one row group heading. His location is always before any data row group. The row group heading always contain the table header column with his cells description if any. If a table have two or more row group heading, do a merge or split the table. It possible for a table to do not have a row group heading.

Row Group

Find all the data and summary row group that have a direct relation to the table caption. Ofter each group a separated by a line

Identify and Apply a Category to Each Row Group

The summary row group are ofter smaller size (number of row) than a data row group. A summary row group need to be associated at least to one data row group. Sometime, the summary row group have a different header/data cell patern for a row compared to a row in the data row group. Sometime, the summary row group are combined/merged with the group header cell.

Data row group

The first row group is identified with the letter A and the second with the letter B.

Summary row group

Indentify and find the data level of any sub row group

This is an important step because the data row and the data row group sequence in the table will be influenced to illustrate the data level. Also the presence of summary data inside a sub row group would change the table design.

Row Group "A"

There are two sub row group. the first sub row group is identified with the Letter AA and the second with the letter AB. Both are at the level 2.

Each sub row group have a summary row group.

Regarding the other row in the row group A, his relationship belong to the row group A to the level 1.

Row Group "B"

The row group "B", at level 1, don't contain any sub row group.

Analysing the Data Cell Type

Here we look at what is the data cell type. This would help to define and validate the header row group.

1. Data cell measured in "unit"
   
2. Data cell measured in "g/mg"
   
3. Data cell measured in "%"
   

Complete your table information

Column heading

In our example the data cell measured in unit associated to the header "Calories" is considerated to be a summary group for the all the data inside the table

With the data cell identification we have:

• "Amount of" : Column heading for the row header, already provided. For clarity and easier table read the word "of" is added.
• "Weight" : New column heading issued from the second data cell type.
• "% Daily Value" : Already know column heading and represent the third data cell type

Row Group Header

In this example, we have found two data row group at level 1 and both are missing a group header cell. The summary row group is excluded here because it share a common group header cell. A search about the Nutrition Facts Table was revealed this following name for each row group: "Minerals and Vitamins" for the row group B and "Nutrients elements" for the row group A.

Create the HTML Table

With the table analysis and the table information we are able now to code with HTML the table. The French content was removed for the clarity.

The HTML5 details and summary element is used to add the table caption description. It's opened by default

Before

Now

<table class="wet-boew-zebra hassum">
	<caption>
		<details open="open">
			<summary>Nutrition Facts</summary>
			<p>Per 2 crisps (25 g)</p>
		</details>
	</caption>
	
	<colgroup><col></colgroup>
	<colgroup><col><col></colgroup>
	
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Amount of</th>
			<th>Weight</th>
			<th>% Daily Value</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>


	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th colspan="3">Minerals and Vitamins</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Vitamin A</th>
			<td></td>
			<td>0 %</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Vitamin C</th>
			<td></td>
			<td>0 %</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Calcium</th>
			<td></td>
			<td>2 %</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Iron</th>
			<td></td>
			<td>4 %</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Thiamine</th>
			<td></td>
			<td>6 %</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Folate</th>
			<td></td>
			<td>8 %</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
	
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th colspan="3">Nutrients elements</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th colspan="3">Others</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Cholesterol</th>
			<td>0 mg</td>
			<td>0 %</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Sodium</th>
			<td>80 mg</td>
			<td>3 %</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Potassium</th>
			<td>20 mg</td>
			<td>1 %</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Protein</th>
			<td>1 g</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
	
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th colspan="3">Fat</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Saturated</th>
			<td>1 g</td>
			<td rowspan="2">5%</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>+ Trans</th>
			<td>0 g</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
	
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Total Fat</th>
			<td>2 g</td>
			<td>3 %</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
	
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th colspan="3">Carbohydrate</th>
		</tr>
		
		<tr>
			<th>Fibre</th>
			<td>0 g</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Sugars</th>
			<td>7 g</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>		<tr>
			<th>Starch</th>
			<td>13 g</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
	
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Total Carbohydrate</th>
			<td>20 g</td>
			<td>7 %</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
	
	
	<tfoot>
		<tr>
			<th>Calories</th>
			<td colspan="2">100</td>
		</tr>
	</tfoot>
</table>
	
	

Quick view about the data level represented with the cell header

Same table but the text of each cell header was replaced by the data level