1.2 Writing a structured document

Content must be structured to ensure that transformations which produce html, xhtml or Word documents produce structured output that is useful for a screenreader / text-to-speech user and which aids navigation e.g. in large print versions. Another consideration is that very long structureless webpages are quite unnatural.

In structured L^aT_eX, even in short documents, as much as the document as possible (all except paragraphed text interspersing the other elements) should be within an environment. For instance, hardcoded whitespace and numbering can be made to visually mimic an enumerate environment but structurally it is not equivalent. In longer documents sectioning commands should always be used rather than visually breaking up the text using only bold text (visually mimicking the sectioning commands) and white space. This will permit a table of contents and navigation assistance. In transformed formats it will permit the document to be broken down into shorter pieces and navigated directly.

The L^aT_eX  file itself is used by students directly in two of the transformations. In one case with screenreader and Braille display accessing the L^aT_eX  directly and in another case via an editor for students who need to be able to manipulate and add to the text. For these reasons the L^aT_eX  should be as clean, structured and impersonal as possible. By clean and impersonal we aim to suggest that the L^aT_eX  should no longer be considered as a personal format for the eyes and ease of the author only. For instance, macros should assist a reader to follow the text rather than simply be as short as possible! Macros should only be introduced if they are used and careful consideration given to whether they are necessary and whether they help or hinder the reader. Line breaks and whitespace will assist the reader to read more fluently and to edit the document with greater ease. Imagine that you are coming to the L^aT_eX  document for the first time, you are not permitted to compile it, you are permitted to search and edit but you can only read one line at a time. Write the document you would like to read!

In the following sections the structuring commands, symbols and graphics manipulation available in the transformations, the requirements of using these and our advice on them is given.