[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #47171: Incorrect cursor used on buttons

[WordPress Trac]

#47171: Incorrect cursor used on buttons
-------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
 Reporter:  nrqsnchz     |       Owner:  (none)
     Type:  defect       |      Status:  new
  (bug)                  |
 Priority:  normal       |   Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  General      |     Version:
 Severity:  normal       |  Resolution:
 Keywords:               |     Focuses:  ui, accessibility, coding-
                         |  standards
-------------------------+-------------------------------------------------

Comment (by nrqsnchz):

 Quoting comments from the GitHub Issue:

 @afercia
 > Same for all the <label> elements and buttons in core:

 @getdave
 > Does this need changing or are we sticking with the pattern established
 in WP Core?

 afercia
 > For full compliance, it should be changed. I guess it needs be discussed
 by the accessibility and design teams.

 @kjell
 > That's interesting! I've never known this was specifically against a11y
 guidelines. In general on the web, I tend to expect that most "clickable"
 elements use a pointer cursor (take the buttons here on GitHub for
 instance, which have a cursor: pointer rule). I'd love to have more
 discussion around this.

 afercia
 > Interesting issue, indeed. I don't think this is explicitly mentioned
 anywhere in the WCAG (I may be wrong). However, it has more to do with
 operating systems / browsers default: they shouldn't be changed unless
 there are very, very, good reasons to do so.

 > The native cursor style for buttons is default:
 https://codepen.io/afercia/full/EzjXMo

 > The W3C spec (CSS 2.2) linked above clearly states:

 >> pointer: The cursor is a pointer that indicates a link.

 > Same for CSS3 UI: https://www.w3.org/TR/css-ui-3/#cursor

 > The rationale is that pointer should be reserved for links, to help
 users differentiate UI controls that trigger navigation from buttons and
 the like. Granted, in WordPress you never know if what are you going to
 click is a button or a link 🙂For historical reasons, sometimes links are
 styled as buttons, and buttons are styled as links. Ideally, this
 shouldn't happen. Links should be clearly identified as links. Buttons
 should be identified as buttons.

 > After some software archeology, turns out some of the related changes
 are very ancient:

 > <label> elements got their cursor: pointer 15 years ago in:
 https://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/560 no related Trac ticket.

 > <button> elements 11 years ago in:
 https://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/7215 related Trac ticket:
 https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/5943

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/47171#comment:1>
WordPress Trac <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/>
WordPress publishing platform