[uf-discuss] Problem with using class tel

[Ben Ward]

Hi Volvox,

On 27 Sep 2009, at 14:20, Volvox wrote:

> <span class="tel"><span class="type">Cell</span> (061) 99 99 99</div>
> But what if i dont want "Cell" word, and i would like diffrent? Do i  
> really have to hide this 'type' span and make another before 'tel'  
> with my text?

> <span class="numer">kom</span><span class="tel"><span  
> class="type">Cell</span>999 999 999</div>
> Or maybe anyone got better ideas?

Two options:

1. You do not have to include the ‘type’ at all. You can just do:

    <span class='tel'><span class='value'>(061) 99 99 99</span></span>

I feel that it is, at that this point in history, increasingly  
irrelevant whether a telephone number is a mobile telephone or a  
landline. The ‘work’ and ‘fax’ indications are more relevant, perhaps.

2. You can embed the type using the value-class-pattern <http://microformats.org/wiki/value-class-pattern 
 >

Like so:

    <span class='tel'>
        <span class='type'><span class='value-title' title='cell'></ 
span></span>
        <span class='value'>(061) 99 99 99</span>
    </span>

Telephone type is one of the properties for which this pattern is valid.

> Why in telephones there is mandatory text in object with class 'type'?

It's not mandatory. The structure is inherited from vcard's property  
semantics in combination with the microformats principal of visible  
data. However, I agree that this particular detail was a massive  
internationalisation oversight to require en-us strings in page  
content. Requiring language specific visible content should be  
regarded as an anti-pattern for all future microformats developments.

Ben