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Replace <em> with <span> for desc_annotation semantic HTML #13689

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Replace <em> with <span> for desc_annotation semantic HTML #13689

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Replace <em> with <span> for desc_annotation semantic HTML
Jun 22, 2025
7ee236c
Update AUTHORS.rst
q2mark Jun 27, 2025
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1 change: 1 addition & 0 deletions AUTHORS.rst
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ Contributors
* Louis Maddox -- better docstrings
* Łukasz Langa -- partial support for autodoc
* Marco Buttu -- doctest extension (pyversion option)
* Mark Ostroth -- semantic HTML contributions
* Martin Hans -- autodoc improvements
* Martin Larralde -- additional napoleon admonitions
* Martin Liška -- option directive and role improvements
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3 changes: 3 additions & 0 deletions CHANGES.rst
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Expand Up @@ -79,6 +79,9 @@ Bugs fixed
Patch by Jean-François B.
* #13685: gettext: Correctly ignore trailing backslashes.
Patch by Bénédikt Tran.
* #13688: HTML5: Replace ``<em class="property">`` with ``<span class="property">``
for Python attribute type annotations to improve semantic HTML structure.
Patch by Mark O.
Comment on lines +82 to +84
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Do you have a suggested link / reference for "semantic HTML structure"?

Suggested change
* #13688: HTML5: Replace ``<em class="property">`` with ``<span class="property">``
for Python attribute type annotations to improve semantic HTML structure.
Patch by Mark O.
* #13688: HTML builder: Replace ``<em class="property">`` with ``<span class="property">``
for Python attribute type annotations to improve semantic HTML structure.
Patch by Mark Ostroth.

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@q2mark q2mark Jun 26, 2025 •
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@AA-Turner this is the current reference for all HTML elements.

https://html.spec.whatwg.org/multipage/text-level-semantics.html

Or MDN: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Reference/Elements

Turns out we might want to use "var" and "code" but that could break existing themes. For now I am suggesting removing <em> because the intention is not to emphasize text but to denote the purpose of the code.


Testing
-------
4 changes: 2 additions & 2 deletions sphinx/writers/html5.py
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Expand Up @@ -305,10 +305,10 @@ def depart_desc_optional(self, node: Element) -> None:
self.param_group_index += 1

def visit_desc_annotation(self, node: Element) -> None:
self.body.append(self.starttag(node, 'em', '', CLASS='property'))
self.body.append(self.starttag(node, 'span', '', CLASS='property'))

def depart_desc_annotation(self, node: Element) -> None:
self.body.append('</em>')
self.body.append('</span>')

##############################################

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6 changes: 3 additions & 3 deletions tests/test_domains/test_domain_py_pyobject.py
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Expand Up @@ -925,17 +925,17 @@ def test_domain_py_type_alias(app):

content = (app.outdir / 'type_alias.html').read_text(encoding='utf8')
assert (
'<em class="property"><span class="k"><span class="pre">type</span></span><span class="w"> </span></em>'
'<span class="property"><span class="k"><span class="pre">type</span></span><span class="w"> </span></span>'
'<span class="sig-prename descclassname"><span class="pre">module_one.</span></span>'
'<span class="sig-name descname"><span class="pre">MyAlias</span></span>'
'<em class="property"><span class="w"> </span><span class="p"><span class="pre">=</span></span>'
'<span class="property"><span class="w"> </span><span class="p"><span class="pre">=</span></span>'
'<span class="w"> </span><span class="pre">list</span>'
'<span class="p"><span class="pre">[</span></span>'
'<span class="pre">int</span><span class="w"> </span>'
'<span class="p"><span class="pre">|</span></span><span class="w"> </span>'
'<a class="reference internal" href="#module_two.SomeClass" title="module_two.SomeClass">'
'<span class="pre">module_two.SomeClass</span></a>'
'<span class="p"><span class="pre">]</span></span></em>'
'<span class="p"><span class="pre">]</span></span></span>'
) in content
assert app.warning.getvalue() == ''

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