Accessibility, HTML, CSS, Broken Links, Spell Checking

Application changes made in the last year

For all application changes in the last 3 years see the extended change log.
For changes to the browser extension see the extension change log.

3rd April 2021 - v16.3.0

• Support for contrast testing using opacity and alpha
• When testing against WCAG 2.1 you can now exclude CSS pages
• Additional WCAG 2.1 tests added
• Warning when find http link to the same site on a https page
• Improved testing of fragments on links to same site
• Results pages tidy up, plus live links with link errors
• You can now add extra command line options to override what's in -properties
• CI version now has support for Selenium
• Minor improvements to the UI
• Tests updated in line with official specifications:
  • HTML5 Living Standard updated to 30 March 2021
  • ARIA in HTML updated to 28 March 2021
  • WAI-ARIA 1.2 updated to 02 March 2021
  • CSS Cascading and Inheritance Level 4 updated to 19 March 2021
  • CSS Cascading and Inheritance Level 3 updated to 11 February 2021
  • CSS Box Sizing Module Level 3 updated to 17 March 2021
  • CSS Text Module Level 3 updated to 16 March 2021
  • CSS Basic User Interface Module Level 4 updated to 16 March 2021
  • CSS Scroll Snap Module Level 1 updated to 11 March 2021
  • CSS Ruby Annotation Layout Module Level 1 updated to 10 March 2021
  • CSS Multi-column Layout Module Level 1 updated to 12 February 2021
  • CSS Pseudo-Elements Module Level 4 updated to 31 December 2020
  • CSS Backgrounds and Borders Module Level 3 updated to 22 December 2020
  • CSS Containment Module Level 1 updated to 22 December 2020
  • CSS Box Model Module Level 3 updated to 22 December 2020
  • CSS Display Module Level 3 updated to 18 December 2020
  • CSS Grid Layout Module Level 2 updated to 18 December 2020
  • CSS Grid Layout Module Level 1 updated to 18 December 2020
  • CSS Images Module Level 3 updated to 17 December 2020
  • CSS Containment Module Level 2 updated to 16 December 2020
  • CSS Custom Highlight API Module Level 1 updated to 08 December 2020
  • CSS Conditional Rules Module Level 3 updated to 8 December 2020
  • Picture-in-Picture added
  • CSS Overflow Module Level 4 added
  • CSS Image Values and Replaced Content Module Level 4 added
• Bug Fixes:
  • Links to issues were missing from the Issue Report
  • Forms were not being submitted when a <base> tag was present

12th December 2020 - v16.2.0

• New Total Validator CI version replaces the Embedded version for new customers. The Embedded version will continue to be updated and released for existing customers for the foreseeable future. Any wishing to migrate to the CI version should contact us, but note that the CI version is not a drop-in replacement, has some limitations, and will require migration work.
• Added support for macOS Big Sur (only Intel-based systems supported at this time)
• On Windows 10 you can now integrate the menu and frame title for a more modern look
• The source representation on the Results page is now wrapped using the latest CSS techniques to allow it to be more easily read and selected
• Updated User Agents. To get the updates use the 'R' button on the Edit Agents dialog
• Improvements to E908 accessible name test
• Minor improvements to the UI
• Tests updated in line with official specifications:
  • HTML5 Living Standard updated to 03 December 2020
  • ARIA in HTML updated to 25 November 2020
  • CSS Text Module Level 3 updated to 19 November 2020
  • CSS Lists and Counters Module Level 3 updated to 17 November 2020
  • CSS Fonts Module Level 4 updated to 17 November 2020
  • CSS Color Module Level 4 updated to 12 November 2020
  • CSS Values and Units Module Level 4 updated to 11 November 2020
  • CSS Scroll Anchoring Module Level 1 updated to 11 November 2020
  • CSS Color Adjustment Module Level 1 updated to 9 November 2020
  • CSS Box Model Module Level 3 updated to 28 October 2020
  • CSS Box Sizing Module Level 3 updated to 23 October 2020
  • CSS Custom Highlight API Module Level 1 added
  • CSS Grid Layout Module Level 2 updated to 21 October 2020
  • CSS Grid Layout Module Level 1 updated to 21 October 2020
  • CSS Box Sizing Module Level 4 updated to 20 October 2020
  • CSS Properties and Values API Level 1 updated to 13 October 2020
• Bug Fixes:
  • Failure when <a> tags with obsolete 'name' attribute used
  • E626 (case-sensitivity) false positives with <svg> elements
  • Spell check was ignored when the <body> tag was missing
  • Update reminder was displayed on every startup on macOS
  • Minor UI issues

5th September 2020 - v16.1.0

• Removed (X)HTML5R options in line with move to 'HTML5 Living Standard'
• Tests updated in line with official specifications:
  • HTML5 Living Standard updated to 02 September 2020
  • ARIA in HTML updated to 14 August 2020
  • HTML Accessibility API Mappings 1.0 updated to 17 August 2020
  • CSS Inline Layout Module Level 3 updated to 27 August 2020
  • CSS Grid Layout Module Level 2 updated to 18 August 2020
  • CSS Grid Layout Module Level 1 updated to 18 August 2020
  • CSS Cascading and Inheritance Level 4 updated to 18 August 2020
  • CSS Cascading and Inheritance Level 3 updated to 17 August 2020
  • Media Queries Level 5 updated to 31 July 2020
• Bug Fixes:
  • @media false positives due to parsing bug
  • E862 (poor alternative text) false positives
  • Minor UI issues

2nd August 2020 - v16.0.0

• Major release with many changes, so moving to v16
• Complete overhaul of ARIA testing and removal of 'Aria Rules' option
• Major review of Accessibility testing, with many updates and additions, and new CSS tests
• When Accessibility validation is selected, ARIA and CSS accessibility tests are now run
• Removed duplicate HTML issues when Accessibility validation is selected
• Themes expanded to over 60 choices
• Main application window and most dialogs can now be resized
• New options to unmask Network and Proxy passwords
• All internal libraries updated to latest versions
• Tests updated in line with official specifications:
  • HTML5 Living Standard updated to 24 July 2020
  • WAI-ARIA updated to 1.2
  • WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices updated to 1.2
  • ARIA in HTML updated to 14 July 2020
  • HTML Accessibility API Mappings 1.0 updated to 18 July 2020
  • Media Queries updated to Level 5
  • CSS Lists Module Level 3 updated to 9 July 2020
  • CSS Inline Layout Module Level 3 updated to 18 June 2020
  • CSS Overflow Module Level 3 updated to 3 June 2020
  • CSS Containment Module Level 2 updated to 3 June 2020
  • CSS Display Module Level 3 updated to 19 May 2020
  • CSS Positioned Layout Module Level 3 updated to 19 May 2020
  • CSS Text Decoration Module Level 4 updated to 6 May 2020
  • CSS Ruby Layout Module Level 1 updated to 29 April 2020
  • CSS Text Module Level 3 updated to 29 April 2020
  • CSS Box Alignment Module Level 3 updated to 21 April 2020
  • CSS Box Model Module Level 3 updated to 21 April 2020
  • CSS Box Model Module Level 4 added
  • CSS Box Sizing Module Level 4 added
  • CSS Transforms Module Level 2 added
  • CSS Scroll Anchoring Module Level 1 added
  • CSS Color Module updated to Level 4
  • CSS Overscroll Behavior Module Level 1 added
  • WebVTT: The Web Video Text Tracks Format added
  • CSS Values and Units Module Level 4 added
  • CSS Fragmentation Module Level 4 added
  • Selectors Level 4 added
  • CSS Shadow Parts added
  • CSS Round Display Level 1 added
  • CSS Page Floats added
  • CSS Scoping Module Level 1 added
• Bug Fixes:
  • Ignoring CSS issues using @-tv-ignore wasn't working
  • transform-origin property did not allow Z offset values
  • @media false positive due to parsing bug
  • CSS url() function parsing bug
  • Embedded version was creating the data folder when it shouldn't
  • Section 508 accessibility level when saved, was restored as WCAG21 AA
  • Minor UI issues

7th May 2020 - v15.0.2

• Bug Fix: Application window was not resizing when user changed O/S text size
• Bug Fix: Corrected some ARIA grid false positives

11th April 2020 - v15.0.1

• Bug Fix: High CPU usage

10th April 2020 - v15.0.0

• Large release with many changes, so moving to v15
• Modernisation program completed with new branding
• Major application changes:
  • Updated application interface with choice of themes using FlatLaf
  • Now entirely 64-bit (32-bit Windows Pro available on special request)
  • Reorganisation of options making it easier to configure
  • F1 help added to all options for easier configuration
  • Internal rewrite using the latest APIs and libraries
  • Old options no longer needed due to the rewrite have been removed
• Migrated to WHATWG's HTML specification in place of HTML5.3 for the latest HTML5 tests
• Several new and updated Accessibility tests
• Application will now add https:// and .com to Start Page URL if required
• Descriptive link text replaces URLs in all issue links for easier reading
• Open workspace now presents a sorted list
• Tests updated in line with official specifications:
  • ARIA in HTML updated to 15 February 2020
  • HTML Accessibility API Mappings 1.0 updated to 17 December 2019
  • CSS Color Adjustment Module Level 1 updated to 2 April 2020
  • CSS Speech Module updated to 10 March 2020
  • CSS Basic User Interface Module Level 4 updated to 24 January 2020
  • CSS Writing Modes Level 3 updated to 10 December 2019
  • CSS Grid Layout Module Level 2 updated to 3 December 2019
  • Motion Path Module Level 1 added
  • CSS Text Decoration Module Level 4 added
• Bug Fixes:
  • Unrecognised elements could cause Total Validator to fail
  • E686 and E860 false positives with <svg> elements
  • Ignore by option was not working for single character elements
  • Several minor authentication prompt fixes
  • Cookies sometimes ignored with remote links from local pages
  • Specifying Google Chrome as results browser on macOS didn't work