Sample block in a figure: when to use a footer, when to use figcaption?

Question

There are two examples on w3.org blockquote -page :

Example 14 :

 <figure> <blockquote> "That monster custom, who all sense doth eat Of habit's devil," <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr> not in Folio "What a falling off was there ! From me, whose love was of that dignity That it went hand in hand even with the vow I made to her in marriage, and to decline Upon a wretch." </blockquote> <footer> — <cite class="title">Shakespeare manual</cite> by <cite class="author">Frederick Gard Fleay</cite>, p19 (in Google Books) </footer> </figure> 

Example 19 :

 <figure> <blockquote> <p> The truth may be puzzling. It may take some work to grapple with. It may be counterintuitive. It may contradict deeply held prejudices. It may not be consonant with what we desperately want to be true. But our preferences do not determine what's true. We have a method, and that method helps us to reach not absolute truth, only asymptotic approaches to the truth — never there, just closer and closer, always finding vast new oceans of undiscovered possibilities. Cleverly designed experiments are the key. </p> </blockquote> <figcaption> <cite>Carl Sagan</cite>, in "<cite>Wonder and Skepticism</cite>", from the <cite>Skeptical Inquirer</cite> Volume 19, Issue 1 (January-February 1995) </figcaption> </figure> 

Both look very similar to me - in content. But they talk about the first:

Note
In the above example, the citation is contained in the footer figure , this group connects information, information about the quote, with the quote. The figcaption element figcaption not used, in this case, as a container for quotation, as this is not a signature.

However, I do not understand the difference between the two versions. Can someone explain the difference and what is important to distinguish between footer and figcaption ?

Answer 1

Based on the following facts:

• The non-normative examples in the W3C specification seem to contradict each other, as you saw.
• The W3C specification does not contain regulatory text suggesting that any of these options is inappropriate. One example claims that the quote is not a signature, but since it is not normative, you may well disagree.
• Because of this problem, WHATWG , the editor of live specifications, and also a member of the W3C CSSWG (i.e., not HTML) believe that the difference is not "in practice, although the former seems to be inclined to figcaption .
• In practice, most authors put attributive information in figcaption in any case without visible consequences.

... the conclusion seems to be that there is no significant or practical difference between them, and whatever you choose is a matter of personal preference.

Having said that, if you still cannot decide, figcaption more compatible with both specifications, and not in terms of conformity (since footer and figcaption equally consistent), but in terms of how they describe their role and use, especially in in relation to the figure element (usually you expect the text associated with the drawing to be its label). In any case, the most important are the cite elements, because ultimately they are those that convey the attribute semantics, and not their container element.