{"id":613582,"date":"2023-08-31T18:37:36","date_gmt":"2023-09-01T01:37:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=arcuser&p=613582"},"modified":"2023-08-31T18:37:36","modified_gmt":"2023-09-01T01:37:36","slug":"accessible-arcade-editor","status":"publish","type":"arcuser","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcuser\/accessible-arcade-editor","title":{"rendered":"Accessibility and Arcade: Working in Color"},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","castos_file_data":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[10392,10832,461441],"tags":[287782,35332,486372,486432],"arcuser_issues":[486292],"class_list":["post-613582","arcuser","type-arcuser","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-arcgis-online","category-developer-technology","category-equity-social-justice","tag-accessibility","tag-arcgis-arcade","tag-inclusion","tag-low-vision","arcuser_issues-arcuser-summer-2023"],"acf":{"short_description":"A new accessible color palette for syntax highlighting has been added to the editor in Map Viewer to add people with low vision.\r\n","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":613632,"file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"With the November 2022 release of ArcGIS Online, a new ArcGIS Arcade editor was introduced to the platform. This editor provides a variety of improvements to help users author their expressions quickly and efficiently. Since then, Esri has been exploring ways to enhance the experience of users leveraging Arcade in their work. With the June 2023 release of ArcGIS Online, a new accessible color palette for syntax highlighting has been added to the editor in Map Viewer.\r\n

Color in Code<\/h3>\r\nUsing color to provide context is a common practice in design, and syntax highlighting is no exception. Syntax highlighting, otherwise known as code colorization, is a method used to help quickly differentiate elements within a script. It can help authors troubleshoot issues in their script while simultaneously improving code readability.\r\n

Color Vision Deficiencies<\/h3>\r\nA color vision deficiency\u2013colloquially referred to as color blindness\u2013is an inability for an individual to distinguish certain shades or colors. The type and severity of color vision deficiency can vary greatly between individuals. Table 1 contains a brief overview of the various types of color vision deficiencies.\r\n\r\n "},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":613682,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Accessibility in ArcGIS Online<\/h3>\r\nAccessibility is the practice of developing and producing content that is usable for all individuals, regardless of their physical or cognitive capabilities. Esri is committed to ensuring its products are accessible, and ArcGIS Online is no exception.\r\nTo achieve this objective, Esri leverages the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines<\/a> (WCAG 2.0), an internationally recognized set of standards used for developing accessible web content and software. The new color palette used to highlight syntax in the Arcade editor was designed to be compliant with WCAG 2.0 special criterion 1.4.3. This criterion specifies that the contrast ratio between foreground and background elements must be at least 4.5:1. This ensures that text is still legible for individuals with moderately low vision or other color vision deficiencies.\r\n

A Brief History of Color in Arcade<\/h3>\r\nIf you\u2019ve used the Arcade editor before, you\u2019ll know that syntax highlighting isn\u2019t new. All versions of the editor have leveraged color to varying degrees to differentiate syntax elements. In the initial release of the editor, minimal highlighting was used to signify text and numbers.\r\n\r\nWithin the new editor, these colors were expanded to include other syntax elements such as keywords and comments. While this was a huge enhancement from the previous version, there was some overlap in the colors used for different elements and, therefore, room for improvement. The editor\u2019s new color palette has been designed to fulfill two objectives:\r\n