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    SOURCE · DOM · LAYOUT · ACCESSIBILITY

    Web Representation Layers

    Compare source HTML, parser-repaired DOM, CSS and layout state, rendered text, accessibility semantics, structured data, and browser-agent observations.

    Quick answer

    What does this Machine Tradecraft expansion explain?

    A web page has no single universally authoritative representation: source bytes become a repaired DOM, the DOM and CSSOM produce layout and pixels, accessibility mappings produce a semantic tree, and structured-data parsers build a parallel graph.

    Human view
    Pixels and interaction after parsing, style, layout, and state.
    Machine views
    DOM, textContent, innerText, accessible names, roles, JSON-LD, geometry, and browser snapshots.
    Defensive rule
    Compare independent views and preserve provenance instead of trusting one extractor.
    Reviewed implementation boundary

    Know what is measured, approximated, and still external.

    The submitted report remains byte-identical. This separate review, checked 2026-08-26, narrows implementation claims and gives visitors a decision path before they generalize from a local result.

    IMPLEMENTATION MODE Conservative static HTML representation model
    VISIBLE SOURCE PROFILE 8 standards/specifications · 0 research · 0 government · 0 implementation
    SOURCE BODY Preserved; corrections live in this review layer
    Directly computed

    Output produced deterministically by the local runtime.

    • Exact bounded source text, comments, selected attributes, JSON-LD syntax, and the generated sanitized static copy
    • Selected hidden or low-salience patterns found by the local static analyzer
    • No submitted HTML is executed or allowed to fetch remote resources
    Bounded approximation

    Useful model or subset that must not be mistaken for full conformance.

    • Structural and rendered-text outputs are static approximations, not a WHATWG browser parser or layout engine
    • Accessible-name, CSSOM, generated-content, Shadow DOM, and platform accessibility behavior are not reconstructed by the PHP analyzer
    • Visibility rules cover selected common patterns rather than every CSS and rendering mechanism
    Requires external verification

    Conclusion that needs an exact implementation, trust system, model, parser, or human review.

    • Authoritative DOM repair, computed style, layout, hit testing, and accessibility trees require an isolated real browser
    • Cross-browser and platform accessibility mappings require representative browser and assistive-technology testing
    • Dynamic scripts, slots, templates, custom elements, and cross-origin frames require a separately controlled browser environment
    Decision support

    Choose the next evidence step instead of treating one result as a verdict.

    QuestionWhat the local page can answerWhat it does not establishNext evidence step
    What exact source was submitted?Yes — inspect the preserved raw-source view.The DOM a browser will repair from it.Compare with an isolated browser DOM snapshot.
    Could machine-readable text differ from visible text?The lab can flag selected static divergence.Complete computed visibility or accessibility-tree state.Use live DOM, layout, and AX-tree comparison.
    Is the fragment safe to execute?No execution occurs and no safety verdict is issued.Browser exploitability, CSP behavior, or active-component safety.Use a hardened disposable browser and application-specific policy.
    Focused deterministic fixture

    Source/visibility/ARIA/JSON-LD differential set

    Separates raw source, static text, machine attributes, and structured data.

    Expected boundary: The lab reports selected differences while explicitly reserving browser-only conclusions.

    Open prepared laboratory
    Version and authority checkpoints
    • WHATWG HTMLLiving Standard; browser parsing behavior is implementation-tested, not reimplemented here
    • WAI-ARIA 1.2W3C Recommendation used for terminology and authoring boundaries
    • AccName 1.2W3C Recommendation; exact computation remains a browser responsibility
    Compare independent views

    One artifact, several machine-readable representations

    No single view is automatically authoritative. Preserve the source, identify each parser or receiver, and compare their outputs before authorizing a consequential decision.

    01Source bytes

    Original markup, comments, attributes, and scripts.

    02Parser-repaired DOM

    Tree-construction output after standardized error recovery.

    03CSS and layout

    Computed state, box generation, clipping, opacity, overlap, and top-layer behavior.

    04Rendered text

    Text influenced by layout and visibility rather than raw descendants.

    05Accessibility tree

    Roles, names, states, and relationships mapped for assistive technology and agents.

    06Structured data

    JSON-LD and metadata graphs that may diverge from visible content.

    Bounded method

    Analysis workflow

    The workflow preserves evidence before transformation and keeps structural inspection separate from execution, remote verification, or model behavior.

    1. Preserve the response body and declared encoding.
    2. Parse markup in an inert, network-denied environment.
    3. Compare DOM text, rendered text, accessibility semantics, and structured data.
    4. Verify focusability, visibility, geometry, and state in a real browser.
    5. Build a canonical downstream representation with source labels.
    Defense in depth

    Controls carried into implementation

    These controls are contextual. They reduce a defined risk; they do not guarantee safety, truth, attribution, or resistance to every adaptive attack.

    01

    Use native semantic controls and synchronize visual, focus, and accessibility states.

    02

    Treat structured data as an independently auditable representation.

    03

    Keep closed subtrees inert rather than merely off-screen or aria-hidden.

    04

    Reject remote loads and active content during ingestion.

    05

    Use hybrid DOM, accessibility, and geometry checks for browser agents.

    Shared vocabulary

    Key terms

    Definitions are linked into the site-wide glossary and back to the full report.

    CSSOM

    The object model representing parsed CSS rules and style sheets.

    Computed style

    The resolved CSS values used by layout after cascade and inheritance.

    Rendered text

    Text derived from layout and visibility rather than raw DOM descendants.

    Inert subtree

    A subtree excluded from interaction, focus navigation, and the accessibility tree.

    Accessible name

    The computed label identifying an interface object to assistive technology.

    Shadow DOM

    An encapsulated DOM subtree attached to a host element.

    Parser repair

    Standardized tree-construction recovery that changes malformed source into a valid DOM.

    Structured-data graph

    A machine-readable semantic graph, commonly JSON-LD, that exists alongside visible page content.

    Continue with primary material

    External standards and research

    These links are provided for visitors who want the governing specification, paper, framework, or implementation documentation. Links open in a new tab; the site does not fetch them during runtime analysis.

    Primary standard Living standard

    WHATWG HTML Living Standard

    HTML parsing, tree construction, interaction, and rendering requirements.

    Normative or first-party specification material.
    html.spec.whatwg.org
    Primary standard Living standard

    DOM Standard

    DOM nodes, trees, mutation, and textContent.

    Normative or first-party specification material.
    dom.spec.whatwg.org
    Primary standard Specification

    CSS Object Model

    CSSOM interfaces and resolved style access.

    Normative or first-party specification material.
    drafts.csswg.org
    Primary standard W3C Recommendation

    WAI-ARIA 1.2

    Roles, states, and properties.

    Normative or first-party specification material.
    www.w3.org
    Primary standard W3C Recommendation

    WCAG 2.2

    Accessibility success criteria.

    Normative or first-party specification material.
    www.w3.org
    Primary standard W3C Recommendation

    JSON-LD 1.1

    Linked-data syntax embedded in web pages.

    Normative or first-party specification material.
    www.w3.org
    Continue the investigation

    Read the evidence, then test the bounded model

    The full submitted report is preserved byte-for-byte in the governed research library and in durable repository documentation. The laboratory turns selected concepts into deterministic local output without external calls or hidden persistence.

    Detailed report

    Source HTML, Document Containers, and Agent-Visible Web Representations

    A detailed analysis of source HTML, parser repair, DOM mutation, CSS visibility, accessibility trees, structured data, agent observations, and related document-container parser differentials.

    Read governed report
    Focused laboratory

    Source, DOM, Render, and Accessibility Differential

    Parse a bounded inert HTML fragment and compare raw source, structural text, likely rendered text, accessibility fields, JSON-LD blocks, hidden mechanisms, and sanitized output.

    Open bounded laboratory