The ALT attribute examined Dec17 '04

After reading Anne’s entry on the ALT attribute – I have some pretty basic questions, that pertain to the proper use of the ALT attribute.

As far as the "tool tip" issue with Firefox (that they are discussing), I have no idea what the uproar is about – in fact, I have no idea what the problem is. So I’ll just stick to "proper use" issues.

According to Anne, and many others, the ALT attribute is NOT for additional information about a graphic. It is meant for alternate content.

At first glance, I was confused, and thought, "Isn’t additional information the same thing as alternate content?" After reflecting further, I realized they are, in fact, NOT the same thing.

As far as I know...

If you have an image on your page (that’s presented with the <img> element, and not via CSS), the ALT attribute will supply an immediate textual description of that image, in case the image doesn’t load, or is slow to load.

This is very helpful on image–heavy web pages, especially when images are used as primary navigation buttons. Instead of waiting for every image to load, you can instantly see the text for that image, and click on the link right away.

Below is a fake, example image, which doesn’t exist, but illustrates the ALT attribute:

This is the description of this image, which is not loading.

The others say...

If "additional information" is another way to say "supply description," then I am using the ALT attribute incorrectly. Again, this is according to Anne.

When I use the <img> element on my pages, I DO supply a description for that image, using the ALT attribute. But maybe I need to reconsider my approach.

As much as I can grasp what "alternate content" means, it’s much harder to implement it, when it comes to images.

That’s just where I sit right now.

Categories: Accessibility , Semantics

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When you have an image, that has (to make it simple) the word "Contact" written on it the ALT attribute value should read "Contact". However, some ... Read more.

Thanks, Anne. That helps a bit. ... Read more.

Hixie explains it best with his ... Read more.

Oops, I screwed the markup in that comment, sorry, you'll need to fix it. It should say: Hixie explains it best with his ... Read more.

Thanks for the links, Lachlan. ... Read more.

There's an easy way to check whether or not you have used good ALT attributes on your images: view the page in Lynx. You can also use Opera, which ... Read more.

Tommy, thanks for your input. I read Ian Hickson's FAQ regarding alt text (thanks to Lachlan above), and I have a better understanding. ... Read more.

My way of doing it goes something like this: I'll mark up the page and enter ALT texts that seem reasonable. Then I'll check the page in Lyn ... Read more.

matthom is published and produced by Matt Thommes - an independent publishing enthusiast, mobile blogger, content creator, informative writer, web developer from Chicago. Never one to conform, Matt intends to promote the effect the web has on our lives, in an effort to intensify, instruct, and clarify all that is happening around us.