Questionable implementation of IMG ALT attribute as tooltips
Colin F Reynolds (colin@the-net-effect.com)
Mon, 26 Jan 1998 22:06:14 +0000
Message-ID: <JbushBCWjQz0EwRO@the-net-effect.com>
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 22:06:14 +0000
To: www-html@w3.org
From: Colin F Reynolds <colin@the-net-effect.com>
Subject: Questionable implementation of IMG ALT attribute as tooltips
In article <01ISU2RGUNG200877V@SCI.WFBR.EDU>, Foteos Macrides
<MACRIDES@SCI.WFBR.EDU> writes
> HTML 4.0 provides for a TITLE *attribute* in IMG and homologous
>elements, with this explanation of its intent:
>
>[...]
> 7.4.3 The title attribute
> Attribute definitions
> title = text [CS]
> This attribute offers advisory information about the element
> for which it is set.
[snippety]
> Values of the title attribute
> may be rendered by user agents in a variety of ways. For instance,
> visual browsers frequently display the title as a "tool tip" (a short
> message that appears when the pointing device pauses over an object).
<nodding>
>[...]
> So what you want is:
>
> <IMG SRC="foo.blah" ALT="alternative_string" TITLE="tooltip_string">
>
>and broader implementation and understanding of this provision in HTML 4.0.
I agree 100%.
So, AIUI, you are confirming that the position of the W3C is that the
implementation of the IMG element's ALT attribute as a tooltip is BAD,
and that a viable alternative exists in the recommendation.
Thank you.
Hopefully I can now go away and mark up my content in the manner you
describe above in the knowledge that, although in the short term non-
compliant browsers will produce a misleading rendering of my documents,
in the longer term the flawed implementations will be replaced by
compliant versions.
/me crosses his fingers...
--
Colin c[_]
Q: How do you recognise a computer programmer?
A: The answer to the question "Would you like a tea or a coffee?" is: "Yes!"