Re: ALT-attribute usage

Interesting.  With your two edits, you have succeeded in bracketing
where I would draw a line.

to follow up on what Harvey Bingham said:

[quoted twice is me> >
> >Is that what you want, or would it be better for the comments to say
> >
> >"To avoid problems with non-visual UAs, provide a brief text
> >alternative for the image via ALT, and avoid server-side image
>              ---
[quoted once is Harvey>
> I'd be more explicit: substitute for "for" 
> "describing the information conveyed by"

In other words, "To avoid problems with non-visual UAs, provide a
brief text alternative describing the information conveyed by the
image via ALT, and avoid server-side image..."

That one is OK, if not entirely an improvement.

> >  alt         CDATA      #REQUIRED -- text alternative to image --
> >
> 
> Agree: but how about                -- text alternative describing image --

I would not be happy with that one.

The classic example of the icon in the software manual
illustrates the difference.  "Exclamation point in triangle (in
red)" describes the image.  "Warning! " captures the information
conveyed.

For images whose function is primarily symbolic (they allude to a
concept) a verbal expression of the same concept is to be
preferred to a verbal description of the visual expression of the
concept.

IMG is too broad in its range of application for one to know from
just the IMG element type if it should have a description or an
equivalent in its ALT string.  

Over the long haul maybe we could look at defining elements
which are more specific concerning the role of the image.

For now, we still need Gregg's CASE statement in the guidelines.

As I see it.

-- Al Gilman

Received on Wednesday, 22 October 1997 08:16:31 UTC