This is a test page to show the alt text issues. Issues are listed at
bottom and examples at top for convenience.
Different conditions are shown for information
Example #2 is the most important issue though 2, 3, and 4 are all problems
ALT="1 = NO Width or Height and a relatively long alt text."
BORDER=0
This one is fine. No problem
ALT="2 = Normal length alt text "
BORDER=0 HEIGHT=150 WIDTH=150
This is a problem. Alt text is not shown at all. Should at
least show what it can. Ideally should word wrap or change width
to accomodate Alt Text.
ALT="3 = Normal length alt text"
BORDER=0 HEIGHT=6 WIDTH=600
This is a problem. Should adjust height to accomodate Alt Text.
ALT="4 = NO Width or Height and a very long alt text. This is longer
than you would usually find but is provided here to show the behavior.
It is very very long since you may be looking at this on a very e
program. I have not checked any other versions.
ALT TEXT APPEARING OR NOT IN A DOCUMENT
-
Alt text DOES appear if you either a) don’t have any Height and Width set
for an image or b) the Height and Width are large enough to include
the ENTIRE alt text.
-
If you DO set the Height and Width and the Width you set is not big enough
to hold the ENTIRE alt text, then NONE of the alt text is displayed.
-
The alt text DOES NOT WRAP so that you must have enough room for the ENTIRE
length of the alt text to appear in the WIDTH setting. (You
must also have the HEIGHT setting large enough for the height of the text…
but not usually a problem except for graphic lines)
-
There are also circumstances where all the alt text disappears from the
Edit View but if I close the view and reopen it the alt text returns so
that doesn’t seem to be a real problem.. just a bug.
Note: In all these circumstances, the alt text still appears as a
tooltip which pops up when you point to a graphic.
MOVING OF THE ALT TEXT TO A LOWER LEVEL IN THE IMAGE PROPERTIES
The place that calls for ALT TEXT for a graphic used to be at the highest
level of the image properties dialog box, right next to the path.
It has now been moved to a button at the bottom of the properties dialog
box that is labeled "Alt Text / Low Res…" It therefore takes
more time to use and is less obvious that it should be filled out. (At
first I couldn’t find it because I was looking for it in the dialog itself
and then I went looking for it under the tabs at the top.) It would be
MUCH better if it was on the top level so that it was convenient and looked
like an important part of the image specification rather than an optional
specification.
It would be EVEN BETTER if it prompted for the alt text… though
it should not require it I don’t think (there may be places where it is
not appropriate and situations where someone else will do the alt text).
There are already prompts for other things like image files that aren't
found at the specified location and they are easy to dismiss.
Two Other Notes On ALT TEXT
While on the topic of ALT TEXT here are two other notes
regarding alt text.
1) UNDERLINE ALT TEXT IF IT IS A LINK
If the alt text is on an image that is a link the alt text SHOULD BE
UNDERLINED
If the alt text is on an image that is NOT a link - is should appear
as it does now. (not underlined)
2) WHEN YOU TURN OFF IMAGES THEY SHOULD NOT APPEAR EVEN IF THEY
ARE IN THE CACHE.
The Alt text should appear instead. This makes it much easier
for webmasters and others to check their web pages to see if and how well
the ALT TEXT appears.