ALT text block for image

[Sandy]

Is there any way to force the text block that pops up for an image to
have a longer display time?

I have an imagemap with lots of areas that contain specific "ALT="
text to help identify the portion of the image the cursor is hovering
over. In some cases, a lot of text is displayed but the text block
disappears too quickly to allow you to read the whole thing. I just
wondered if there was a way to specify that the block remain on the
screen until the cursor moves away from that portion of the image?

Or is there a better way to do this?

Sandy

 

[Matthias Gutfeldt]

Is there any way to force the text block that pops up for an image to
have a longer display time?
No.


I have an imagemap with lots of areas that contain specific "ALT="
text to help identify the portion of the image the cursor is hovering
over. In some cases, a lot of text is displayed but the text block
disappears too quickly to allow you to read the whole thing. I just
wondered if there was a way to specify that the block remain on the
screen until the cursor moves away from that portion of the image?

Or is there a better way to do this?

The TITLE attribute, perhaps. Or don't use an imagemap that is not
self-explanatory enough.


Matthias

 

[Leif K-Brooks]

Is there any way to force the text block that pops up for an image to
have a longer display time?
http://www.vortex-webdesign.com/help/faq.htm#force

I have an imagemap with lots of areas that contain specific "ALT="
text to help identify the portion of the image the cursor is hovering
over.

Alternative text is just that: alternative text. A couple of obsolete
browsers misuse it for tooltips, but it should only be used as an
alternative to the image if it can't be displayed for some reason. The
title attribute is what you should be using.

In some cases, a lot of text is displayed but the text block
disappears too quickly to allow you to read the whole thing. I just
wondered if there was a way to specify that the block remain on the
screen until the cursor moves away from that portion of the image?

You could try using some kind of JavaScript solution in addition to
using the title attribute, but never rely on any kind of tooltip working.

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

Quoth the raven Sandy:

I have an imagemap with lots of areas that contain specific "ALT="
text to help identify the portion of the image the cursor is
hovering over.

You must be using a broken browser then. Alt text is not for hover
display, that is what the title attribute is for. In my browser of
choice, your alt text would not be displayed.

Or is there a better way to do this?

<img src="..."
alt="<Display this when images turned off>"
title="I want you to read all this text when you hover ..."
...

 

[Rob McAninch]

Is there any way to force the text block that pops up for an
image to have a longer display time?

If you are referring to the alt or title attribute being
displayed graphically then you would have to rewrite the code of
the browser in question. Or disable images so you can see the
alternative text.

I have an imagemap with lots of areas that contain specific
"ALT=" text to help identify the portion of the image the
cursor is hovering over. [...]
Or is there a better way to do this?

Perhaps if your images aren't easy enough to figure out where I
might go you would be better served with different images and/or
actual text.

Another option would be to look into some DHTML method to display
the extra text when the browser supports such things.

 

[brucie]

In alt.html Sandy said:

Is there any way to force
http://webtips.dan.info/force.html

the text block that pops up for an image to have a longer display
time?

use a browser other than IE where the tooltip remains visible until the
mouse moves.

I have an imagemap

usability/accessibility issues. you probably shouldn't be using it

with lots of areas that contain specific "ALT="
text to help identify the portion of the image the cursor

your design is broken if it needs tooltips to "help"

is hovering over.

'alt' is not meant to display a 'tooltip'. the 'title' attribute usually
does.

alt = text [CS]
For user agents that cannot display images, forms, or applets, this
attribute specifies alternate text. The language of the alternate text
is specified by the lang attribute.
http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/struct/objects.html#adef-alt

title = text [CS]
This attribute offers advisory information about the element for which
it is set.[...]
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). Audio user agents may speak the title
information in a similar context. For example, setting the attribute on
a link allows user agents (visual and non-visual) to tell users about
the nature of the linked resource:
http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/struct/global.html#adef-title

The "tooltip" effect and the title attribute
http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/html/alt.html#tooltip

In some cases, a lot of text is displayed but the text block
disappears too quickly to allow you to read the whole thing.

you've got yourself stuck on a particular course of action. give it up.
the solution is to redesign your broken design.

 

[Sam Hughes]

Alternative text is just that: alternative text. A couple of obsolete
browsers misuse it for tooltips, but it should only be used as an
alternative to the image if it can't be displayed for some reason.

Why only then?

 

[Jukka K. Korpela]

Why only then?

What do you think "alternative" (or "alternate") means?

 

[brucie]

In alt.html Jukka K. Korpela said:

What do you think "alternative" (or "alternate") means?

· unemployed.
· grow/sell/smoke drugs.
· fear of soap and water.
· delude yourself into thinking you can play bongo drums and in public.
· lots of body decorations/mutilations especially from african origins.
· grow dreadlocks and have small creatures living in them.

 

[Sam Hughes]

What do you think "alternative" (or "alternate") means?

But why _only_ then should a browser reveal the alternate text? If a
reader who sees an image wants to know what the image's alternate text is,
there is no reason to stop him.

 

[Mark Parnell]

But why _only_ then should a browser reveal the alternate text?

Because it is an *alternative*. You render the image, or alternately,
the text.

If a
reader who sees an image wants to know what the image's alternate text is,
there is no reason to stop him.

If you mean stop him (or her ;-) ) looking at the page source, of course
not. In Mozilla, if you right click an image and view its properties, it
tells you the alt text. I don't see a problem with that. But the text
should not be shown on the page in addition to the image, including as a
tooltip.

 

[Sandy]

Quoth the raven Sandy:


You must be using a broken browser then. Alt text is not for hover
display, that is what the title attribute is for. In my browser of
choice, your alt text would not be displayed.


<img src="..."
alt="<Display this when images turned off>"
title="I want you to read all this text when you hover ..."
...

I'm using IE6 and only the ALT tag will display all the text. If I
stick it in the TITLE, only the first line is displayed. That isn't
acceptable for my purposes.

Sandy

 

[Sandy]

you've got yourself stuck on a particular course of action. give it up.
the solution is to redesign your broken design.

I don't have a broken design. What I have are limitations on what I
want to appear. My image is a map which I want to enhance with
commentary. I want the user to be able to see the whole map and when
the mouse hovers over a position on the map, they can see the
commentary about that particular site. I could use a graphics program
to stick little boxes all over the place with the appropriate text,
but then the map would be too cluttered. The popup tooltips seem like
the ideal solution. I tried putting the text in the TITLE but only
the first line displays. Only the ALT text will display everything
albeit for a short time. Javascript could put the text in the status
bar but that is kind of awkward.

Sandy

 

[rf]

Sandy

On Mon, 18 Oct 2004 14:55:22 GMT, "Beauregard T. Shagnasty"


I'm using IE6 and only the ALT tag

Attribute. It is an alt attribute.

will display all the text. If I
stick it in the TITLE, only the first line is displayed.

Er, what?

The title attribute will be displayed on however many lines it takes to fit
it all in.

 

[brucie]

In alt.html Sandy said:

I'm using IE6

no one cares what you use. its what your visitors uses that matters.

and only the ALT tag will display all the text.

it behavior is the same as title

If I stick it in the TITLE, only the first line is displayed.

IE6 will display title text until there is so much it can no longer fit
within the browser window. at full screen 800x600 thats almost 3k of
text.

That isn't acceptable for my purposes.

your design is broken. dump it and start again or just continue wasting
your time.

 

[brucie]

In alt.html Sandy said:

I don't have a broken design.

yes you do. rethink what you're trying to achieve and start again.

What I have are limitations

you can waste your time if you like but don't waste mine.

 

[Sam Hughes]

Because it is an *alternative*. You render the image, or alternately,
the text.

Your logic seems to be as follows:
1. Alt text must be rendered if the image is not rendered.
2. ???
3. Therefore, if the image is rendered, the contents of the alt text should
not be made available to the user.

Please fill in the "???".

If a reader who sees an image wants to know what the image's alternate
text is, there is no reason to stop him.

[...] But the text should not be shown on the page in addition to the
image, including as a tooltip.

Why not?

 

[Mark Parnell]

[...] But the text should not be shown on the page in addition to the
image, including as a tooltip.

Why not?

Because it's an *alternative*.

al·ter·na·tive (n.)

1. a. The choice between two mutually exclusive possibilities.
b. A situation presenting such a choice.
c. Either of these possibilities.

Note: *mutually exclusive*. That means if you have one, you cannot have
the other. That is what an alternative is.

 

[Disco Octopus]

In alt.html Jukka K. Korpela said:


· unemployed.
· grow/sell/smoke drugs.
· fear of soap and water.
· delude yourself into thinking you can play bongo drums and in
public. · lots of body decorations/mutilations especially from
african origins. · grow dreadlocks and have small creatures living in
them.

speaking of which, i recently went to the mullimbimbi markets with the wife
and kids. that was interesting.

 

[brucie]

In alt.html Robert Frost-Bridges said:

http://www.porjes.com/butterflies/index.php

yuck!

http://butterflies.usenetshit.info/