W3 Validation and ALT 3

[TamedTech]

Hello Chaps,

I'm sure this is a silly question but I’ll stick it in, it's been a few years since I last worked in web development and I’m just getting my hand back in the pie as it were.

I have stumbled across the W3 Validator, after processing my recent project it has come up pretty clean other then targeting every image I have on the site, even those without links that construct my borders and button backgrounds as not having ALT tags associated with them.

So I have to define an ALT tag for every image on the site? Sounds like an awful lot of work.

Can you give me some pointers?

Thanks,

Rob

 

[Foamcow]

It depends what DOCTYPE you are validating to. (although when I think of it, perhaps even boggo HTML needs alt attributes).

The attribute doesn't have to have anything in it, in fact for images that aren't part of the page content (such as spacers) then you should simply add an empty alt attribute.

However for images that are part of content then the alt attribute should contain a few short words describing the images content and its meaning to the document.

Foamcow Heavy Industries - Web design and ranting
Buy Languedoc wines in the UK

 

[TamedTech]

That answers my question perfectly Foamcow,

I'll add a stack of blank ALT tags to the images. It is just standard HTML i'm coding in at the moment, using CSS for the styles sheets, i'm just designing the page layouts for what will become a coldfusion document, but for now the HTML will suffice.

Thanks,

Rob

 

[ChrisHirst]

<pedantic>
alt attributes
</pedantic>

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Woo Hoo! the cobblers kids get new shoes.
People Counting Systems

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

 

[manarth]

The main thing to remember is that the Alt attribute is intended to replace the image when images are disabled (such as some dialup users, text browsers, some mobile phones & PDAs).
[ul]
[li]Where the image is text, the alt should simply be the same text.[/li]
[li]Where the image is purely decorative (such as rounded corner effects) the alt should be empty (i.e. [tt]alt=""[/tt] - note: there should not be a space between the two quote marks)[/li]
[/ul]

A good test is to try to navigate your site using a text-only browser (such as Lynx - free download).

---
Marcus
better questions get better answers - faq581-3339
accessible web design - zioncore.com

 

[TamedTech]

Thank you guys, I have mended the alt [Apology]attributes[/Apology]now and they are running nicly.

I've now cleared all the bug's out of the code, the W3 Validator is still kicking up a fuss over a couple of attributes involved with a flash file i have in my document.

Any ideas what might be causing that?

<object>
<param name="movie" value="flash/intel.swf">
<embed src="flash/intel.swf" width="336" height="280">
</embed>
</object>

The Validator doesn't like the attributes for the src, hieght or the object and embed tags

Rob

 

[Vragabond]

AFAIK <embed> is not a standard tag. It is a Netscape relic from days before. I suggest you use the Flash Satay method to include your flash.

 

[TamedTech]

Give that man a purple star ... That Satay method worked a charm, i was on the understaning that the <embed> tag was an old throwback, just didnt want to rule out all the funny little netscape users that might want to surf my space.

Thanks,

Rob