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HTML Standard attribute: alt

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The HTML alt attribute indicates the alternative text to show when original content (e.g. an image) fails to display. It applies to <area>, <img> and <input> elements.

 

There are several possible reasons why an image might not display, e.g. there might be a slow connection, the content location might be wrongly specified or the user might be using a screen reader because he or she is partly sighted). Some old browsers showed the value of the alt attribute as a tooltip, but modern browsers use the title attribute instead for this purpose.

 

Valid attribute values (when used with <area>, <img> and <input> elements) include:

 

Value

Description

text

Alternative text to display

 

EXAMPLE:


HTML USED IN THIS EXAMPLE:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html> <!-- Copyright (c) Nematrian Limited 2018 -->
<head></head>
<body>
Set using HTML:<br>
<img alt="can't find file" src="Pictures/Shape1.jpg"><br>
<img alt="can't find file" src="Pictures/Missing.jpg"><br>

<br><br>Set using JavaScript:<br>
<img alt="can't find file" src="Pictures/Missing.jpg"><br>

<script>
var att = document.createAttribute("alt");
att.value = "can't find file";
document.getElementById("x1").setAttributeNode(att);
</script>

</body>
</html>


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