[Pmwiki-users] re: new syntax / alt text for images

[Christian Ridderström]

On Wed, 26 May 2004, J. Meijer wrote:

> 
> The new syntax might take (the option of writing) a '-' to indicate a
> 'missing link' (;-) :
> 
>     [[-|Attach:filename.gif || alt text]]

I like the idea of using '[[ - | ...' instead of simply '[[ | ...'.

> Which creates problems if the motive is just to put hovertext.

I apologize in advance for being picky about the terminology in the next
few paragraphs. Here I want to pick on the word "hovertext". Now, when you
write it, you might well be fully aware of what it really is, but others
may not. OTOH, if you with "hovertext" actually mean that the purpose of
this markup is to produce hovering text, please say so. (Although I'm not
sure that effed can be guaranteed).

<picky>
I think it's important that we remeber not to refer to it as "hovertext"
in this context, because even if your browser renders alternate text (or
link title, or acronym description) as a hovering text, it is bad to
assume that this is how it always is rendered.

More importantly however, we loose sight of the purpose of these texts --
the purpose isn't to create hovering text... Instead, AFAIK, the purpose
of an alternate text for image is something like this:

* Alternate text for images  ex: [[ - | Attach:door.png || Logout ]]

  This text acts as a replacement for the image in case the image
  isn't/can't be shown. This does not mean that text should be a
  description of the image, e.g. if we have an image showing a door,
  the alternate text might well be "exit" or "logout" rathern than
  "Brown wooden door". For purely decorative images W3 recommends
  using an empty alternate text.

  Some links:
  * http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-html40-970917/struct/objects.html#h-14.7
  * http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-html40-970917/appendix/notes.html#altgen 
  * http://www.w3.org/Amaya/User/using_image_maps/about_alternative_text_and_long_descriptions.html
  * http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-gl/1998OctDec/0377.html


* Links with title text    ex: [[http://www.pmwiki.org || PmWiki website]]

  The title text should describe what the link points to.

  Some links:
  * http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/struct/links.html
  * http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/struct/links.html#h-12.1.4


* Acronyms/abbreviations -- the purpose is to explain the meaning.

</picky>

Btw, here are some useful ideas on writing link text (i.e. what you write instead of the URI, e.g. [[ListOfIdeas | useful ideas]]")

    * http://www.w3.org/QA/Tips/noClickHere

For example, instead of writing
	"To download PmWiki [[http://www.pmwiki.org | click here]]"
they recommend something like:
	"Tell me more about [[http://www.pmwiki.org | PmWiki]]"
or maybe
	"Get [[http://www.pmwiki.org | PmWiki]]!"


/Christian

-- 
Christian Ridderstr?m                           http://www.md.kth.se/~chr