CSS alternative to the alt tag

**StevenHu** · Aug 30, 2007 15:41

MSIE uses the alt tag to display text when the cursor rests over the image. However, FF uses a different tag. What is that tag?

Thanks!
Steve

**Dan Grossman** · Aug 30, 2007 16:15

Firefox uses the title attribute instead of the alt attribute on image tags. That doesn't mean you should omit the alt attribute which is still used for its intended purposes.

**Centauri** · Aug 30, 2007 18:07

Originally Posted by StevenHu

MSIE uses the alt tag to display text when the cursor rests over the image.

That is incorrect behaviour - the alt tag is only supposed to be for displaying alternate descriptive text when the image is not available (and is required for strict doctypes). The title tag should be the only one that creates the popup text.

**felgall** · Aug 30, 2007 19:19

Basically browsers display the content of the 'title' attribute when the mouse moves over any tag in the page that has a title attribute. Internet Explorer copies the alt attribute to the title attribute for images that do not have a separate title attribute. For consistent results across all bbrowsers simply make sure that all your images have a title attribute.

**DaveWoods** · Aug 31, 2007 01:18

I'm just wondering what the accessibility implications of this might be. Would a screen reader not read out both the title and alt values? In which case may be repeated if both were specified?

Personally I'd only use a title tag for where it was required, specify an alt tag for all images and ignore Internet Explorer's behavior.

**Tailslide** · Aug 31, 2007 01:33

Originally Posted by csswiz

Personally I'd only use a title tag for where it was required, specify an alt tag for all images and ignore Internet Explorer's behavior.

^ what he said.

**Dan Schulz** · Aug 31, 2007 01:36

Excuse me for one moment.

There Is No Such Thing As The ALT=""TAG (it's an attribute of the img element).

There, now where were we?

**Tailslide** · Aug 31, 2007 01:40

Dan - put your head between your knees and breeeeathe deeply.... is that better now?

**AutisticCuckoo** · Aug 31, 2007 01:40

You never know. There might be an <alt> tag in HTML6 or XHTML3.

**DaveWoods** · Aug 31, 2007 01:44

Sorry, old habits (there's no title tag either)

Personally I'd only use a title attribute for where it was required, specify an alt attribute for all images and ignore Internet Explorer's behavior.

Thought I'd better correct those before Dan's head exploded

**AutisticCuckoo** · Aug 31, 2007 01:54

Originally Posted by csswiz

(there's no title tag either)

Yes, there is. It's even required!

Code:

<html>
  <head>
    <title>Document Title</title>
  </head>

**Dan Schulz** · Aug 31, 2007 01:49

You're safe.

**DaveWoods** · Aug 31, 2007 01:55

I can see it's going to be one of those days

**Dan Schulz** · Aug 31, 2007 02:25

**StevenHu** · Aug 31, 2007 07:53

Thanks for the help. I'll keep both alt and title in place. Alt is needed to pass validation.

Regards,
Steve

**Malatya** · Aug 31, 2007 08:21

this is a common firefox bug

**DaveWoods** · Aug 31, 2007 08:32

Originally Posted by Malatya

this is a common firefox bug

As has been pointed out above, this is not a firefox bug. Internet Explorer wrongly uses the alt attribute as it's title text when none has been specified.

The title attribute should be displayed when you mouse over so if this is the effect you want then you should use the title attribute.

However, the right solution is to use the alt attribute on images, use the title attribute on elements that need a title and ignore how Internet Explorer wrongly renders the alt attribute.

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