Re: image sizes on web page/alt tags

At 11:21 AM 16/04/99 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi all,
>
>1.  Is it true that a page will download faster if I put the size=
 attributes
>on each image?

The images will not download faster per say but the page will indeed be=20
rendered much faster as the browser does not have to wait for the whole=20
image to download to know its size and allocate the proper space for it and=
=20
the other page elements.

>Recently when I ran one of my pages through a validator the
>lack of sizes came up as errors.  If I needed to correct this, I would have
>to bring each and every image file from all my pages into PS or PSP to view
>the sizes and enter them all by hand.  Ugh!  Would there be an easier way=
 to
>do this and is it really necessary?

It is absolutely necessary if you care about your users at all.  You do not=
=20
need to enter sizes by hand if you use a good HTML editor like=20
HomeSite.  When you drag an image file into the code HomeSite fills in the=
=20
size attributes automatically and adds an empty alt attribute.  Same thing=
=20
if you use modify an image tag with its tag editing dialog.

>2.  I have some alt tags on buttons on one of my pages.  Although I have=
 set
>the text as black and links as blue.. and vlinks as black, these alt tags
>persist in showing up in green... and it's not a very readable green...it's
>a pale green.  The URL is:
>http://www.drhubbard.com
>How can I get rid of the green on my alt tags?  I want them to be black.

You set the LINK attribute of the BODY tag to #00FF00 (green) so it's only=
=20
normal that browsers render the alt text as green.  If you want links blue,=
=20
omit the LINK attribute (default links are usually blue) or change the=20
value to #0000FF.


>3.  I recently put up a portfolio page showing some of my work.  On this
>page my alt tags don't view properly.  Instead of showing the longer
>description of each image, the tag is truncated to just one word.  Could
>this be my provider, or is there something I should do to fix this?
>http://www.granbury.com/~lonna

Put in the proper size attributes in your image tags.

A few remarks.  You should put alt text within quotes and in fact you=20
should put all textual attribute values within quotes and leave integer=20
numbers alone if you want.  Second, you shouldn't put alt text for image=20
that add nothing meaningful to the document like  graphical divider lines,=
=20
graphic bullets etc.  Still use the alt attribute but leave it empty (to=20
take the image out of the document's flow in text only or text to speech=20
browsers).   Lastly and this is a personal opinion,  MIDI files are=20
annoying at best on personal pages and IMO have no business being on an=20
orthodontist's web site.  If you insist on forcing them unto your users=20
under the presumption that they are not already listening to a CD or the=20
radio... please do not make them start automatically...  if I find that I=20
want to hear a cheesy midi file I'll gladly hit play myself... ;-)

HTH!

St=E9phane Bergeron


>Thanks for all your help....
>Lonna
>

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