[bcab] Re: Terminology

Hi Karina, strictly speaking no they are not quite the same but they are 
similar.

An alt tag applies specifically to an image on a web page, and is a text 
alternative for the image.
The contents of an alt tag do appear visually in a tool tip, when someone 
places their mouse pointer 
over the image.

Tool tips, however are not just confined to website graphics but can apply to 
icons and shortcuts 
on the local computer as well.  For example, when the mouse is placed over a 
shortcut to "Outlook 
Express" on a computer's desktop a tooltip appears which says "sends and 
recieves e-mail and 
newsgroup messages".    (These long tooltip comments on shortcuts can be 
annoying, luckily they are 
changeable.  Just highlight the shortcut, press ALT+Enter, then tab 4 times to 
the "comment" field, 
then change the text.)

Many local programs' components have tool tips, e g practically every single 
icon on the toolbar in 
MS Word has one.   And even the colours in Word's colour pallette do as well.

Coming back to web pages, I believe that the "title" tag in HTML can add a 
tooltip to any link.  For 
example

<a href=http://www.bcab.org.uk title="The BCAB Website">British Computer 
Assocaition of the Blind 
</a>

Would display a link named "British Computer Association of the Blind" linking 
to www.bcab.org.uk 
with the tooltip "The BCAB Website" on it.

Hope this is helpful information.

Leon Gilbert
Volunteer Day Reader, blindnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
RSS News Feed Editor, ACB Radio, www.acbradio.org
Editor & Site Owner, www.vipnews.org.uk  (now hosted by the National Library 
for the Blind)
Co-founder & Webmaster, The Accessible Friends Network, www.tafn.org.uk
(Personal email lwg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx )












----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Karina Gregory" <Karina.Gregory@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2007 5:58 PM
Subject: [bcab] Terminology


Hi all,

Are tooltips the same as ALT tags?

Thanks.

Karina 


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