get value of image alt tag

[Dmitry Terner]

Hi,

I use "insert path and filename only " on some of my images because I want to get a very specific tag structure, but I would also like to use the contents of the alt field that the CMS provides, is there a way to get its value in a placeholder or render tag?

Thanks,

- Dmitry

[Chris Jamieson]

Hi Dmitry,

We just use insert path and filename only and get the CMS specified Alt tag by using an "Attribute" placeholder and then setting it to get the Alt value of one of the Image placeholders.

Cheers,

Chris.

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[Marc Grynberg]

I'm trying to do that right now with an attribute element, but Alt is not an option with an image as referenced element...
I can only choose Color Depth, Creation date, file name, file size, height, last editor, modification date, original author, small thumbnail, big thumbnail or width.

No Alt.

I'm in version 10.1...

any idea why alt is missing?

is there any other way to get to it?

Marc

[Manuel Schnitger (OpenText)]

Hi,

first of all I'd like to answer if there is any way to access the alt-attribute via a render-tag: Probably not. I've seen/used most of the render-tags and didn't stumble upon such a tag.

Then I'd like to point out how one could use the attribute element for alt tags.

The attribute element reads out the value out-of-the-box attributes as well as custom attributes. The attributes listed here :Color Depth, Creation date, file name, file size, height, last editor, modification date, original author, small thumbnail, big thumbnail or width are just the out-of-the-box attributes. If you would like to use custom attributes, then just create it ;-)

1) Click on a folder in the SmartTree and choose "Add attribute" from the action menu on the right hand side.
2) Enter a meaninful name for the attribute (e.g. Alt-Tag or Image Caption). Result: ALL files of this folder now have the attribute "Image Caption" ....without any value so far
3) Open the Asset Manager and click on a file/an image
4) Click on "Edit Attribute" on the right hand side and enter a meaningful value (e.g. Christmas Party 2012)
5) Open a content class and create a new element of the type attribute and place it where the alt tag normally is being found. At the end of the list you'll find the custom attributes with a "*" as a prefix. Choose your newly created attribute. Close the content class
6) Go to a page and assign the file/image that has an attribute value
7) Open the page preview and hover over the image and you should see the value of the attribute.

If the editors enter values in these elements you'll probably have high-quality alt tags. If they don't do it.... you might have a problem ;-)
Hint I: You can define attributes to be obligatory.
Hint II: You could create a small RQL plugin that lists all files incl. their attributes and allow users to assign values for the attributes in a big form. That way it's more likely that people really enter a meaningful value for each file.

Best regards,
Manuel

[Marc Grynberg]

Thanks a lot for the detailed instructions, Manuel...

The only hickup is that we don't use the asset manager...
This is a legacy project that started in RedDot v5 in 2004...

So no Asset Manager, just file folders...

We never got a clear answer as to the implications of switching to AM so we never did it...

The main project is tens of thousands of pages in 5 language variants, even more image assets, and is edited by several hundred users...

So if the only way is through the asset manager, I'll have to pass...

Marc

[Manuel Schnitger (OpenText)]

Ok, no Asset Manager, no custom attributes ;-( Then the only -more or less- working idea would be to insert a standardfield as the alt tag value and define that the standardfield becomes a child element of the image.... Not very elegant but at least it's displayed in the same dialogue....