Text-Only Web Techniques

Text-only Web techniques are an important set of tools in every Web developer’s repertoire. When fully utilized, they allow developers to render multiple types of information, in various organizations, into linear text. Examples of these techniques include text descriptions or transcripts of non-text media; the ability to reorganize tabular text into linear information; and label placement for Web forms. Using text-only Web techniques does not imply the exclusion of other media types from a Web site. Rather, text-only Web techniques allow for media richness by providing clear, speedy and intuitive access for many types of users. Although the term “text only” commonly arises in discussions of assistive technology, text-only techniques provide benefits for all Web users. This article will discuss some of the motivations for developers to use text-only techniques, including adherence to World Wide Web consortium standards. It also will describe the three primary technical strategies for creating a text-equivalent version of a Web page.