I've been playing around with this idea recently. Image maps are quite flexible, not only can you title attributes etc but since they are part of the DOM you can attach javascript events to them. For a recent client which an online fashion store they had images of models wearing their garments and I used image maps to have "tool tips" appear with additional information about the garment and link to the product page. You can use the same "javascript: void()" trick (or capture events) to prevent anything happening when a user clicks on the link as necessary. I tried several approaches to getting this system to work right. My first try was using absolutely position DIV's this worked perfectly except in IE, second go was output a json structure containing all the information about the products etc and generate my image map client side, again worked perfectly except in IE. In the end the solution was to generate everything server side and tie it all together with javascript which also works and works in IE.
The advantages of using image maps basically come down to being able to generate complex shapes, and them already being supported in browsers so why reinvent the wheel. -- *Tim Savage* Technology Lead [image: Joocey Labs Pty Ltd] 105 / 757 Bourke Street Docklands VIC 3008 p: +61 3 9016 9132 m: +61 415 845 226 e: tim.sav...@jooceylabs.com w: http://jooceylabs.com Melbourne | Brisbane | Sydney On Wed, Jun 3, 2009 at 12:01, David Hucklesby <huckle...@gmail.com> wrote: > Brett Patterson wrote: > >> I meant that rather than using image mapping for hyperlinks, you >> could use it to (sort of) point out a particular part of an image, as >> if you wanted to show someone who can see which person in a picture >> is you if they hover their mouse over that image map. And you can use >> it for someone who is blind, by showing them sections in a picture, >> as if there are rapids in one part of a picture and your canoe in >> another. >> >> I mean image maps being used to show particular sections in a >> picture, give it a title and alt attribute, and allow people to see >> what is what in the picture by holding their mouse over parts in a >> picture. >> >> Some picture sites, like photobucket and others allow users to "tag" >> certain parts of a picture to allow users to see who is who in a >> picture. I was wondering if it would be okay to do the same thing >> with using image maps and not using them as links. >> >> > Do you mean something like this? > > http://css-tricks.com/image-map-with-prototype-tooltips/ > > Not sure about how this would benefit someone who can't see, though? > Provided you have given ALT attributes to the AREA shapes, screen readers > should be happy. > > FWIW image maps *are* links, and can be followed by search engines and text > browsers, screen readers, etc.. Without scripting, though, they are hard to > discover in graphical browsers-- and not everyone has scripting enabled. > > Design is about compromise, I believe. No one solution fits all situations. > So the answer is a qualified "yes" - you can use an image map for this. > > Cordially, > David > -- > > > > ******************************************************************* > List Guidelines: http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm > Unsubscribe: http://webstandardsgroup.org/join/unsubscribe.cfm > Help: memberh...@webstandardsgroup.org > ******************************************************************* > > ******************************************************************* List Guidelines: http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm Unsubscribe: http://webstandardsgroup.org/join/unsubscribe.cfm Help: memberh...@webstandardsgroup.org *******************************************************************
