Image “alt text” set to “title”

[SueBell]

I have created a slider which picks up images from a slider
post containing a WP gallery. Each of the images has a title and alt text
specified. However, when I view the source code for the page containing the
slider each of the images is using the title in place of the alt text. The alt
text I have specified doesn’t appear at all.

I’m not conversant with php but the offending part may be in
show-sliders-pro/atw-show-sliders.php
where it states,

“   
$image_code .= $lead . $link_begin .

    ‘<img
class=”atw-gallery-img” src=”‘ . $src . ‘” alt=”‘ .
$title . ‘” />’ . $link_end . “n”; “

 

For SEO purposes the alt text is important and I don’t
really want to redefine all my image titles. I can’t see anything in the definition of the slider post or the slider to control this behaviour. Am I doing something wrong? Is
there an easy way (i.e. without tinkering with the plugin files) to get the alt
text picked up by Google et al?

I’m using WP 4.1, Weaver II 2.1.10 and ATW Show Sliders Pro
v1.0.8 .

An example page can be found here – each of the images has a different alt text specified, but what you see in the source code are
the titles (currently “Contemporary
courtyard in Deopham, Norfolk”).

[SueBell]

Thanks for the reply Joy. That’s what I was worried about, but it can’t be right. The blurb for this plugin says you can use the standard WP gallery and set title, etc. What’s the point of defining them if they’re not used, or not used as defined?

[scrambler]

@weaver has said a new release of the plugin with fixes it planned once he is done with the current release of  the Xtreme Theme.

This will go on the lists if he confirms it is indeed a bug.

[SueBell]

Thanks Scrambler. Can @weaver confirm whether it definitely is a bug? I have several more sliders to define and I’d rather set up the meta data the ‘right’ way and just once.

[Weaver]

The alt= is supposed to use the alt value from the media library, and the title= the title field.

It seems these aren’t using the proper field in Show Slides, and will be fixed.

[SueBell]

Thank you so much for confirming. I’ll set my fields up properly so everything works after the fix.

[Weaver]

Update – this fix will be in the upcoming soon release, and will use the Alt value field from the Media Library for Alt, otherwise the alt and title will be the same. This seems to be best practice for handling alt vs. title.

[SueBell]

Hi Weaver,

I’ve updated my plugins (ATW Show Sliders Pro v1.0.8, Weaver Show Posts v1.2.2) but the alt field is still using the Title value from the Media Library. Do I need to do anything in particular to get it to pick up the Alt value? 

[Weaver]

As far as I can tell, the Alt text is working correctly. For example, look at this generated link from my test site:

<img class=”atw-gallery-img” src=”http://example.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc20050102_192118_51.jpg&#8221; alt=”Wind Farm Alt Text” title=”Wind Farm” />

In this case, the Alt and Title text come from the corresponding entries in the Media Library for the image: If you open an image in the Media Library, you should see a bunch of options on the right side, including URL, Title, Caption, Alt Text, Description, and some other information. That is the information that is used to fill in the Alt and Title options. This is for Show Sliders Version 1.2.3.

[SueBell]

Thanks for the reply Weaver but, unfortunately, that’s not what I’m getting.

If I look at one of the portfolio pages on my site (http://www.sbgardendesign.co.uk/portfolio/contemporary-courtyard/) the generated code for the first image in the slider is:

<div class=”atwk-slide”><div class=”slide-content slide-image”><img class=”atw-gallery-img” src=”http://www.sbgardendesign.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/P1020432-web.jpg&#8221; alt=”Contemporary courtyard in Deopham, Norfolk” /></div></div>

but Media Library entries for the image are:

• Title = Contemporary courtyard in Deopham, Norfolk
• Alt text = View across the gravel planting…

The version number you’ve quoted isn’t what I’ve got. I’ve got (all showing as up-to-date):

• Weaver Show Posts v1.2.2
• ATW Show Sliders Pro v1.0.8
• Weaver Show Sliders v1.2.2 (Deactivated, as I’m using the Pro version).

Did you update the Pro version? I can’t even find it anymore on the WP Plugins Directory.

[scrambler]

There is no more pro version of the ATW show slider, the pro features have been put in the base version.

the latest version is 1.2.1, so I suggest you delete your current version of the plugin, and reinstall from wordpress the base version 

But the plugin is renamed Weaver Show Slider ( and weaver show posts)

[SueBell]

Thanks Scrambler. How would you know about this if you’d already got Pro installed?

[scrambler]

I would have thought that when weaver merged pro and basic pro would then update from WordPress, but may be not

@weaver would have to confirm if indeed all pro users should remove their current version and install the new one from WordPress, or if the transition was supposed to be automatic.

by the way, did it solve your issue ?

[SueBell]

Thanks Scrambler. I’ve deleted Pro and activated Weaver Show Sliders and everything now appears as it should. I had already upgraded the plugins for the latest update but there was no automatic transition from Pro back to basic. Never mind – all sorted now.

[Weaver]

Unfortunately, there is no way to automate the switch from Pro to the new full featured free version. There were only about 20 people who actually bought the pro version.

[Author]

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