Web Design in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

Specifying data and type

To get a basic idea of how the object element works, take a look at this minimal markup example that uses the object element to place an inline image.

<object data="daffodil.gif"type="image/gif">
A color photograph of a daffodil.</object>

Here, the data attribute provides the URL for the source for the embedded object (in this case an image file) and type tells the browser that the content type is a GIF image. When a type attribute is provided, the browser uses that information to determine how (and if) to render the object. The browser’s preferences contain a list that specifies how to handle each content type, be it via native support, a plug-in player, or an external helper application. If the type is not recognized, the browser may not be able to render the object. In this example, the browser can render a GIF image without the need of a special player.

Warning

While the syntax exists for adding images with the object element, the img element is still the most common way to go due to lack of browser support of object for image placement.