abbr attribute is another one that makes no visual
difference to the
table and its contents but, like the
attribute, provides additional information that may be useful for
people accessing the content using assistive technology such as screen
readers. It’s normally put to use in the context of the
th element, but it’s
valid to use
elements as well.
This table, which lists vehicle
details, shows the
abbr attribute at
<table border="1"> <tr> <th abbr="Make">Car manufacturer (make)</th> <th abbr="Model">Vehicle model (name/spec)</th> <th abbr="Revised">Date of last revision </th> </tr> <tr> <td abbr="VW">Volkswagen</td> <td abbr="Golf">Golf 2.8 GTi</td> <td abbr="2007">June 2007</td> </tr> </table>
This element takes an abbreviated
(but still meaningful) form of the
This attribute’s compatibility is debatable. No browser renders it on the page, so it’s difficult to say whether or not any browsers have difficulties with it. The biggest question regarding its compatibility is really centered on assistive technology—for example, screen readers—and whether they are capable of retrieving that useful summary information.