imgelement

Imgelement is a generic term used in document markup and web rendering to denote the element that displays a graphical image within a document. In practice, it corresponds to the image element found in HTML (the img element) and to analogous constructs in other markup languages such as SVG or XML-based formats. An imgelement references image data either from an external resource identified by a source URL or from embedded data.

Common attributes describe the image's presentation and accessibility. Typical fields include a source reference, alternative text for screen readers, and optional metadata such as width, height, and title. Some implementations support responsive sources, lazy loading, and cross-origin policies.

Rendering behavior. An imgelement is a replaced element in layout, meaning its content is supplied by the image data rather than produced by the page. The rendering engine retrieves the image data from the specified source, decodes it, and displays it at the requested size, subject to CSS styling and layout rules. If the image cannot be loaded, the browser shows a fallback and the alt text if provided.

Accessibility and performance. Providing descriptive alternative text is essential for accessibility. Performance considerations include image compression, appropriate formats, caching, and optional loading strategies. Security policies such as content-security-policy and cross-origin attributes influence how images are fetched and displayed.

Variants and scope. Imgelement covers raster formats like JPEG, PNG, and GIF, as well as vector graphics embedded as images such as SVG. It appears in many markup languages as a portable means to include graphical content within documents.