textTracks

textTracks is a JavaScript API that allows developers to programmatically access and manipulate text tracks associated with media elements like video. These text tracks can include captions, subtitles, descriptions, chapters, and other forms of textual information synchronized with the media playback.

The API provides a way to add, remove, and manage these tracks. Each text track is represented by a TextTrack object, which has properties like kind, language, label, and mode. The mode property is particularly important, determining whether a track is showing, hidden, or disabled.

Web developers can use textTracks to dynamically load different subtitle languages based on user preference, display chapter markers for easy navigation, or provide audio descriptions for visually impaired users. This level of control enhances accessibility and user experience for web-based media.

The TextTrackList object, accessed via the textTracks property of a media element, holds all the TextTrack objects for that element. This allows for iteration and selection of specific tracks. Event listeners can also be attached to the media element to detect when text tracks are added or removed. The API is a fundamental part of modern web video playback, enabling rich and accessible multimedia experiences.