Variables in Alt Text/Focus Order

Nov 04, 2021

For the title on each slide we are using a reference to display the built-in variable  %Menu.SlideTitle%. However, when we change the Slide title, the Alt Text for the object won't update.
The same goes for a slide counter showing "Slide x of y" which must be manually updated if the order or total count changes.
Is there a way to include variable references in the Alt Text via any of the input methods (Accessibility or Focus Order panes)?

3 Replies
Lauren Connelly

Hello Chris!

There isn't currently a way to include variable references in the alt-text for objects. However, the value of the variable is what will be read off instead of the variable reference (%Menu.SlideTitle%).

I've recorded a short demo that includes how NVDA reads off the variable. Please let me know if you have additional questions!

Chris Bamber

Hi Lauren,
Sorry - I've just realised that I didn't reply to this last month! Thank you for the video clip and showing how that actually works - I think I'd slightly misunderstood the way it works (I thought it read the 'Alt Text' content from the Focus Order/Accessibility settings).

With that in mind, is there any purpose for any Text objects to have anything in the Alt Text for that object or would it only be non-text items that require Alt Text to be entered?