HTML kind Attribute

Posted in HTML Tutorial

Updated on Oct 29, 2024

By Mari Selvan

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4 mins

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Photo Credit to CodeToFun

Introduction

The kind attribute is a feature in HTML used to specify the type of the media resource referenced by the <source> element within an <audio> or <video> tag.

This attribute plays a crucial role in providing information about the nature of the media content, helping browsers to handle and render it appropriately.

Purpose of kind

The primary purpose of the kind attribute is to inform the browser about the role of a particular <source> element in relation to the media resource.

This allows the browser to select the most suitable source for rendering based on factors such as codec support and device capabilities.

Values

The kind attribute accepts several values to describe different types of media content. Some common values include:

subtitles: Denotes that the media resource is a set of subtitles or captions.
captions: Specifies that the media resource contains captions.
descriptions: Indicates that the media resource provides an audio description of the content for users with visual impairments.
chapters: Represents that the media resource contains chapters or table of contents information.
metadata: Denotes that the media resource is additional metadata, not intended to be rendered.

Example

Let's look at a basic example of how to use the kind attribute within a <video> element:

kind.html

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<video controls>
  <source src="movie.mp4" type="video/mp4" kind="captions">
  <source src="movie.vtt" type="text/vtt" kind="subtitles">
  Your browser does not support the video tag.
</video>

How it Works

In this example, the first <source> element provides captions for the video (kind="captions"), and the second <source> element provides subtitles (kind="subtitles"). The browser uses this information to select the appropriate source for rendering.

Dynamic Values with JavaScript

Similar to other HTML attributes, you can also dynamically set the kind attribute using JavaScript.

This is beneficial when you want to change the role of a media resource dynamically based on user interactions or other conditions. Here's a simple example:

kind.html

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<script>
  // Dynamically set the kind attribute for a source element
  document.getElementById("dynamicSource").kind = "descriptions";
</script>

How it Works

In this script, the kind attribute is set to descriptions for a <source> element with the id dynamicSource. This could be useful in scenarios where you want to provide an audio description dynamically based on user preferences.

Best Practices

Utilize the kind attribute to provide meaningful information about the role of each <source> element within your media elements.
Ensure compatibility by selecting appropriate values based on the content type and user accessibility requirements.
Test your media elements across different browsers to ensure consistent behavior.