---
name: "wml::des::imgdot"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "wml"
version: "2.32.0~ds1-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/wml::des::imgdot"
---

# wml::des::imgdot(3)

1pt Dot-Images for Webdesign

## NAME

wml::des::imgdot - 1pt Dot-Images for Webdesign

## SYNOPSIS

```
 #use wml::des::imgdot
 <: $file = &imgdot($base, $x, $y, $c, $r, $g, $b, $transp, $format); :>
 <imgdot [attributes]>
```

## DESCRIPTION

Currently (as of HTML 3.2 and 1997 ;\_) webdesigners use two commonly known tricks for creating their layout on webpages: HTML tables and so-called 1pt Dot-Images.  The first one is nicely supported by the WML tag `"<grid>"` (see **wml::des::grid**(3) for details), the latter is supported by this `"<imgdot>"` tag.

The usual purpose of this tag is to create a transparent PNG or GIF image with a physical size of 1x1 points and a corresponding `"<img>"` tag which includes this image with appropriate `"width"` and `"height"` attributes. The visual result is a invisible reserved space of size `"width"`X`"height"`. Alternatively this tag can create the image with the requested size instead of scaling the 1pt image (see the `"noscale"` attribute below). This approach is more safe (all browsers support this) but wastes bandwidth and increases page load time.

## ATTRIBUTES

- base

  Usually the created images are named *imgdot-XxY-rrggbb.png* where `"XxY"` is the dimension of the image and `"rrggbb"` the used color (or \``"transp"`' for transparent). When you use a `"base=foo"` attribute, then the resulting files are named *foo.imgdot-XxY-rrggbb.gif*.  Actually you can even use a complete filename including a directory prefix, i.e. when you use `"base=../../common/foo"` attribute, then the PNG images are created as *../../common/foo.imgdot-XxY-rrggbb.png*.

  And for most flexibility when no base is specified and the variable `"IMGDOT_BASE"` is defined (usually from within a *.wmlrc* file via `"-DIMGDOT_BASE~path/to/imgdot/dir/base"`) it is used.  Use this feature to redirect the created images to a particular directory.

  You may also use the variable `"IMAGE_BASE"` which defines in a single line all base names for images generated by WML.

- format

  By default, GIF images are generated. This attribute lets you use an alternate image format (actually only PNG and GIF are recognized). You may also change the default format with the variable `"IMAGE_FORMAT"`.

- width

  Specifies the width (x-dimension) of the reserved space in pixel. Default is 1 pixel.

- height

  Specifies the height (y-dimension) of the reserved space in pixel. Default is 1 pixel.

- color

  Sets the color of the image. Default is transparent, i.e. no color. In fact, this is not true, transparency is rendered by choosing a color which is made transparent, which is white by default. Prepending an hyphen to the `"color"` attribute sets the color of the transparent color.

- align

  Sets the alignment of the image. Default is \``"bottom"`'. This alignment is used for the `"align"` attribute of the inserted `"<img>"` tag.

- noscale

  Indicates if the image should be created with 1pt in size and scaled online by the browser (default) or should be created with the correct physical size (this option).

- :img:*ATTR*=*STR*

  The \`\`*ATTR*=*STR*'' pairs are passed along to the `"<img>"` HTML tag.

## AUTHOR

```
 Ralf S. Engelschall
 rse@engelschall.com
 www.engelschall.com
 Denis Barbier
 barbier@engelschall.com
```

## REQUIRES

```
 Internal: P1, P2, P3
```

## SEE ALSO

HTML \<`"img"`\> tag.