Final answer:
The 'Eiffel tower at night' text is alternative text (alt text) in HTML, used for screen readers and when the image cannot be displayed, ensuring web accessibility for users with visual impairments.
Step-by-step explanation:
The text 'Eiffel tower at night' in the HTML coding <img src="image." alt="Eiffel tower at night"> serves as alternative text (alt text) for an image on a webpage. The primary function of alt text is to provide a textual description of the image for users who are unable to view it, which is essential for screen readers used by individuals with visual impairments. This describes the content of the image ("what the image shows") so that all users can have a similar understanding of what is being presented. Alt text is different from captions, which are visible to all users and typically appear below images to provide additional context or information. Alt text is used when the image file cannot be displayed, either due to loading issues or when using a screen reader.
It is important for web accessibility that all images and graphics have meaningful alternative text to ensure that users with disabilities can fully comprehend the media content. This text alternative should accurately convey the information illustrated by the image and its relevance to the content around it. For instance, alt text for an image of a large crowd of soccer fans might read “Large crowd of soccer fans waves national flags,” allowing those with visual impairments to envision the scene.