HTML <abbr></abbr> Tag
In this article, we go over the HTML <abbr></abbr> tag.
This tag allows us to give the full-length name of an abbreviation which we use in a web page, so that
we can make sure that a user knows what an abbreviation stands for.
Example
BJTs need voltage applied to the base and collector
terminals in order to function in a circuit.
In the example above, if you scroll across the word BJTs, a pop-up caption will arise that says, Bipolar Junction Transistors.
This is how the <abbr></abbr> tag works. It can help a user to know exactly what an abbreviation
stands for, so that all doubts are cleared. BJTs could stand for a bunch of different stuff, but since we specify
bipolar junction transistor, a user knows without a doubt that it's referring to this and not another term.
<abbr></abbr> tags are also useful because they relay information to search engines and translation systems.
If someone goes to a search engine and types in an abbreviation, by supplying the full-length name of the
abbreviation, the search engine knows exactly which term you are talking about. For example, with our
abbreviation, BJT, it could refer to Bipolar Junction Transistors, Business Japanese Proficiency Test, or any other
terms. By specifying that BJT, in our case, means bipolar junction transistors, the search engines can group it with
transistors instead of the Japanese term. Therefore, they can index our page better. It is also helpful for translation,
when our page needs to be translated into another language. In order for translation systems to know how to translate
it, it must know what the abbreviation stands for.
Code
The HTML code to use with the <abbr></abbr> tag to create the above example is:
The <abbr></abbr> tag goes around the abbreviated element. In the <abbr> tag, we place
a title attribute and set it equal to the full name of the abbreviated term. In our case, it is "Bipolar Junction
Transistor".