Name

object

Synopsis

<object> . . . </object>

A generic element used for embedding an external resource (such as an image, applet, movie, or audio) on a web page. The attributes required for the object element vary with the type of content it is placing. The embedded content may be treated as an image, a nested browsing context, or may be processed by a plug-in. The object element may contain content that will be rendered if the object cannot be embedded. The object element may also contain a number of param elements that pass important information to the object when it displays or plays. Not all objects require additional parameters. The object and param elements work together to allow authors to specify three types of information:

• The implementation of the object—that is, the executable code that runs in order to render the object.

• The data to be rendered. The data attribute specifies the location of the resource, in most cases an external file, such as a movie or a PDF.

• Additional settings required by the object at runtime. Some embedded media objects require additional settings that get called into play when the object plays or is rendered.

Usage

Categories:

Flow content, phrasing content, embedded content, interactive (if it has a usemap attribute), palpable content, “listed, submittable, form-associated element”

Permitted contexts:

Where embedded content is expected

Permitted content:

Zero or more param elements, then flow content and/or interactive content

Start/end tags:

Required/Required

Attributes

HTML5 Global Attributes

data="URI"

Specifies the address of the resource. The syntax depends on the object.

form="form id"

Not in HTML 4.01. Associates the object with a form element on the page.

height="number"

Specifies the height of the object in pixels.

name="text"

Specifies the name of the object to be referenced by scripts on the page.

type="media type"

Specifies the media type of the resource.

typemustmatch (typemustmatch="typemustmatch" in XHTML)

Not in HTML 4.01. Indicates that the resource indicated by the data attribute is only to be used if the value of the type attribute and the content type of the resource match.

usemap="URL"

Specifies an image map to use with the object.

width="number"

Specifies the object width in pixels.

Example

<object width="640" height="360"
type="application/x-shockwave-flash"
data="flash_player.swf">
  <param name="movie" value="flash_player.swf">
  <param name="flashvars" value="controlbar=over&amp;
  image=poster.jpg&amp;
           file=yourmovie-main.mp4">
  <img src="poster.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt=""
  title="No video playback capabilities, please download 
  the video below">
</object>