| DocBook: The Definitive Guide 2.0.17 (Alpha)

# mediaobject

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mediaobject — A displayed media object (video, audio, image, etc.)

## Synopsis

### Content Model

    mediaobject ::=
    (objectinfo?,
     (videoobject|audioobject|imageobject|imageobjectco|textobject)+,
     caption?)

### Attributes

Common attributes

## Description

This element contains a set of alternative “media objects.” In DocBook V3.1, three types of external objects are defined: `VideoObject`s, `AudioObject`s, and `ImageObject`s. Additional textual descriptions may be provided with `TextObject`s.

### Processing expectations

Formatted as a displayed block.

The primary purpose of the `MediaObject` is to provide a wrapper around a set of alternative presentations of the same information.

If possible, the processing system should use the content of the first object within the `MediaObject`. If the first object cannot be used, the remaining objects should be considered in the order that they occur. A processor should use the first object that it can, although it is free to choose any of the remaining objects if the primary one cannot be used.

Under no circumstances should more than one object in a `MediaObject` be used or presented at the same time.

For example, a `MediaObject` might contain a video, a high resolution image, a low resolution image, a long text description, and a short text description. In a “high end” online system, the video is used. For print publishing, the high resolution image is used. For other online systems, either the high or low resolution image is used, possibly including the short text description as the online alternative. In a text-only environment, either the long or short text descriptions are used.

### Future Changes

In DocBook V5.0, `MediaObject` will replace `Graphic`.

### Parents

These elements contain mediaobject: `answer`, `appendix`, `appendixinfo`, `article`, `articleinfo`, `bibliodiv`, `bibliography`, `bibliographyinfo`, `blockinfo`, `blockquote`, `bookinfo`, `callout`, `caution`, `chapter`, `chapterinfo`, `constraintdef`, `entry`, `equation`, `example`, `figure`, `footnote`, `glossary`, `glossaryinfo`, `glossdef`, `glossdiv`, `important`, `index`, `indexdiv`, `indexinfo`, `informalequation`, `informalexample`, `informalfigure`, `informaltable`, `itemizedlist`, `listitem`, `msgexplan`, `msgtext`, `note`, `objectinfo`, `orderedlist`, `para`, `partinfo`, `partintro`, `preface`, `prefaceinfo`, `procedure`, `qandadiv`, `qandaset`, `question`, `refentryinfo`, `referenceinfo`, `refsect1`, `refsect1info`, `refsect2`, `refsect2info`, `refsect3`, `refsect3info`, `refsection`, `refsectioninfo`, `refsynopsisdiv`, `refsynopsisdivinfo`, `revdescription`, `screenshot`, `sect1`, `sect1info`, `sect2`, `sect2info`, `sect3`, `sect3info`, `sect4`, `sect4info`, `sect5`, `sect5info`, `section`, `sectioninfo`, `setindex`, `setindexinfo`, `setinfo`, `sidebar`, `sidebarinfo`, `simplesect`, `step`, `synopsis`, `table`, `taskprerequisites`, `taskrelated`, `tasksummary`, `td`, `th`, `tip`, `variablelist`, `warning`.

### Children

The following elements occur in mediaobject: `audioobject`, `caption`, `imageobject`, `imageobjectco`, `objectinfo`, `textobject`, `videoobject`.

## See Also

`alt`, `audioobject`, `caption`, `graphic`, `imageobject`, `inlinegraphic`, `inlinemediaobject`, `textobject`, `videoobject`.

## Examples

For examples, see `audioobject`, `imageobject`, `informalfigure`, `svg-svg`, `videoobject`.

medialabel |  | mediaobjectco

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