Is there a way to show a 'Refresh' icon in HTML without the need to download an image through HTTP?

Question

Is there a way to show a 'Refresh' icon in HTML without the need to download an image through HTTP?

In my HTML/JavaScript app project, I am looking to incorporate a 'refresh' symbol without having to load an image through HTTP requests. Are there reliable methods that can achieve this across all major browsers?

I came across the Unicode value: ↺ (↺), but it seems to be pointing in the wrong direction. Are there alternative Unicode values that could work?

Are there any Webdings fonts that might be effective? (Note that they often do not function correctly in Opera and Firefox.)

Additionally, is there a way to generate an image in JavaScript using a base64 image source provided by a String within the JS code itself?

EDIT:

The purpose for avoiding external resources is not due to concerns about overhead. The app must exist as a standalone JavaScript file, free from any dependencies. It is intended as a development tool that can be easily added to any project regardless of network access.

javascript html css image unicode

Answer 1

Answer №1

If you are in search of a suitable character for your needs, consider using the symbol ↻ (↻) which is known as U+21BB CLOCKWISE OPEN CIRCLE ARROW. Despite its arrow orientation being different from common reload icons, it can be used effectively:

.reload {
  font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode
}

<span class=reload>&#x21bb;</span>

The symbol can be found in the Lucida Sans Unicode font, which is widely available in Windows systems. According to Microsoft information, it has been included in Windows operating systems since Windows 98 (and even Windows 95).

Non-Windows systems are likely to have this symbol in some fonts and browsers should be able to render it properly. Various fonts that include the symbol have similar shapes for consistency. However, if the symbol's appearance needs to match the document's text style, further exploration may be required to ensure all fonts in use contain it.

Answer 2

If you are in search of a suitable character for your needs, consider using the symbol ↻ (↻) which is known as U+21BB CLOCKWISE OPEN CIRCLE ARROW. Despite its arrow orientation being different from common reload icons, it can be used effectively:

.reload {
  font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode
}

<span class=reload>&#x21bb;</span>

The symbol can be found in the Lucida Sans Unicode font, which is widely available in Windows systems. According to Microsoft information, it has been included in Windows operating systems since Windows 98 (and even Windows 95).

Non-Windows systems are likely to have this symbol in some fonts and browsers should be able to render it properly. Various fonts that include the symbol have similar shapes for consistency. However, if the symbol's appearance needs to match the document's text style, further exploration may be required to ensure all fonts in use contain it.

Answer 3

Answer №2

Character Encoding

There are a couple of Unicode symbols that can be used as icons for Refresh or Reload:

CLOCKWISE GAPPED CIRCLE ARROW
U+27F3
⟳
CLOCKWISE OPEN CIRCLE ARROW
U+21BB
↻

The first symbol is not visible on iOS versions 7, 8, or 9 in either Safari or Chrome. Based on this and the insight shared by Paul D. White, it's recommended to use the second symbol, CLOCKWISE OPEN CIRCLE ARROW.

Pro Tip: Mac users can download the handy app UnicodeChecker for free. This tool allows you to search for characters by name and view which fonts on your Mac include a glyph for that character.

Icon Fonts

Some font sets feature scalable vector-based icons instead of typical character glyphs.

Font Awesome, check out: fa-repeat
Vaadin Font Icons

Answer 4

Character Encoding

There are a couple of Unicode symbols that can be used as icons for Refresh or Reload:

CLOCKWISE GAPPED CIRCLE ARROW
U+27F3
⟳
CLOCKWISE OPEN CIRCLE ARROW
U+21BB
↻

The first symbol is not visible on iOS versions 7, 8, or 9 in either Safari or Chrome. Based on this and the insight shared by Paul D. White, it's recommended to use the second symbol, CLOCKWISE OPEN CIRCLE ARROW.

Pro Tip: Mac users can download the handy app UnicodeChecker for free. This tool allows you to search for characters by name and view which fonts on your Mac include a glyph for that character.

Icon Fonts

Some font sets feature scalable vector-based icons instead of typical character glyphs.

Font Awesome, check out: fa-repeat
Vaadin Font Icons

Answer 5

Answer №3

To leverage the browser's capability of loading image data from a Base64 string, you can utilize the img tag and specify its src attribute with the format below:

data:[<mediatype>][;base64],<data>

For instance:

var img = document.getElementById("yourImage");
img.src = "data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhEAAOALMAAOazToeHh0tLS/7LZv/0jvb29t/f3//Ub//ge8WSLf/rhf/3kdbW1mxsbP//mf///yH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAAQAA4AAARe8L1Ekyky67QZ1hLnjM5UUde0ECwLJoExKcppV0aCcGCmTIHEIUEqjgaORCMxIC6e0CcguWw6aFjsVMkkIr7g77ZKPJjPZqIyd7sJAgVGoEGv2xsBxqNgYPj/gAwXEQA7";

<img id="yourImage" />

Answer 6

To leverage the browser's capability of loading image data from a Base64 string, you can utilize the img tag and specify its src attribute with the format below:

data:[<mediatype>][;base64],<data>

For instance:

var img = document.getElementById("yourImage");
img.src = "data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhEAAOALMAAOazToeHh0tLS/7LZv/0jvb29t/f3//Ub//ge8WSLf/rhf/3kdbW1mxsbP//mf///yH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAAQAA4AAARe8L1Ekyky67QZ1hLnjM5UUde0ECwLJoExKcppV0aCcGCmTIHEIUEqjgaORCMxIC6e0CcguWw6aFjsVMkkIr7g77ZKPJjPZqIyd7sJAgVGoEGv2xsBxqNgYPj/gAwXEQA7";

<img id="yourImage" />

Answer 7

Answer №4

The equivalent symbol in a clockwise direction using Unicode is ↻, ↻ (although, as mentioned by David C. Bishop, Chromebooks may use #27f2, ⟳).

~~You can choose to use a text character, but it may not be displayed correctly on Windows XP depending on the chosen character and font.~~ According to @Jukka K. Korpela, this character is included in the Lucida Sans Unicode font and should display properly even on Windows XP.

In terms of Wingdings fonts, to avoid an HTTP request, you would need assurance that the specific font is installed on end users' devices. It's uncertain if there is a universally common cross-platform Wingdings font available.

It is possible to generate an image from a string containing the base64-encoded image representation using JavaScript. Here is an example:

var image = new Image();
image.src = 'data:image/gif;base64,' + BASE64_ENCODED_STRING; // Replace gif with the appropriate image format

Note that the data-uri method may not function optimally in Internet Explorer 8 or earlier versions, which some Windows XP users might still utilize. Additionally, JavaScript is not necessary for this task; simply adding an <img> tag with the specified src attribute in your HTML will suffice.

Answer 8

The equivalent symbol in a clockwise direction using Unicode is ↻, ↻ (although, as mentioned by David C. Bishop, Chromebooks may use #27f2, ⟳).

~~You can choose to use a text character, but it may not be displayed correctly on Windows XP depending on the chosen character and font.~~ According to @Jukka K. Korpela, this character is included in the Lucida Sans Unicode font and should display properly even on Windows XP.

In terms of Wingdings fonts, to avoid an HTTP request, you would need assurance that the specific font is installed on end users' devices. It's uncertain if there is a universally common cross-platform Wingdings font available.

It is possible to generate an image from a string containing the base64-encoded image representation using JavaScript. Here is an example:

var image = new Image();
image.src = 'data:image/gif;base64,' + BASE64_ENCODED_STRING; // Replace gif with the appropriate image format

Note that the data-uri method may not function optimally in Internet Explorer 8 or earlier versions, which some Windows XP users might still utilize. Additionally, JavaScript is not necessary for this task; simply adding an <img> tag with the specified src attribute in your HTML will suffice.

Answer 9

Answer №5

.update {
  display: block;
  transform: rotate(45deg);
}

<span>⟲</span>
<hr>
<span class="update">⟲</span>

Answer 10

.update {
  display: block;
  transform: rotate(45deg);
}

<span>⟲</span>
<hr>
<span class="update">⟲</span>

Answer 11

Answer №6

New Unique Symbol

'REVERSING DIRECTIONS CIRCLE ARROWS' (U+1F503) 🔃

Unfortunately, the glyph may not display correctly in some browsers due to limited font support... 🙁

Answer 12

New Unique Symbol

'REVERSING DIRECTIONS CIRCLE ARROWS' (U+1F503) 🔃

Unfortunately, the glyph may not display correctly in some browsers due to limited font support... 🙁

Answer 13

Answer №7

When you refer to "all major browsers", it's important to consider the following:

Not everyone has JavaScript enabled
Not all devices support font embedding (e.g., Blackberry)
Not every system can display all Unicode representations (e.g., Windows XP)
Inline data URIs are not universally supported (IE7-)

In light of these considerations, a reliable option would be to use an HTML1-compliant IMG element that can be cached after the initial load:

<img src="/refresh.gif" alt="refresh">

This approach is compatible with nearly all browsers except for text-based ones like LYNX, which would simply display the alternative text "refresh."

To optimize for modern browsers and avoid unnecessary requests, you could employ conditional comments for IE7-:

<!--[if lte IE 7]>
<img src="refresh.gif" alt="refresh">
<![endif]-->

For other browsers, utilizing something like this would suffice:

<img src="data:image/gif;base64,..." alt="refresh">

Alternatively, if you're looking for a more innovative solution tailored to newer browsers, incorporating CSS box shadows like in this demo could be a viable option:

.refresh {
    border-radius: 0;
    display: inline-block;
    width: 1px;
    height: 1px;
    /* Box-shadow properties omitted for brevity */
}

Answer 14

When you refer to "all major browsers", it's important to consider the following:

Not everyone has JavaScript enabled
Not all devices support font embedding (e.g., Blackberry)
Not every system can display all Unicode representations (e.g., Windows XP)
Inline data URIs are not universally supported (IE7-)

In light of these considerations, a reliable option would be to use an HTML1-compliant IMG element that can be cached after the initial load:

<img src="/refresh.gif" alt="refresh">

This approach is compatible with nearly all browsers except for text-based ones like LYNX, which would simply display the alternative text "refresh."

To optimize for modern browsers and avoid unnecessary requests, you could employ conditional comments for IE7-:

<!--[if lte IE 7]>
<img src="refresh.gif" alt="refresh">
<![endif]-->

For other browsers, utilizing something like this would suffice:

<img src="data:image/gif;base64,..." alt="refresh">

Alternatively, if you're looking for a more innovative solution tailored to newer browsers, incorporating CSS box shadows like in this demo could be a viable option:

.refresh {
    border-radius: 0;
    display: inline-block;
    width: 1px;
    height: 1px;
    /* Box-shadow properties omitted for brevity */
}

Answer 15

Answer №8

This symbol could definitely come in handy for you.

🗘

Coded Languages

 - Decimal HTML Entity:    &#128472;
 - Hexadecimal HTML Entity:    &#x1f5d8;

Answer 16

This symbol could definitely come in handy for you.

🗘

Coded Languages

 - Decimal HTML Entity:    &#128472;
 - Hexadecimal HTML Entity:    &#x1f5d8;

Is there a way to show a 'Refresh' icon in HTML without the need to download an image through HTTP?

Answer №1

Answer №2

Character Encoding

Icon Fonts

Answer №3

Answer №4

Answer №5

Answer №6

Answer №7

Answer №8

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