As I develop a responsive website, I encounter the challenge of optimizing image loading based on viewport size. While using CSS to hide images not needed for certain viewports can reduce display clutter, it does not prevent those images from being downloaded by the browser due to HTML parsing before layout rendering.
To address this issue, I explored the use of the <picture> element:
<picture>
<source srcset="image.jpg" media="(min-width: 992px)">
<img src="" alt="an image">
</picture>
This method ensures that the image is not downloaded if the window width is less than 992px. However, Safari's lack of support for this feature poses limitations.
In response, I devised a JavaScript/jQuery solution:
I marked each image with attributes specifying the device it should load on:
<img src="" alt="img" data-device="mobile" data-src="img-mobile.jpg">
<img src="" alt="img" data-device="tablet" data-src="img-tablet.jpg">
<img src="" alt="img" data-device="desktop" data-src="img-desktop.jpg">
The JavaScript function below dynamically loads images based on the viewport size:
function loadImages() {
var mobile = window.innerWidth < 768;
var tablet = window.innerWidth >= 768 && window.innerWidth < 992;
var desktop = window.innerWidth >= 992;
// Image loading logic
}
$(document).ready(function() {
loadImages();
});
$(window).resize(function() {
loadImages();
});
This approach optimizes image loading without relying on CSS hacks but may not be ideal in the long run. I am curious how others tackle this issue and what best practices are recommended for handling responsive image loading effectively.