HTML <meter> Tag
The HTML <meter> tag represents a scalar measurement within a known range, or a fractional value.
Also known as a gauge, usage could include displaying disk usage, the relevance of a query result, the fraction of a voting population to have selected a particular candidate, or the amount raised during fundraising activities, or the relevance of a search query result.
The <meter> element is used to represent a range. It is not appropriate to use this element for representing a single number (such as how many children someone has) unless there is a known maximum number.
Syntax
The <meter> tag is written as <meter></meter> with any contents inserted between the start and end tags. This content should describe the same value/range in human-readable form, since it acts as a fallback for browsers that don't support <meter>, and is also useful for assistive technology.
There are six attributes that can be used to determine the semantics of the gauge. These are min, max, low, high, optimum, and value.
Here's an example:
Another example:
Examples
Here are some examples of potential <meter> tag usage.
Attributes
Attributes can be added to an HTML element to provide more information about how the element should appear or behave.
The <meter> element accepts the following attributes.
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
value | Specifies the "measured" value. This is the only required attribute. It must be between min and max if they're specified; if it's out of that range, the browser clamps it to the nearest end, and if it's missing or malformed, it defaults to 0. |
min | Specifies the lower bound of the range. Default is 0. |
low | Specifies the range that is considered to be a "low" value. |
high | Specifies the range that is considered to be a "high" value. |
max | Specifies the upper bound of the range. Default is 1. |
optimum | Specifies the value that is considered to be the "optimum", or best, value. If this value is higher than the "high" value then it indicates that the higher the value, the better. If it's lower than the "low" mark then it indicates that lower values are better. If it is in between then it indicates that neither high nor low values are good. |
Global Attributes
The following attributes are standard across all HTML elements. Therefore, you can use these attributes with the <meter> tag , as well as with all other HTML tags.
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For a full explanation of these attributes, see HTML 5 global attributes.
Event Handlers
Event handler content attributes enable you to invoke a script from within your HTML. The script is invoked when a certain "event" occurs. Each event handler content attribute deals with a different event.
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Most event handler content attributes can be used on all HTML elements, but some event handlers have specific rules around when they can be used and which elements they are applicable to.
For more detail, see HTML event handler content attributes.