Web Design in a Nutshell

Chapter 12. Forms

Forms provide a method for true interaction between users and the publisher of a web site in a way that could never be done in print. With forms, you can use input from a user to provide a customized response on-the-fly or just collect the data for later use. Forms can be used for simple functions like surveys and guestbooks, and they are the element that makes a complex online commerce system possible.

This chapter provides a detailed review of the available form elements and how to use them. It also provides a brief introduction to CGI for those who may still be intimidated by making forms work.

Summary of Form Tags

In this section, browser support for each tag is noted to the right of the tag name. Browsers that do not support the tag are grayed out. Browsers that deprecate the tag are noted with a superscript D. Tag usage is indicated below the tag name. A more thorough listing of attributes for each tag, according to the HTML 4.0 Specification, appears in Appendix A.