Errors in new HTML 2.0 spec related to FORMs
Paul Burchard <burchard@horizon.math.utah.edu>
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 94 15:55:33 EDT
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From: Paul Burchard <burchard@horizon.math.utah.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list <html-wg@oclc.org>
Subject: Errors in new HTML 2.0 spec related to FORMs
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There are some problems in the new (10/14/94) HTML 2.0 spec draft
related to FORMs. Most of them are carryovers from the HAL draft. I
would appreciate their being corrected as soon as possible.
In HTMLSPEC_3.html ("Overview"), the example FORM has some logical
and syntactic glitches:
> <FORM METHOD="post" action="http://www.hal.com/sample">
As far as I know, method names are case-sensitive, and thus "POST"
must be capitalized.
> <P>Your name: <INPUT NAME="name" SIZE="48">
> <P>Male <INPUT NAME="male" TYPE=RADIO>
> <P>Female <INPUT NAME="female" TYPE=radio>
That ought to be NAME="gender" (or the like) in the radio
inputs...unless you really want to allow the user to select any
combination of genders!
> </FORM>
In HTMLSPEC_19.html ("Forms"), the example FORM has many problems.
It clearly has not been run through Dan Connolly's validation
service. :-)
> <TITLE>Sample Questionaire</TITLE>
> <H1>Sample Questionaire</H1>
> Please fill out this questionaire:
That should be "questionnaire" (two n's) in all 3 cases.
> <FORM METHOD="post" ACTION="http://www.hal.com/sample">
Again, need "POST" capitalized.
> <P>Your name: <input name="name" size="48">
> <P>Male <input name="male" type=radio>
> <P>Female <input name="female" type=radio>
Same problem as above; use name="gender" for these.
> Number in family: <input name="family" type=int>
There is no INPUT of type INT in HTML Level 2. This part of the
example is *still* in there from Dave Raggett's year-old HTML+ spec,
despite many attempts on my part to eradicate it. :-)
> <P>Cities in which you maintain a residence:
> <UL>
> <LI>Kent <input name="city" type=checkbox value="kent">
> <LI>Miami <input name="city" type=checkbox value="miami">
> <LI>Other <textarea name="other" cols=48 rows=4></textarea>
> </UL>
> Nickname: <INPUT NAME="nickname" size ="42">
> <P>Thank you for responding to this questionaire.
Again, "questionnaire".
> <P ALIGN=CENTER><INPUT TYPE=SUBMIT> <INPUT TYPE=RESET>
There is no ALIGN attribute for the P element in HTML Level 2.
(Another unkillable fragment from the old HTML+ spec. :-)
> </FORM>
In the same file, the discussion of INPUTs of type CHECKBOX states:
> The default VALUE for checkboxes is ON.
Actually, that should be "on", not "ON". You may want to surround it
with quotes, or enclose it in <SAMP></SAMP> -- rather than using
capitalization -- to prevent it from being misunderstood.
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Paul Burchard <burchard@math.utah.edu>
``I'm still learning how to count backwards from infinity...''
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