Re: Editorial comments on HTML 2.0 Draft 3/31/95

Paul Burchard (burchard@horizon.math.utah.edu)
Tue, 18 Apr 95 11:56:58 EDT

Bruce Kahn/Iris <Bruce_Kahn/Iris.IRIS@iris.com> writes:
> Under 11 Form-based Input Elements:
> "Each variable field is defined by an Input, Textarea, or
> Option element" should be "..., Textarea, or SELECT
> element".

Yes, it's an error. I reported this too, but haven't heard back
from the editors.

> In the same paragraph, "The SUBMIT button is used to
> e-mail or send its contents to the server as specified by
> the ACTION attribute," should be changed to include

Something else...what's the bit about "e-mail" doing in there?
HTML 2.0 doesn't support mailto FORMs.

> Under 11.1 Form:
> In the next to last paragraph there is "The names are
> _usually_equal_ to the NAME attributes of the various
> _interactive_ elements in the form". What other way is
> there to name inputs??

Well, <INPUT TYPE="image" NAME="futz" ...> submits two name/value
pairs, of the form "futz.x=123" and "futz.y=324".

Maybe this passage should be clearer that the exact transformation
from NAME and VALUE to name/value pairs is described with the
individual input types.

> Under 11.2 Input:
> For NAME, "The NAME attribute is required for _most_
> input types...". When can an input field not have a name
> and still be an input??

<INPUT TYPE="submit">

> For CHECKBOX, how does the default value of "on" map up
> with any explicit values that are provided? For example,
> if a checkbox's value is "on" by default and the author
> specifies explicit values for the it (ie "yes"), just
> what should a browser send back if the user does not touch
> the checkbox on the form, "on" or "yes"?

This sentence is talking about the VALUE of the CHECKBOX being the
string "on" by default, *not* the CHECKBOX itself being on (checked)
by default, and also *not* that the value returned by the CHECKBOX
is "on" by default. In fact, CHECKBOXes are unselected by default,
and when unselected don't return any value. So <INPUT NAME="zap"
TYPE="checkbox" VALUE="yes" ...> will return "zap=yes" if user
checks the box, and otherwise will return nothing.

Can you suggest a clearer wording?

> Under 11.4 Select:
> How is it possible to select nothing from a list when "If no
> option is initially marked as selected, then the first
> item list is selected."??

It's only legal to select nothing from a SELECT list if MULTIPLE is
specified. It should be made clear in this passage that the "first
item is selected" rule only applies when the MULTIPLE option is
off.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Burchard <burchard@math.utah.edu>
``I'm still learning how to count backwards from infinity...''
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