Re: Form-based File Upload in HTML

Ernesto_Nebel.sd@xerox.com
Fri, 27 Jan 95 01:18:01 EST

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> Proposal:
>
> > The SIZE attribute should probably not be used with <INPUT
> > TYPE=file> tags. For text input, it indicates the length in
> > characters for the text area for the prompt.
>
> Bruce:
>
> > There is no reason _not_ to allow the SIZE attribute since it can be
defined
> > as "For file names, it indicates the length in characters for the file name
> > _area_ for the prompt.". This will give FORMs designers some flexibility
in
> > designing the look of a form.
>
>
> response:
>
> Hmmm, there was some confusion over whether SIZE meant file-name-size
> or file-size, which is what caused us to disrecommend it. It's not at
> all clear to me that forms designers should expect any leeway in
> deciding what the right 'length' of a file name is for different
> platforms: mac and windows and unix and magic cap are all different.
> ================================================================

Larry,

The HTML form support overview at:

http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/SDG/Software/Mosaic/Docs/fill-out-forms/overview.html

says:

"Multiline text entry fields can be specified as SIZE=width,height; e.g.
SIZE=60,12. Note: the SIZE attribute should not be used to specify multiline
text entry fields now that the TEXTAREA tag is available."

For <INPUT TYPE=file>, using SIZE=width,height would be useful to forms
designers who expect to get several files and who would like to show a
multiline file input field in the browser (with a "browse" button beside it,
hopefully). It would be nice for browser implementors to show a one line text
field when no height is specified (when the forms designer expects one file,
only) and to show a multiline text area with scrollbars when the height is
greater than 1 (when the forms designer expects multiple files).

This would be a slight modification to Dave Raggett's vision of a browser
implementation:

> > 7) What is the "typical" appearance of a FILE or SCRIBBLE input?
>
> The FILE widget would be button to invoke a file selection dialog plus
> a single line text field to show the current selection. If more than one
> file is selected then I guess you could show the most recently selected
> one or the first one in the list. The Arena multiple selection widget
> works this way. I would also allow users to type or paster into this
> field directly.
>

SIZE=width,height would allow the browser to show more than one selected file
to the user.

Ernesto