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HTML Form Elements

In this chapter, you will find a detailed description of all HTML form elements.

It represents a section of the document that contains interactive controls for submitting information.



The HTML <form> Elements

In HTML, a <form> element may contain one or more of the following elements:

  1. <input>
  2. <select>
  3. <button>
  4. <label>
  5. <optgroup>
  6. <datalist>
  7. <legend>
  8. <textarea>
  9. <output>
  10. <fieldset>
  11. <option>

<input> Element:

<Input> is one of the most commonly used form elements.

It depends on the type attribute whether the input element is displayed in a different way.

Example: 

<!DOCTYPE html> <html><body><br><label for="fname">Your first name:</label><br><input type="text" id="fname" name="fname"> </body></html>

In this chapter HTML Input Types, you will find a description of all the different values of the type attribute.


The <select> Element

The <select> element has a drop-down list generated by <select> element:

Example: 

<!DOCTYPE html> <html><body><br><label for="cars">Pick a car:</label><br><select id="cars" name="cars"><br><option value="tesla">Tesla Truck</option><option value="toyota">Toyota</option><br><option value="bmw">BMW</option><option value="audi">Audi</option><br></select><br> </body></html>

An option that may be chosen is specified by the <option> element.

The drop-down list’s first item is always picked by default.

Add the selected attribute to the option to create a pre-selected option:

Example: 

<!DOCTYPE html> <html><body><br><option value="Tesla" selected>Free Tesla Truck</option> </body></html>

Visible Values:

To set the number of viewable values, just use size attribute:

Example: 

<!DOCTYPE html> <html><body><br><label for="cars">Select your car:</label><br><select id="cars" name="cars" size="3"><br><option value="tesla">Free Tesla Truck</option><option value="toyota">Toyota</option><br><option value="bmw">BMW</option><option value="audi">Audi</option><br></select> </body></html>

Permit multiple selections:

To provide the user the option of choosing more than one value, utilise the multiple property. see an example of HTML form elements below:

Example: 

<!DOCTYPE html> <html><body><br><label for="cars">Choose Your car:</label><br><select id="cars" name="cars" size="4" multiple><br><option value="tesla">Tesla Truck</option><option value="toyota">Toyota</option><br><option value="bmw">BMW</option><option value="audi">Audi</option><br></select> </body></html>

A <button> Element:

An element with the <button> attribute specifies a button that can be clicked when it comes to HTML form elements:

Example: 

<!DOCTYPE html> <html><body><br><button type="button" onclick="alert('Buy Tesla Truck')">Click Here</button> </body></html>

A browser will render the HTML code above as follows:

Note: It is always important to mention the type attribute for the button element when we talk about HTML form elements. The default button element may differ between browsers.


<datalist> Element:

<Input> elements can be associated with a list of predefined options by including the <datalist> element in HTML form elements.

When users input data, they will be presented with a drop-down list of predefined options.

List attributes of <input> elements should point to id attributes of <datalist> elements.

Example: 

<!DOCTYPE html> <html><body><br><form action="/action-attribute-page.php"><br><input list="browsers"><datalist id="Tech Companies"><br><option value="Tesla"></option><option value="SpaceX"><br></option><option value="Google"></option><option value="Apple"><br></option><option value="IBM"></option></datalist><br></form> </body></html>

The <label> Element

In HTML, the <label> element specify labels for a variety of form elements.

It’s handy for screen-readers, because it reads out loud the label when the user focuses on the <input> element.

Users who have trouble clicking on tiny areas (like radio buttons or checkboxes) might also benefit from the <label> element since it toggles the radio button or checkbox when the user clicks its content.

To connect them, the for property of the <label> tag must match the id attribute of the <input> element.

The following example shows the working of <label> element:

Example: 

<!DOCTYPE html> <html><body><br><form><br> <label for="username">Username:</label><br> <input type="text" id="username" name="username"><br><br><br> <br> <label for="password">Password:</label><br> <input type="password" id="password" name="password"><br><br><br> <br> <label for="remember-me">Remember me:</label><br> <input type="checkbox" id="remember-me" name="remember-me"><br><br><br> <br> <input type="submit" value="Submit"><br></form><br> </body></html>

<fieldset> and <legend> Elements:

When you use a <fieldset>, you can group relevant data in a form.

The <legend> element determines a <fieldset> caption.

Example: 

<!DOCTYPE html> <html><body><br><form action="/action-attribute-page.php"><br><fieldset><legend>A person's personality:</legend><br><label for="fname">First name:</label><br><br><input type="text" id="fname" name="fname" value="Colin"><br><br><label for="lname">Last name:</label><br><input type="text" id="lname" name="lname" value="Smith"><br><br><input type="submit" value="Submit"><br></fieldset><br></form> </body></html>

A browser will render the HTML code above as follows:

Personalia:

First name:

Last name:


The <textarea> Element

<Textarea> can be utilized to characterize multi-line input fields (a text area) in HTML form elements :

Example: 

<!DOCTYPE html> <html><body><br><textarea name="Here's a message" rows="10" cols="30"> Popular electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla. </textarea><br> </body></html>

The rows property indicates the number of lines that will be displayed in a text area.

The visible width of a text section is determined by the cols attribute.

The following is how a browser will see the HTML code previously mentioned:

CSS can also be used to indicate the size of the text area:

Example: 

<!DOCTYPE html> <html><body><br><textarea name="message" style="width:200px; height:600px;"><br>Popular electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla.<br></textarea> </body></html>

<output> Element:

An <output> element displays the outcome of a calculation (such as the result of a script).

Below is an example of HTML form elements:

Example: 

<!DOCTYPE html> <html><body><br><form action="/action-attribute-page.php" oninput="x.value=parseInt(a.value)+parseInt(b.value)"><br>0<input type="range" id="a" name="a" value="50"><br>100 +<input type="number" id="b" name="b" value="50"><br>=<output name="x" for="a b"></output><br><br><br><br><input type="submit"><br></form><br> </body></html>


The <Checkbox> Element:

Multiple options can be checked by using the checkbox control.

The following is an example of how the checkbox element work:

Example: 

<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <title>Target _self attribute</title> <style> h2 { color: blue; } body { text-align:center; } </style> </head> <body> <h2>CHECK BOXES</h2> <form> Which cars do you own:<br> <input type="checkbox" id="tesla" name="tesla" value="tesla"> <label for="tesla">Tesla</label> <br> <input type="checkbox" id="bmw" name="bmw" value="bmw"> <label for="bmw">BMW</label> <br> <input type="checkbox" id="audi" name="audi" value="audi"> <label for="audi">Audi</label> </form> </body> </html>

Example of HTML Form

The following is an example of a standard registration form as it comes to HTML form elements:

Example: 

<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <title>Form in HTML</title> </head> <body> <h2>Registration form</h2> <form> <fieldset> <label>Name</label><br> <input type="text" name="name"><br> <label>Email</label><br> <input type="email" name="email"><br> <label>Password</label><br> <input type="password" name="pass"><br> <label>Re-enter Passowrd</label><br> <input type="password" name="pass"><br> <br><label>Select Gender</label><br> <input type="radio" id="gender" name="gender" value="male">Male <br> <input type="radio" id="gender" name="gender" value="female">Female <br> <br>Address<br> <textarea></textarea><br> <input type="submit" value="Submit"> </fieldset> </form> </body> </html>

CSS can also be applied to the the form here is how we can do that:

Example: 

<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <title>Form in HTML</title> <style> h2{ color: blue; } label{ color: crimson; } input{ color: darkolivegreen; } </style> </head> <body> <h2>Registration form</h2> <form> <fieldset> <legend>User Data Form</legend> <label>Name</label><br> <input type="text" name="name"><br> <label>Email</label><br> <input type="email" name="email"><br> <label>Password</label><br> <input type="password" name="pass"><br> <label>Re-enter Passowrd</label><br> <input type="password" name="pass"><br> <input type="submit" value="sign-up"> </fieldset> </form> </body> </html>

HTML Form Elements

TagOverview
<label>Provides a label for an <input> element in HTML form elements.
<fieldset>In a form, related elements are grouped together.
<form>Creates a HTML form to receive user input.
<legend>Adds a caption to a <fieldset>.
<select>Creates a drop-down list.
<optgroup>Drop-down list containing related options.
<option>Provides a drop-down list with an option.
<datalist>Provides a list of predefined input control options.
<output>Calculates the result.
<button>Sets a clickable button.
<input>Establishes an input control.
<textarea>An input control that supports multiple lines. (text area)

Check out our HTML Tag Reference for a more comprehensive listing of all the HTML tags.

Importance of HTML Form Elements

HTML form elements play a crucial role in facilitating interaction between users and web pages. The following are some reasons why they are important:

  • Data Collection: HTML forms enable collection of user input in a structured way, which can be used for diverse purposes such as surveys, feedback, and user registration.
  • User Interaction: Forms provide a platform for users to input data and make selections, allowing them to interact with web pages.
  • Validation: HTML form elements can be used to validate user input, ensuring that the data entered is accurate and in the correct format, leading to fewer errors and better user experience.
  • Accessibility: Form elements improve web page accessibility by providing labels and descriptions for input fields that can be read by assistive technologies such as screen readers.
  • Security: HTML forms can be used to submit sensitive information such as credit card details and passwords. Form elements can implement security measures like encryption and server-side validation to ensure that this data is handled securely.
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