rest/forms-brainstorming

Forms Brainstorming

This page collects ideas from forms-examples how to best encode form data into a microformat

DETH = Dictionaries Encoding/Transmitting HTML

Rules (Strawman)

1. Only use XHTML Basic Forms Module
2. Must use action with appropriate URI (no scripts)
3. Recommend: use a label with every input
4. Make the for of the label match the id of input
5. Optionally, group label with input using or <li>
   1. If <li>, group input inside label
   2. If , place label in first , and input in second.
6. Always place submit and reset outside grouping

Patterns

Anchor Design Pattern

<a class="deth" href="http//somesite.com/prog/adduser">label</a>

Complete Forms Design Pattern

<form class="deth" action="http://somesite.com/users" method="post">
 <ol>
 <li>
  <label for="firstname">First name:</label><input type="text" id="firstname" />
</li><li>
   <label for="lastname">Last name:</label><input type="text" id="lastname" />
</li><li>
  <input type="radio" name="sex" value="male">Male</input>
  <input type="radio" name="sex" value="female">Female</input>
</li><li>
  <input type="checkbox" name="travel" value="car">Car</input>
  <input type="checkbox" name="travel" value="bike">Bicycle</input>
</li><li>
 <label for="age">Age:
 <select>
   <option val=0>< 18</option>
   <option val=18>18-64</option>
   <option val=65>65+</option>
</select>
</li><li>
 <label for="description">Description:</label>
 <textarea id="description">Default text</textarea>
</li>
</ol>
<input type="submit" value="Send" />
<input type="reset" />
</form>

Table Design Pattern

<form class="deth" action="http//somesite.com/users" method="post">
<table class="form">
<tr>
 <td><label for="firstname">First name</label></td>
 <td><input type="text" id="firstname" /></td>
</tr><tr>
 <td><label for="lastname">Last name</label></td>
 <td><input type="text" id="lastname" /></td>
</tr><tr>
 <td><label for="email">Email</label></td>
 <td><input type="text" id="email" /></td>
</tr><tr>
 <td><label for="sex">Sex</label></td>
 <td>
   <input type="radio" name="sex" value="Male">Male </input>
   <input type="radio" name="sex" value="Female">Female </input>
 </td>
</tr><tr>
 <td><label for="travel">Travel</label></td>
 <td>
   <input type="checkbox" name="travel" value="car">Car</input>
   <input type="checkbox" name="travel" value="bike">Bicycle</input>
 </td>
</tr><tr>
 <td><label for="age">Age</label></td>
 <td><select>
    <option val=0>< 18 </option>
    <option val=18>18-64 </option>
    <option val=65>65+ </option>
 </td></select>
</tr>
</table>
<input type="submit" value="Send" />
<input type="reset" />
</form>

List Design Pattern

<form class="deth" action="http//somesite.com/users" method="post">
<ol>
<li>
 <label for="firstname">First name<input type="text" id="firstname" /></label>
</li><li>
 <label for="lastname">Last name<input type="text" id="lastname" /></label>
</li><li>
 <label for="email">Email<input type="text" id="email" /></label>
</li><li>
 <label for="sex">Sex  
   <input type="radio" name="sex" value="Male">Male </input>
   <input type="radio" name="sex" value="Female">Female </input>
 </label>
</li><li>
 <label for="travel">Travel  
   <input type="checkbox" name="travel" value="car">Car</input>
   <input type="checkbox" name="travel" value="bike">Bicycle</input>
 </label>
</li><li>
 <label for="age">Age
 <select>
    <option val=0>< 18 </option>
    <option val=18>18-64 </option>
    <option val=65>65+ </option>
 </select>
</label>
</li>
</ol>
<input type="submit" value="Send" />
<input type="reset" />
</form>