HTML Form Creation

Chapter 17

HTML Forms

HTML forms are used to pass data to a server.

An HTML form can contain input elements like text fields, checkboxes, radio-buttons, submit buttons and more. A form can also contain select lists, textarea, fieldset, legend, and label elements.

The <form> tag is used to create an HTML form:

<form> . input elements . </form>

---

HTML Forms - The Input Element

The most important form element is the <input> element.

The <input> element is used to select user information.

An <input> element can vary in many ways, depending on the type attribute. An <input> element can be of type text field, checkbox, password, radio button, submit button, and more.

The most common input types are described below.

---

Text Fields

<input type="text"> defines a one-line input field that a user can enter text into: <form> First name: <input type="text" name="firstname"><br> Last name: <input type="text" name="lastname"> </form>

How the HTML code above looks in a browser:

First name: 
Last name: 

---

Password Field

<input type="password"> defines a password field: <form> Password: <input type="password" name="pwd"> </form>

How the HTML code above looks in a browser:

Password: 

---

Radio Buttons

<input type="radio"> defines a radio button. Radio buttons let a user select ONLY ONE of a limited number of choices:

<form> <input type="radio" name="sex" value="male">Male<br> <input type="radio" name="sex" value="female">Female </form>

How the HTML code above looks in a browser:

Male
Female

---

Checkboxes

<input type="checkbox"> defines a checkbox. Checkboxes let a user select ZERO or MORE options of a limited number of choices.

<form> <input type="checkbox" name="vehicle" value="Bike">I have a bike<br> <input type="checkbox" name="vehicle" value="Car">I have a car  </form>

How the HTML code above looks in a browser:

I have a bike
I have a car

---

Submit Button

<input type="submit"> defines a submit button.

A submit button is used to send form data to a server. The data is sent to the page specified in the form's action attribute. The file defined in the action attribute usually does something with the received input:

<form name="input" action="html_form_action.asp" method="get"> Username: <input type="text" name="user"> <input type="submit" value="Submit"> </form>

How the HTML code above looks in a browser:

Username: 

If you type some characters in the text field above, and click the "Submit" button, the browser will send your input to a page called "html_form_action.asp". The page will show you the received input.