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HTML Forms: A Guide to Using Form Elements in HTML

HTML Forms: A Guide to Using Form Elements in HTML

HTML forms are an essential component of web development, allowing users to interact with a web page or application. When a form is submitted, either by clicking a “submit” button or programmatically, the browser sends the form data to the server. In this guide, we will explore the various form elements and tags available in HTML.

Creating a Form

To create a form in HTML, you use the <form> tag. By default, forms are submitted using the GET HTTP method, but it is typically recommended to use the POST method. You can specify the method attribute to change the form submission method to POST.

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<form method="POST">
 ...
</form>

The form is submitted to the same URL where it resides. You can specify a different URL for form submission using the action attribute.

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<form action="/new-contact" method="POST">
 ...
</form>

Form Controls

There are several form control elements available in HTML that allow users to input data. Here are some of the most commonly used form controls:

<input> Tag

The <input> tag is one of the most versatile form elements in HTML. Its behavior can be altered based on the type attribute.

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<input type="text" name="username" placeholder="Your username" />

Other types of <input> elements include:

  • email to validate email addresses
  • password to hide input characters
  • number to accept only numeric input
  • hidden to hide fields from users
  • and many more

<textarea> Tag

The <textarea> tag allows users to enter multi-line text. It requires an opening and closing tag and can be styled using CSS.

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<textarea name="article"></textarea>

<select> and <option> Tags

The <select> tag is used to create a drop-down menu, providing users with a list of options to choose from. Each option is created with the <option> tag.

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<select name="color">
 <option value="red">Red</option>
 <option value="yellow">Yellow</option>
</select>

You can group options using the <optgroup> tag, which has a label attribute.

Form Submission

To submit a form, you can use the <input> tag with the type="submit" attribute. This creates a button that, when clicked, submits the form.

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<input type="submit" value="Click me">

You can also add client-side validation to your form by using the required attribute for required fields and setting specific formats using attributes like pattern, min, and max.

Other Form Elements

Other form elements include file uploads, buttons, radio buttons, checkboxes, date and time pickers, color pickers, range sliders, telephone number inputs, and URL inputs. Each element has its own specific attributes and behaviors.

Conclusion

HTML forms are a fundamental aspect of web development, allowing users to interact with web pages and applications. Understanding the various form elements and their attributes is key to building functional and user-friendly forms. By utilizing the appropriate form controls and validation techniques, you can create effective and interactive web forms.

tags: HTML forms, form elements, input tags, textarea tags, select tags, option tags, form submission