Re: HTML+ and automated forms

Christian L. Mogensen (mogens@CS.Stanford.EDU)
Mon, 27 Jun 1994 13:58:10 -0700 (PDT)


Alastair Aitken CLMS writes:

> At the moment field inputs to forms is very limited. The browsers don't
> handle them very well - <return> does not move from field to field
> terminating each input and moving the cursor to the next field.

This is a browser characteristic and has nothing to do with HTML.
There is an XResource you can set to enable tabbing from field to field,
but I have lost it's name (damn spring cleaning). Anyone care to
enlighten us?

> structure definition and may become very complicated. This "lookup"
> facility would provide the potential for data validation and verification
> without recourse to the server but would lead to deeper more massive forms.

And more massive browsers. Adding more complexity to the clients
is not really necessary - getting them to do forms at all is
hard enough.

> specification and if I am please point me at it. I have not found a
> standard for automated forms yet but believe this is might be crucial to
> HTML.

??? Are you thinking of something like the Borland wossname for MS-Windows?
The forms generator/event-driven programming thingy with the event
trees and simple IF/THEN rules etc?
I don't think HTML needs to grow _that_ complex. Object-something?
Bundled with Crystal Reports?

> Automated forms? Anyone?

Better to build forms that interface to server automation.
Making the client responsible for maintaining all the lookup tables
(the whole ISBN catalog?) isn't a win.

> Al. <-:< (zpalastair@grid.unl.ac.uk)
> (Wearing a seat belt in case I fall off my seat!)

Good idea. Wear a helmet too, just in case. You never know when the
ceiling might fall down...

Christian "Making Automating Perl scripts"