Advanced Form Controls in HTML5

Last Updated: 22nd June, 2023

Introduction

Form controls are HTML elements that allow users to interact with web pages and provide data to web servers. Form controls include input fields, checkboxes, radio buttons, select boxes, textareas, and buttons. They are used to create forms on web pages, which allow users to submit data to servers. Form controls have various attributes that can be used to customize their behavior, such as the type of input allowed, the default value, and the validation rules. These attributes can be set using HTML or JavaScript. Form controls are a critical part of web development, as they enable users to interact with web pages and provide data that can be used by web servers to process requests and generate responses. In this lesson, we will look into some advanced form controls like Date and Time Pickers, Range Sliders, File uploads etc.

Date and Time Pickers

Date and Time Pickers are advanced form controls in HTML that allow users to select dates and times easily. They provide a user-friendly interface that displays a calendar for selecting dates and a clock for selecting times. Date and Time Pickers are commonly used in forms that require users to enter date and time information, such as appointment booking forms, event registration forms, and time tracking forms.

The Date Picker control allows users to select a specific date from a calendar. It provides a dropdown or popup calendar interface that displays the current month and year, and users can select a specific date by clicking on it. The Date Picker control also supports different date formats, such as ISO-8601, which makes it easy to handle date information.

<label for="date">Choose a date:</label>
<input type="date" id="date" name="date">

The Time Picker control allows users to select a specific time from a clock interface. It provides a dropdown or popup clock interface that allows users to select hours, minutes, and seconds. The Time Picker control also supports different time formats, such as 12-hour or 24-hour time, which makes it easy to handle time information.

<label for="time">Choose a time:</label>
<input type="time" id="time" name="time">

Both the Date Picker and Time Picker controls also have various attributes that can be used to customize their behavior, such as min, max, and step, which allow developers to specify the range of dates and times that can be selected:

• min: This attribute specifies the minimum date that can be selected.
• max: This attribute specifies the maximum date that can be selected.

Range Sliders

Range sliders are advanced form controls in HTML5 that allow users to select a value within a specified range. They are typically used in forms that require users to select a value from a range of values, such as volume controls, brightness controls, or temperature controls. Range sliders provide a visual representation of the range of values and allow users to select a value by dragging a handle along the slider track.

Range sliders are implemented using the <input> element with the type="range" attribute. The min, max, and value attributes are used to specify the minimum and maximum values of the range, as well as the default value of the slider handle. For example, the following code creates a range slider with a range of 0 to 100 and a default value of 50:

<input type="range" min="0" max="100" value="50">

Range sliders can also have several attributes that control their appearance and behavior, such as step, which specifies the increment at which the slider value can be changed, and disabled, which disables the slider and prevents the user from selecting a value. Additionally, developers can use JavaScript to further customize the behavior of range sliders, such as updating the value of other elements based on the slider value or restricting the range of values based on other input values.

Color Pickers

Color Pickers are advanced form controls in HTML5 that allow users to select a color from a range of colors. They are commonly used in forms that require users to select a color, such as in graphic design applications, color customization features, or theme selection forms.

The Color Picker control provides a user-friendly interface that allows users to select a color by choosing from a color palette, entering a color code, or adjusting the hue, saturation, and brightness of the color. The Color Picker control is implemented using the <input> element with the type="color" attribute. When this attribute is used, the browser renders a color picker interface that can be used to select a color.

Here is an example of how to create a color picker in HTML:

<label for="color-picker">Choose a color:</label>
<input type="color" id="color-picker" name="color-picker" value="#ff0000">

In the example above, the label element provides a description of the color picker, while the input element with type="color" creates the color picker control. The id attribute specifies the unique identifier of the input element, while the name attribute assigns a name to the input element to submit the selected color value to the server. The value attribute sets the initial color value of the color picker to red (#ff0000).

File uploads

File uploads are advanced form controls in HTML5 that allow users to select and upload files from their local computer or device. They are commonly used in forms that require users to upload files, such as in job application forms, online document submission forms, or photo and video sharing applications.

The File Upload control is implemented using the <input> element with the type="file" attribute. When this attribute is used, the browser renders a file input field that allows users to select one or more files from their local computer or device.

Here is an example of a file upload control in HTML:

<form action="upload.php" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data">
  <label for="file-upload">Choose a file:</label>
  <input type="file" id="file-upload" name="file-upload">
  <button type="submit">Upload</button>
</form>

This code creates a form that allows users to upload a file to the server. The action attribute specifies the URL of the server-side script that will handle the file upload, and the method attribute specifies the HTTP method to use (typically "POST"). The enctype attribute specifies the type of encoding used to transmit the form data, which is set to "multipart/form-data" for file uploads.

The <label> element is used to provide a descriptive label for the file upload control, and the for attribute of the label element should match the id attribute of the file upload control. The <button> element is used to submit the form and upload the selected file(s) to the server.

File uploads also have several attributes that can be used to customize their behavior, such as multiple, which allows users to select multiple files for upload, and accept, which specifies the types of files that can be uploaded. Additionally, developers can use server-side scripting languages like PHP, Python, or Node.js to handle file uploads and process the uploaded files.

Autocomplete

Autocomplete is an advanced form control in HTML5 that provides suggestions to users as they type in an input field. It is commonly used in forms that require users to enter text, such as in search bars, address forms, or email address fields.

The Autocomplete control is implemented using the <input> element with the autocomplete attribute. When this attribute is used, the browser provides suggestions to the user based on their previous inputs or commonly used inputs.

Here is an example of an autocomplete input field in HTML:

<label for="search-bar">Search:</label>
<input type="text" id="search-bar" name="search-bar" autocomplete="on">

This code creates an input field for a search bar with an ID and name of "search-bar". The autocomplete attribute is set to "on", which enables the autocomplete feature. When the user starts typing in the input field, the browser suggests options based on the user's previous inputs or commonly used inputs.

The Autocomplete control also supports several attributes that can be used to customize its behavior, such as list, which specifies a list of suggested options, and placeholder, which displays a placeholder text in the input field before the user starts typing.

Fieldset and Legend elements

<fieldset> and <legend> elements are HTML tags used to group related form elements and provide a title or caption for the group. They are used to improve the accessibility and usability of web forms by organizing form controls into logical sections and providing context for the user.

The <fieldset> element is used to group related form controls together. It is commonly used to group radio buttons, checkboxes, and input fields that are related to a specific topic or section of a form. For example, a form that collects personal information may have a <fieldset> element to group together fields related to name, address, and contact information.

The <legend> element is used to provide a caption or title for a <fieldset> element. It is typically placed as the first child element within the <fieldset> element. The text provided within the <legend> element is displayed as the title or caption for the group of form controls.

Here's an example of how to use the <fieldset> and <legend> elements in HTML:

<form>
  <fieldset>
    <legend>Personal Information</legend>
    <label for="name">Name:</label>
    <input type="text" id="name" name="name"><br>

    <label for="email">Email:</label>
    <input type="email" id="email" name="email"><br>

    <label for="phone">Phone:</label>
    <input type="tel" id="phone" name="phone"><br>
  </fieldset>
</form>

In this example, the <fieldset> element is used to group together the input fields for personal information, and the <legend> element is used to provide a title or caption for the group.

Conclusion

In conclusion, advanced form controls are a crucial part of web development, as they provide users with an easy and interactive way to interact with web pages and submit data to web servers. In this article, we looked at some of the advanced form controls like Date and Time Pickers, Range Sliders, Color Pickers, and File uploads, which offer a range of customization options that can be used to create powerful and user-friendly web forms. These controls not only improve the user experience but also enable web developers to build better and more efficient applications.