Forms Example

Visitors to your page can type text into text boxes:
<INPUT TYPE=text NAME=MyTextBox SIZE=20>

What is your name? 

We can use the VALUE attribute to give the text box a default reply:
<INPUT TYPE=text NAME=TextBoxWithDefault VALUE="Hello!" SIZE=20>

What would you like to say? 

TEXTAREAs can be used if you want some more space to put text. Any text between the <TEXTAREA> and the </TEXTAREA> will be displayed as the default text:
<TEXTAREA NAME=BigBox ROWS=5 COLS=30>Lots of room to type!</TEXTAREA>

What do you like about <TEXTAREA>'s?
Lots of room to type!

Checkboxes allow visitors to select one or more options:

<INPUT TYPE=checkbox NAME=PossibleMajors VALUE="CS">
<INPUT TYPE=checkbox NAME=PossibleMajors VALUE="Egyptology">
<INPUT TYPE=checkbox NAME=PossibleMajors VALUE="Other">

Radio buttons let users select one option:

<INPUT TYPE=radio NAME=Year VALUE="01">
<INPUT TYPE=radio NAME=Year VALUE="02">
<INPUT TYPE=radio NAME=Year VALUE="00">
<INPUT TYPE=radio NAME=Year VALUE="Other">

<SELECT>...<SELECT> creates a pulldown menu of options. It takes up less screen space than radio buttons, so it's useful if you have lots of options for your visitor to choose form:

<SELECT NAME=FavoriteBuilding>
<OPTION VALUE="CIT">The CIT, of course!</OPTION>
<OPTION VALUE="UHall">University Hall</OPTION>
<OPTION VALUE="Rock">The Rock</OPTION>
<OPTION VALUE="InfantLab">The Infant Lab. What goes on in there anyway?</OPTION>
</SELECT>

Submit buttons submit the visitor's answers to the URL specified as the ACTION of the form, while reset buttons reset the entire form to the default answers:

<INPUT TYPE=submit NAME=SubmitButton VALUE="Submit my answers!">
<INPUT TYPE=reset NAME=ResetButton VALUE="Reset this form!">

Don't forget to end the form at the end with a </FORM> tag!