Hi,
As the spec currently stands, use of <input type=number> is unsuitable for currency and other input that require a minimum number of decimal points displayed. When displaying decimal currency values, the typical convention is that a precision of two decimal points is used, regardless of numeric value. That is, one dollar is displayed as "1.00", not "1". However the latter is the result when using <input type=number> in implementations that follow the spec, such as Chrome and Firefox.
Section "4.10.5.1.9 Number state (type=number)" currently states: "If the user agent provides a user interface for selecting a number, then the value must be set to the best representation of the number representing the user's selection as a floating-point number" - effectively by calling JavaScript's ToString on the number. This gives rise to the undesirable representation above.
Since both the spec and existing implementations use the step attribute to effectively specify the maximum number of decimal points for the representation of the number, it also seems reasonable for the step attribute to also define the minimum. This can perhaps be acheived by changing the definition of the "best representation of the number n as a floating-point number" to use the JavaScript Number.ToPrecision function, and obtaining the precision from the step attribute, rather than using ToString.
This will work for integral currencies by specifying a step of 1, as well as decimal currencies that that use a single decimal point, by specifying a step of "0.1".
Thoughts? //Mike -- ⊨ Michael Gratton, Percept Wrangler. ⚙ <http://mjog.vee.net/>
