On 5/27/07, Katrina <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
In some sense, the label and input are thematically related.
Interesting idea, and in a way I agree. However I still think, in
combination with fieldsets and appropriate form elements, that a ul is
an appropriate way to mark up form controls. For example, I have
recently been marking-up forms roughly like this:
<form action="usercp.php" method="post">
<fieldset>
<legend>Personal Details</legend>
<ul>
<li>
<label for="firstname">First Name</label>
<input id="firstname" name="firstname"
type="text">
</li>
<li>
<label for="lastname">Last Name</label>
<input id="lastname" name="lastname"
type="text">
</li>
</ul>
</fieldset>
<fieldset>
<legend>Contact Details</legend>
<ul>
<li>
<label for="address">Address</label>
<input id="address" name="address" type="text">
</li>
<li>
<label for="city">City</label>
<input id="city" name="city" type="text">
</li>
<li>
<label for="postcode">Postcode</label>
<input id="postcode" name="postcode"
type="text">
</li>
<li>
<label for="email">E-mail Address</label>
<input id="email" name="email" type="text">
</li>
</ul>
</fieldset>
</form>
To my way of thinking this is a semantically correct way of displaying
a form. I have a fieldset grouping related form controls. Inside the
fieldset I have a list of individual form controls. Makes perfect
sense.
In a way I could almost take Katrina's thinking a little further wrap
each fieldset in an <li> tag as part of an unordered list of
fieldsets, and insert an additional fieldset into each exisiting li.
Like so...
<form action="usercp.php" method="post">
<ul>
<li>
<fieldset>
<legend>Personal Details</legend>
<ul>
<li>
<fieldset>
<label for="firstname">First
Name</label>
<input id="firstname"
name="firstname" type="text">
</fieldset>
</li>
<li>
<fieldset>
<label for="lastname">Last
Name</label>
<input id="lastname" name="lastname"
type="text">
</fieldset>
</li>
</ul>
</fieldset>
</li>
<li>
<fieldset>
<legend>Contact Details</legend>
<ul>
<li>
<fieldset>
<label
for="address">Address</label>
<input id="address" name="address"
type="text">
</fieldset>
</li>
<li>
<fieldset>
<label
for="city">City</label>
<input id="city" name="city"
type="text">
</fieldset>
</li>
<li>
<fieldset>
<label
for="postcode">Postcode</label>
<input id="postcode" name="postcode"
type="text">
</fieldset>
</li>
<li>
<fieldset>
<label for="email">E-mail
Address</label>
<input id="email" name="email"
type="text">
</fieldset>
</li>
</ul>
</fieldset>
</li>
</ul>
</form>
Yes, it may be overkill (but then compound elements often seem
pointless until you look depper), but I think it's hard to argue the
semantic value of an unordered list when there are repeating elements
that have the same underlying purpose or meaning.
In reality there are a lot of ways that you could do this that make
sense on some level, and the fact that there is such a discussion
about this proves that this is an issue that is commonly faced, and I
find it interesting that there is currently no firm consensus on the
best way to create semantic meaning around form elements.
--
Australian Web Designer - http://www.blakehaswell.com/
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