Form Inputs: The Browser Support Issue You Didnt Know You Had

The lowly form input. Its been a part of HTML for as long as HTML has had a formal specification; but before HTML5, developers were hamstrung by its limited types and attributes. As the use of smartphones and their on-screen keyboards has flourished, however, inputs have taken on a new and incredibly important role — but theyre also riddled with browser and device inconsistencies. The eight original input types were brilliant in their simplicity. (Well, OK, maybe <input type="image"> hasnt aged very well.)

Think about it: By inserting a single element in your markup, you can tell any web browser to render an interaction control, and you can completely modify that interaction – from a text field to a checkbox to a radio button – by simply changing a keyword. Now imagine a world where creating these interactions means also creating custom interaction controls, and you begin to realize how taken for granted inputs really are.

The post Form Inputs: The Browser Support Issue You Didnt Know You Had appeared first on Smashing Magazine.