[Bug 13390] Readonly attribute on input.{color|range|checkbox|radio}

http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=13390

Ian 'Hixie' Hickson <ian@hixie.ch> changed:

           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Status|NEW                         |RESOLVED
                 CC|                            |ian@hixie.ch
         Resolution|                            |WONTFIX

--- Comment #2 from Ian 'Hixie' Hickson <ian@hixie.ch> 2011-09-23 23:11:04 UTC ---
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Status: Rejected
Change Description: no spec change
Rationale: 

> The HTML4
> specs did not limit the use of the attribute to only text/number types

The HTML4 spec isn't particularly relevant here.

Implementations have historically limited the readonly attribute in this way.
They do this because there's no UI concept that corresponds to a "readonly"
radio button, checkbox, button, etc. It's a concept that only applies to text
fields.


> (a) functionally, disable shuts down the control entirely, preventing
> all access and submission (the "successfulness" of the control) whereas
> readonly allows tabbing to, submission and scrolling if some portion
> of the content is hidden.

Right. It makes no sense to scroll a radio button, range control, color
control, etc. Only text fields can be scrolled.

There's no point tabbing to a control that is in no way interactive.

It is bad UI to have a "not disabled but non-interactive" control. Thus, we
disallow it on all the controls where that would be the result, on the basis
that it will discourage authors from making that mistake.

The submission thing is a historical artifact. If you need to submit a value
but don't want the use to change it, use type=hidden.


> Secondly, we can't assume that color values will always be immune to 
> the same data visibility issues that affect textual data.

If it ever changes, we can change the spec.


> Similarly, ranges can have a visual representation, but they can
> also have a textual representation (5000-10000) which would have the same
> issues of needed to access the field and cursor through it to see
> the entire value if the display area for the value is too small.

Ranges by definition do not have a textual representation — they do not
represent a specific number. That's what type=number is for.


> (b) visually disable usually grays out or "fuzzes" a field whereas
> readonly simply shades it to indicate that the value can't be edited.
> This helps users know the difference between information they need to
> pay attention to (even if they can't change it) and information that
> they can ignore as irrelevant.  Although the semantic distinction
> between "can't edit right now" vs. "not applicable" isn't in
> the specification it is common out in the wild and making it possible
> to apply have the browser apply it simplifies user interface
> implementation.

There isn't a concept of "readonly" for controls other than text fields in UI
widget toolkits.

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Received on Friday, 23 September 2011 23:11:07 UTC