Re: Edit fields with prepopulated data

First of all: placeholder is best used for examples, not for explanations, especially no important information, that is lost, when you start writing.

Important information should be in the label or a text. That is connected with a aria-describedby.

Your case is somewhat special, because on the one hand, what can be a better example of what should be in a field, than the real thing. On the other hand - as you told yourself - this information will get lost after typing.

So if the exiting values are important (and I think they are, because why else they are displayed in the first place), I would either in the value attribute, so they will not disappear but be editable - or put them as a information into the label like so:

Name (stored value: Doe)

In any case the users should get a page after sending this form, where they can read all their changes and decide, if everything really is correct before updating the database.

Hope this helps,

Marc


Am 26.10.2020 um 16:50 schrieb Savage, Angela (ITS) <Angela.Savage@its.ny.gov<mailto:Angela.Savage@its.ny.gov>>:

I’m auditing a form that uses the current values a user has stored in the database as “place holder” text. When a user starts typing these values disappear.

I understand that place holder text is considered directions or important information to convey formatting information and that the current values being displayed is not place holder. It functions like place holder text though. My concern is that if users with cognitive disabilities forget what value they had they will have to perform a page refresh or navigate to the previous page to get back what they had before.

My question is, Am I wrong to tell developers that this type of “place holder” text should not be used to display the values a user currently has?

They look like the following :
<image006.png>Color *
<image007.png>

<image009.png>Name *
<image010.png>


Thanks in advance,


Angela Savage
Accessibility Auditor
Office of Information Technology Services

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