Re: Form Controls (Strengthening Checkpoint 10.6)

Aloha, all!

My original (and quite verbose) comments on the current 
Checkpoint 10.6 are contained in the post archived at 

(long URI warning!)
<http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/1999JulSep/0128.html>

In light of my subsequent decision to propose a checkpoint 
which deals explicitly with forms which lack a user-addressable 
SUBMIT mechanism -- a proposal contained in the message 
archived at: 

(long URI warning!)
<http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/1999JulSep/0129.html>

and refined, as per the request of the UAWG, in a follow-up 
message archived at: 

(long URI warning!)
<http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/1999JulSep/0139.html>

I have decided to re-submit my proposal for strengthening 
Checkpoint 10.6

Simply stated, the issues which need to be addressed by this 
checkpoint are as follows:

1) As a user, I do NOT want to be prompted EACH time I
submit a form, provided that I submitted the form by
activating its SUBMIT mechanism.  If, however, I simply hit
the ENTER or the RETURN key from within a FORM control, 
rather than explicitly activating the SUBMIT mechanism, the 
UA should first request confirmation before submitting the 
form content, unless I choose to instruct it not to prompt 
me.

2) As a user, I do NOT want the form content automatically
submitted if I inadvertently press the ENTER or RETURN key.

NOTE: For a more detailed problem statement on this issue, please 
refer to [long URI warning!]
<http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/1999JulSep/0128.html>

PROPOSAL: Reword Checkpoint 10.6 as follows (note the priority 
level change):

  10.6 Prompt the user to confirm the submission of form content
  if the submission mechanism is not directly activated by the 
  user. [Priority 2]

TECHNIQUE FOR 10.6
  The user should be able to determine whether or not the 
  user agent will automatically submit FORM content when 
  the ENTER key, and not the defined SUBMIT mechanism, is 
  activated. The issuance of this confirmation prompt should 
  be controlled by the user, according to a user-configurable 
  schedule. Choices should include:

    "Prompt Each Time Before Submitting Form Content on ENTER"
    "Submit Form Content on ENTER for All Forms in this Site"
    "Submit Form Content on ENTER for All Forms in this Domain"
    "Submit Form Content on ENTER for All Forms"

  The default setting should be "Prompt Each Time Before 
  Submitting Form Content on ENTER", so as to allow the user 
  to decide whether or not, and under what circumstances, 
  submission of FORM content on ENTER will be enabled. Choosing 
  "Prompt Each Time Before Submitting Form Content on ENTER" 
  will allow the user to choose whether or not to submit FORM 
  content on ENTER on a case-by-case basis.

  If possible, the user should also be offered a "Accept
  this Value and Don't Ask Me Again" option, when the
  confirmation prompt is first displayed.

-- END PROPOSAL
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He that lives on Hope, dies farting
     -- Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack, 1763
--------------------------------------------------------
Gregory J. Rosmaita <oedipus@hicom.net>
   President, WebMaster, & Minister of Propaganda, 
        VICUG NYC <http://www.hicom.net/~oedipus/vicug/>
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Received on Wednesday, 18 August 1999 19:08:19 UTC