Re: Auto fill for form fields

>This seems to be an obvious thing to suggest, but a search of the
>archive for this list didn't turn anything up. So either it's a new suggestion
>or I missed it (if the latter, please ignore me).
>
>I'm getting really tired of typing my name and e-mail address in form after
>form after form on the Web. It seems to me that a simple extension to
>HTML could save thousands of people from early carpal tunnel syndrome
>by automatically supplying commonly requested information. At first I
>though this belonged in HTTP, but the potential for abuse there is too high
>(an HTTP server might be able grab the info without your permission). So
>I think it makes more sense to add a "fill-in" attribute to HTML text fields
><input type=text> that requests the browser to fill in a certain piece of
>data. This way the form can come up with user information already filled
>in. Privacy should not be a problem, since the user always has the option
>of not submitting the form or erasing the field contents.

this is already done in some places..

at www.tripod.com, when i go to the members' page, it already has my email
address in the field..this is supplied by netscape..

using my email address, it then looks into the users database and pulls up
my address, name, phone number, etc., and asks if it is correct..

i am not quite sure how the email address is pulled out, i haven't looked
at the source, nor have i asked if it is a cgi script, etc..but it can be
done..

i'll try to find out, and post it here if someone else doesn't first..

GeoffryN

---
Chris (no, really Geoff Narvronsen)

geoffryn@nfocus.com            #pub: Angus_

http://nfocus.com/geoffryn/geoffryn.htm
http://www.tripod.com/~GeoffryN/page1.html

Received on Tuesday, 13 February 1996 22:52:57 UTC