Re: Enhancements to Forms - another loss??

While we're on the subject of form enhancements :-), something I've 
wanted is an ACTION attribute on the <INPUT TYPE=SUBMIT> tag:

<INPUT TYPE=SUBMIT ACTION= METHOD=>

this uses the specified action instead of the one in the <FORM>. This 
would allow me to specify more than one action for a script. If the 
action is invalid (e.g., it specifies an unsupported service like 
"https:"), the standard CGI for the <FORM> tag is used instead. (Of 
course if the browser doesn't recognize <INPUT ACTION> it would use the 
one specified with the <FORM>.) The same change should also be made to 
<INPUT TYPE=IMAGE> and anything else that submits a form in the future.

Example
   <FORM ACTION=http://...>
   <INPUT TYPE=SUBMIT NAME="Submit It" ACTION=https://...>
   </FORM>

If a secure connection can be opened, it uses it. Otherwise, it uses the 
insecure connection specified with <FORM>. There is no way to provide 
this at present. We could also give the user multiple choices:

   <FORM ACTION=http://...>
   <INPUT TYPE=SUBMIT NAME="Submit Securely" ACTION=https://...>
   <INPUT TYPE=SUBMIT NAME="Submit Via E-mail" ACTION=mailto:...>
   <INPUT TYPE=SUBMIT NAME="Submit Insecurely" ACTION=http://...>
   </FORM>

So far this is pretty simple. There is one complication: hiding buttons 
you don't want the user to see. In the above case, I might want three 
choices, but make the choice for them (showing them only the best 
choice). The solution I have is not as elegant as I'd like, but maybe 
someone can come up with a better one: add a new <SUBMIT> tag that 
modifies a following <INPUT> tag. If the action specified in the <SUBMIT> 
tag is useable, then any other attributes specified with <SUBMIT> replace 
(override) the attributes of <INPUT>. If multiple <SUBMIT> tags are 
present the first one that is useable is used.

   <FORM ACTION=http://...>
   <SUBMIT ACTION=https://... NAME="Submit Securely" >
   <SUBMIT ACTION=mailto:...  TYPE=IMAGE SRC=mail.gif ALT="Submit Via 
E-mail">
   <INPUT TYPE=SUBMIT NAME="Submit Insecurely" ACTION=http://...>
   </FORM>

It's a bit kludgy to have the parameters appear before. I'd prefer 
<INPUT><ACTION></INPUT> but there's no </INPUT> so it's too late for 
that. Comments?

    --- Bruce Leban
    Akimbo Systems
    http://www.akimbo.com/globetrotter
    Publish on the web without learning HTML! (Really.)

Received on Tuesday, 11 February 1997 09:44:22 UTC