[pmwiki-users] Input recipe

[Martin Fick]

> FWIW, somehow the following look more like input forms to me:
> 
>    [__________]    a text input line
>    [**********]    a password text area
>    [X]             a checkbox
>    [*]             a radio button
>    [Submit]        a submit button

  Brilliant, they do look like input forms!  I guess that's
why you're in charge. :)



> however, the problem with the above is that there doesn't seem to be
> an easy way to attach attributes to them (name, value, etc.).  The
> (:...:) directives have the advantage of looking a little bit like
> input fields while providing a convenient place to hang attributes.
> Although yes, I agree it has a lot of length.
> 
> Pm


  So if we add the extra few elements, visually we get
something like this:

 
 a submit button         [Submit]	
 a hidden element        [(.)]
 a text input line       [__________]
 a text input box        [==========] or [:::::::::]
 a password text area    [**********]	
 a checkbox	         [X]		
 a radio button          [*]		
 a menu                  [{,}]


Simple rule #1:  

  We could simply use a line break to indicate the end of
  the elements  attributes and use the already proposed
  rules:

[__________] name


Additional rule #2:

  We could add a termination character in case people want
  to put more than one on a line or in a table:
  (The colon following the input box terminates it)

|| First Name: [__________] first : || Last Name: [__________] last : || 

  or could we somehow double up the use of || like this?:

|| First Name: [__________] first || Last Name: [__________] last || 





  While the above two rules might be consistent, they do no
considerably shorten the syntax in all cases therfore the 
(:input...:) syntax would probably still be clearer.  I
would think that further optimizations (shorthands) to the
syntax would be needed to make it worthwile.  Again, I
suggest using more  defaults.  When possible assume the
name and value to be the same unless specified otherwise,
this could save a lot for several elements.


  I realize this is probably hard to code, but another
shorthand might be to include the attributes inside the
brakets.  Could we us similar shorthands to links?

 [(User)Name=______]
 
  Would display a line input box preceeded by a title
'Name:' and the html element would be named 'UserName'.
i.e.

 Name: <input type=text name='UserName'/>

Or:  

  User[name=______]

would give:

 Username: <input type=text name='name'/>



  -Martin