Forms provide an interface allowing users to interact in some way with your site. In most cases, they are used to gather data, either for later use or to provide a customized response on the fly. Forms have a wide range of uses, from functions as simple as search boxes, mailing list signups, guestbooks, and surveys to as complex as online commerce systems. Forms collect input via controls, such as buttons, text fields, or scrolling menus. Controls are placed on the page using special elements in the markup. These elements are merely an interface for collecting user information and do not actually process the data. The real work is done by forms-processing applications on the server, such as CGI scripts, ASP, ASP.NET, ColdFusion, PHP, or Java servlets. The programming necessary for form processing is beyond the scope of this book. This chapter focuses on the frontend aspects of forms: the elements and attributes for building the form interface as well as the elements used to improve accessibility.
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