Chapter 4: An Introduction to HTML Forms

Overview

A dynamic website interacts on two levels-with the database and with the user (or visitor). As with a regular database, the user doesn't really see what's going on behind the scenes; the user just initiates processing by making requests and sometimes by sharing data. The majority of this book will deal with interacting with the database; this chapter provides tools for the user to interact with the website.

To accomplish any of these tasks, the user must communicate with the website.

For the most part, the web developer uses Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) forms to solicit information from the user. An HTML form is an element that turns a static page into an interactive page-by displaying elements that let the user interact with the page. Once the user enters data or clicks a button, the page interprets the request and processes the necessary scripts to comply with the user's request. In this chapter, you'll learn about HTML forms that let users interact with your page.