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Microsoft FrontPage 2003

Forms: Working with Text Boxes and Text Areas

Text boxes allow users to type in information. Text boxes and text areas are two kinds of text boxes that can be used in a form. Text boxes are used for small amounts of text input—a maximum of 500 characters; text areas are used for multiple lines of input.

NOTE: For more information about working with form fields, please refer to Inserting the First Form Field, Opening the Form Field Properties Dialog Box, and Terminology.

return to topText Boxes

Inserting a Text Box

  1. Open a FrontPage document

  2. Within the form boundary, place the insertion point where you want to insert the form field

  3. From the Insert menu, select Form » Textbox
    A text box appears.
    Insert Textbox submenu

  4. Before or after the text box, type the desired text

  5. Proceed with Assigning the Name-Value Pair

Assigning the Name-Value Pair

The name of a text box indicates what type of information you are prompting the user for or identifies what question you were asking, such as a text box requesting a user's name may have the name "username" which will correspond to the value of the text box: the user's name.

The initial value of a text box is visible to users because it will appear to the users in the text box. This text can be used to indicate the type of response you want from a user, such as a text box prompting users to enter their names may have the initial text "Last, First " displayed.

When a user submits the form, the user-supplied value of the text box will be matched with the name of the text box. The information the form developer receives may look like this:

name: value
EXAMPLE: username: Susan

Therefore, the name username identifies what question was being asked and the value indicates what the user answered for the particular question.

Text Box Form Field initial displayText Box Form Field after data entry

To assign the Name-Value Pair:

  1. Insert a text box

  2. Double click the text box
    OR
    Right click the text box » select Form Field Properties...
    The Text Box Properties dialog box appears.
     Text Box Properties dialog box

  1. In the Name text box, type the desired name

  2. In the Initial value text box, type the desired value
    NOTE: This text will be visible to users.

  1. In the Width in characters text box, type the desired width
    NOTE: The default width is 20 characters. This width does not indicate how many characters users can enter into the text box; it indicates how many characters wide the text box will appear on the screen.

  2. OPTIONAL: If the text box is going to be used for a Password field, select Yes

  3. Click OK

return to topText Areas

Inserting a Text Area

  1. Open a FrontPage document

  2. Within the form boundary, place the insertion point where you want to insert the form field

  3. From the Insert menu, select Form » Text Area
     A text area appears.
    Insert Text Area submenu

  4. Before or after the text area, type the desired text

  5. Proceed with Assigning the Name-Value Pair

Assigning the Name-Value Pair

The name of a text area indicates what type of information you are prompting the user for or identifies what question you are asking. For example, a text area prompting users to enter a description of their qualifications may have the name "qualifications," which will correspond to the value of the text box, the user's entered qualifications.

The initial value of a text area is visible to users because it will appear in the text box. This text could be used to indicate the type of response you would like from a user. For example, a text area prompting users to enter a description of their qualifications may have the initial text "qualifications" displayed.

When a user submits the form, the user-supplied value of the text area will be matched with the name of the text area. The information the form developer receives may look like this:

name: value
EXAMPLE: qualifications: BS Degree from UW-Eau Claire

Therefore, the name qualifications identifies what question was being asked and the value indicates what the user answered for the particular question.

Initial DisplayAfter Data Entry

To Assign the Name-Value Pair

  1. Insert a text area

  1. Double click the text area
    OR
    Right click the text area » select Form Field Properties...
    The TextArea Box Properties dialog box appears.
    TextArea Box Properties dialog box

  1. In the Name text box, type the desired name

  1. In the Initial value text box, type the desired value

  1. In the Width in characters text box, type the desired width
    NOTE: The default width is 20 characters. This width does not indicate how many characters users can enter into the text box, it indicates how many characters wide the text box will appear on the screen.

  2. In the Number of lines text box, type the desired height
    HINT: The default height is two lines. This does not reflect how much the user can type in the text area, only the height of the text box on the screen.

  3. Click OK

Wrapping Text in Text Areas

When Netscape users complete a text area, the text does not automatically wrap. This can be disconcerting to the user. To force the wrap for all users:

  1. Insert a text area

  2. Select the text area
    Sizing handles appear in the corners of the text area.

  3. From the Edit menu, select Quick Tag Editor
    OR
    Press [Ctrl] + [Q]
    The Quick Tag Editor dialog box appears.
    Quick Tag Editor dialog box

  4. In the Edit Tag text box, after cols="20", add the word WRAP
    EXAMPLE: The code should be similar to the following graphic.
    Edit Tag text box with wrap

  5. Click ENTEREnter button
    Text in the text area will now wrap.

  6. When done, click SHOW DESIGN VIEW
    The Design view appears.
    Design tab

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