lynx-dev input fields that submit, and proposed option names (was ...non-sticky...)

[Klaus Weide]

On Wed, 28 Jul 1999 address@hidden wrote:
> 
> What follows is educated hunches.
>[ ... ] 
> I have also spoken up on the WAI User Agent list complaining about 
> automatically submitting on ENTER for forms that lack a SUBMIT element.
> This is a trap for folks who are used to closing a text entry with ENTER.
> Generally speaking, forms without explicit SUBMIT are treacherous in 
> eyes-free mode where it is harder to know the full extent of the form and
> what is being submitted.  Better to be pedantic, so far as I can tell.

I don't know what you mean with pedantic here - if you think of
leaving such forms as completely unsubmittable just because some
versions of HTML specs don't mention this behavior, that is
unacceptable (even as a reasonable user option, IMO).

The only text input fields submitted by lynx on ENTER are those that
are *the only input field in that form*.  There is no other way to
submit (like a "submit button").  Presumably authors use this kind of
form to intentionally make it "easy to submit" using just the
keyboard, because once the single field is filled out the user is
supposed to be "done".

Maybe you were thinking about some other browser's misbehavior
instead?

> For what it's worth, here are my nominees for a more explanatory flag
> name in lynx.cfg:
> 
> One setting is OPEN_ENTRY_FIELDS:AUTO
> 
> Its opposite is OPEN_ENTRY_FIELDS:MANUAL

Yet another inconsistent term for the same thing: entry field
vs. input field...  It turns out both are used in the UG (even combined
as "Text entry (INPUT) fields"), but "entry field" isn't used anywhere
in lynx.cfg.

> Don't create the hybrid.  If MANUAL, keep it that way for all fields.
> It's hard enough to follow the modal changes as it is.
> 
> The flag for the other one could be
> 
>               FORMS_WITHOUT_SUBMIT_ELEMENT:SUBMIT_ON_ENTER
> 
>               FORMS_WITHOUT_SUBMIT_ELEMENT:INSERT_ELEMENT

I don't know what INSERT_ELEMENT is meant to imply.

Anyway, there has to be *some* way to submit such forms, if not with
ENTER then by some other mechanism.  I only come up with either YA key
command or ENTER+confirmation as realistic choices, if the current
behavior should need changing.


  Klaus