Sorcery of Form Input

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This document is used my me to experiment with various aspects of CGI Forms, CGI scripts, WWW client program abilities, and testing of the NCSA Http Daemon we use for this web server.

You can experiment but I make no guarantees on validity of any results.

Warning: This page will not work on client programs without support for forms.

CGI Executable Links

This is a plain an ordinary Query Link to a CGI program!

However a CGI Link can also have ``Path Information'' and ``GET query values''.

Input Elements

Using a POST Form.
Input Text:
Input Passwd:
Input Checkbox: A B
Input Radio: 1 2 3
Input File:
Input Hidden:
Input Image: (image submit)
Input Submit:
Input Reset:

TextArea Elements,

Using a POST Form, but with extra ``Path Information'' and ``GET Query String''.
TextArea:
<-- NOTE These should be images of a Ball for Submit and a Square for Reset. However few viewers allow this!

Select Elements

A Form can use the GET method too, with ``Path Information''. However any extra ``GET Query String'' in the CGI URL is useless.
Select Menu:
Select Scroll:
Select Multiple:

Multiple Submit Buttons

IF submit form input has a name, then the specific button selected by the user is returned!
Very handy!

HTML 4.0 Buttons

As of HTML 4.0 the BUTTON form element was added. This was suposed to replace the INPUT buttons above.
NOTE: older web client (like netscape ) do not understand this type.


Image Form Input

An image form type acts like a sumbit button, but also returns the point of `click' by the user.
WARNING: the `value' is ignored as it returns the `x' and `y' position of the users click instead.

Created: 16 November 1994
Modified: 19 Septmeber 1995
Author: Anthony Thyssen, <anthony@cit.gu.edu.au>