[whatwg] Structured option element

Filip Likavcan filip.likavcan at gmail.com
Sat Aug 25 10:57:43 PDT 2007


Hi,

I would like to propose "structured" <option> element. The <option>
element is now described (=displayed in select box) only by simple
text value. The problem is, that in "real" world the option acts like
object with more properties. There are many cases in which options are
described by more than one property. For example the list of URL's in
the Firefox displays for each item its URL and page title. Another
example: I'm developing e-shop backend application for sellers. Seller
can create/edit an order, manage products on stocks and generate
invoices. When the seller wants to add new product into the order, it
is important for him to know how many products are there on each
stock. Products are displayed in <select> as its options. It would be
great if I could specify multiple properties for the option and the
interface would somehow reflect it. Something like this:

<select name="products">
  <option id="1">
    <property>Product's name</property>
    <property>X</property>
    <property>Y</property>
    ...
   <property>Z</property>
  </option>
</select>

[Product's name | X | Y | Z]

Where X, Y, Z represent the numbers of products on stocks. "|"
represents a column border. Columns should be displayed as columns in
tables (covering entire width of table, able to have specified exact
width, padding, ...).

Maybe this is already covered somehow. I tried to find something in
older e-mails in this mailinglist, but I haven't found anything.

Filip "filer" Likavčan


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