[whatwg] Select element suggestion

[Tab Atkins Jr.]

On Wed, Jul 16, 2008 at 2:44 AM, Thomas Broyer <t.broyer at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Tue, Jul 15, 2008 at 8:30 PM, Gervase Markham wrote:
> > Csaba Gabor wrote:
> >>
> >> Therefore, it makes sense to float those values to the top of the
> >> select element in a reasonable way.  What's reasonable?  I would like
> >> to suggest: frequencyLimit=percent
>
> This IMO should be an UA feature, just like autocomplete on text boxes.
> Eventually something similar to autocomplete=off could be added to the
> select element in case options ordering really matters, but I don't
> think anything more is needed.


Damn you, Thomas Broyer.  Beat me to it.  ^_^  I thought on this a bit last
night and concluded that there's no reason for the author to specify a
particular frequency limit - it's more than enough to just say "turn on
history-based reordering" and let the UA consistently handle that.

However, you're probably right that this shouldn't even be an option, or
rather that if this is implemented it should be on by default.  If it's
really a usability enhancement, then it should apply across *all* sites,
even older sites who won't be updated to use it and amateur sites who's
authors won't know how to use it.  Unlike a lot of accessibility issues,
this is something that *can* be done without any extra effort on the
author's part at all, and so we should take advantage of it (if it's decided
that it will be pulled into the spec).

[1] actually, the options could be just duplicated at the top of the
> list rather than moved; just like e.g. MS Office's font selection
> combo box


That's an even better idea, because it prevents the confusion from having an
option move on you without you realizing it.

~TJ
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