[whatwg] [WF2] <select required>

[Weston Ruter]

Many times I've set SELECT.selectedIndex to -1 to have the effect of an
invalid starter value; I think this is a case where the REQUIRED attribute
would make sense. If a SELECT has a REQUIRED attribute, and
SELECT.selectedIndex == -1, then the control would be considered invalid.
It would also seem to be beneficial to have some non-scripting means of
setting SELECT.selectedIndex to -1. Perhaps an "UNSELECTED" boolean
attribute, as in <select unselected>

Weston


On Thu, Oct 23, 2008 at 5:31 AM, Ian Hickson <ian at hixie.ch> wrote:

> On Mon, 2 Oct 2006, Simon Pieters wrote:
> >
> > The required="" attribute doesn't apply to <select>s in the current
> > draft of WF2. As an author I'd expect it to apply to <select>.
> >
> > I've seen a case where a <select> is used and the user is required to
> > change its value, as in:
> >
> >   <select name="test" required>
> >    <option value="">Select one:
> >    <option>Foo
> >    <option>Bar
> >   </select>
> >
> > Now this can be done with radio buttons instead, but why can't the above
> > be supported? That is, make required apply to <select>s and if the value
> > is empty then required is not satisfied. (Same for <select multiple>.)
> >
> > (I realise that radio buttons and checkboxes satisfy required even if
> > the value is empty.)
>
> On Wed, 4 Oct 2006, Robert wrote:
> >
> > Submitting an empty value may be wanted, and since a select by
> > definition is a list of predefined valid values, it would make little
> > sense to prevent the user from selecting some of them. However, I agree
> > with the use case of the invalid starter value so users must consciously
> > select a value they wanted instead of the default one.
>
> This use case is definitely something we want to consider, but I don't
> think it's about required="". It's about an option in the <select> being a
> non-option (as it were). <select> by definition can't have nothing
> selected. That's what it means.
>
> The issue about a placeholder value is listed as an open issue in the
> spec, and will probably be addressed at some future point.
>
> I hope this addresses your comments satisfactorily.
>
> Cheers,
> --
> Ian Hickson               U+1047E                )\._.,--....,'``.    fL
> http://ln.hixie.ch/       U+263A                /,   _.. \   _\  ;`._ ,.
> Things that are impossible just take longer.   `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.'
>
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