[whatwg] Input type for phone numbers

[Benjamin Hawkes-Lewis]

On 31/3/09 07:24, Antti Koivisto wrote:
> I'd like to propose a new <input> type attribute value for phone numbers
> (<input type="phonenumber"> perhaps). The primary benefit would be to
> enable use of phone number specific input methods (for example a virtual
> keyboard) and pickers (for example a system address book).A useful
> minimal implementation could limit the allowed characters to those legal
> in phone numbers (+ * # and 0-9).

Sounds nice, but I think you need to follow this process more closely:

http://wiki.whatwg.org/wiki/FAQ#Is_there_a_process_for_adding_new_features_to_the_spec.3F

I'd recommend reviewing previous discussion of similar feature 
proposals, e.g. by searching the mailing list.

An earlier draft included a "tel" type for "input", but this was dropped 
after concerns it would be difficult for UAs to correct convert 
telephone numbers to the required format:

http://lists.whatwg.org/htdig.cgi/whatwg-whatwg.org/2004-June/000150.html

http://lists.whatwg.org/htdig.cgi/whatwg-whatwg.org/2004-June/000206.html

http://lists.whatwg.org/htdig.cgi/whatwg-whatwg.org/2004-June/000287.html

If you'd still like to propose the feature, I think you'll need to 
address questions like:

* What are the author or user problems you are trying to solve? You 
mention virtual keyboards - are these intended to provide security in 
some way?

* How do people already attempt to solve these problems (link to 
examples/tutorials)? How could solutions make use of the new features 
HTML5 introduces (e.g. 
http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/#attr-input-pattern)? 
Are there any other possible solutions to the problems (security, adding 
from address books) that HTML5 could introduce? What are the pros and 
cons of all these possible solutions?

I'd note one important alternative is the emergence of systems to 
autofill such profile information by providing a username on another 
system, from which the information can be harvested (e.g. via 
microformat parsing).

With regards to the specific solution you did propose, what defines what 
is "legal in phone numbers" and what these symbols mean?

--
Benjamin Hawkes-Lewis