[whatwg] Request to reconsider <input minlength="">

[Ian Hickson]

On Thu, 29 Oct 2009, Ryan Cannon wrote:
> 
> I saw HTML5 was put into last call, and I wanted to add my request to 
> reconsider adding <input minlength=""> to HTML5. With some searching, I 
> found the following threads on the topic:
> 
> http://lists.whatwg.org/htdig.cgi/whatwg-whatwg.org/2006-February/005892.html 
> http://lists.whatwg.org/htdig.cgi/whatwg-whatwg.org/2007-June/011661.html 
> http://lists.whatwg.org/pipermail/whatwg-whatwg.org/2008-October/016881.html
> 
> From these threads, I've seen the main reasons not to add the attribute 
> are:
> 
>  * Lack of use cases
>  * <input pattern="" /> can do the same job
>  * Unclear how user agents should implement the UI
>  * It's not compelling enough to balloon the spec
> 
> [...]
>
> Our username and password fields require a minimum of four characters. 
> These fields have a simple pattern validation as well. [...]

I would add one more reason to the list above -- we need to make sure we 
only add features at a rate that doesn't outpace what the browsers can do. 
As it stands, the browsers are falling behind in implementing the new 
forms features -- it's time to stop adding features and wait for them to 
catch up before adding new ones.

I think the use case you give makes sense, and it would be definitely 
something to look at when we're doing the next round of additions after 
the browsers have implemented what's in the spec already.

-- 
Ian Hickson               U+1047E                )\._.,--....,'``.    fL
http://ln.hixie.ch/       U+263A                /,   _.. \   _\  ;`._ ,.
Things that are impossible just take longer.   `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.'