A form should feel easy to use. The visitor sees a question, gives an answer, and needs to know what will happen next.
What You Need to Know
A native select already supports keyboard navigation, focus, and common assistive technology behaviors.
Try the Example
Take a look at the example. We’ll explain the important lines right below it.
<form action="/settings" method="post">
<label for="theme">Theme</label>
<select id="theme" name="theme">
<option value="light">Light</option>
<option value="dark">Dark</option>
</select>
<button type="submit">Save settings</button>
</form>Let’s Read the Code
- <form>: The form groups controls and identifies where submitted data goes.
- <label>: The label tells people what the input is for. A matching for/id pair makes the label clickable.
- for: For connects a label or output with a control by ID.
- id: An id uniquely identifies an element on this page.
Read the named elements and attributes together. They explain how the browser connects this feature to the rest of the page.
What Happens in the Browser?
The HTML controls work in the browser, but saving an answer requires the example action path to be handled by a real server.
Where does the answer go? The example uses the submitted name(s) theme. Those names help the receiving server identify each answer. A label is for people; a name attribute is for the form data; an ID connects elements in the page.
Your Turn
Use Tab and arrow keys to change the selection without using a mouse.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Copying the example without giving the fields a clear label and a usable name.
- A custom-painted div that only looks like a select is not a replacement for proper interactive behavior.
Key Takeaways
- A control needs a clear label and, when submitted, a meaningful name and value.
- <form>: The form groups controls and identifies where submitted data goes.
- Remember that HTML form rules help the visitor, but server-side code must decide whether received data is valid.