14.7. The textarea forms control: multiline text input

14.7. The `textarea` forms control: multiline text input

This element creates an area for displaying and allowing user entry of multiple lines of text. Its content model:

element textarea
{ attribute name { text },
  attribute rows { xsd:positiveInteger },
  attribute cols { xsd:positiveInteger },
  attribute onchange { text }?,
  attribute onselect { text }?,
  attribute onfocus { text }?,
  attribute onblur { text }?,
  Common.attrib,
  text
}

name: This required attribute specifies the control's name.
rows: This attribute specifies how many lines of text are displayed; it is required.
cols: This attribute specifies the width of the displayed control in characters; it is required.
onchange, onselect, onfocus, onblur: See Section 16, “Event attributes”.
Common.attrib: This element can carry any of the attributes from Section 15.3, “The common attributes: Common.attrib”.
text: Any text you place inside this element will appear as the initial text inside the control.

Here is an example:

  <textarea name='complaint' rows='5' cols='40'>
    Enter your complaint here.

    Then click 'Submit'.
  </textarea>

Building web pages with XHTML 1.1

14.7. The textarea forms control: multiline text input

14.7. The `textarea` forms control: multiline text input