Forms and Scripts

Until scripting for web pages came along, CGIs were the only way to process form data. Now that Javascript is available on most web browsers, scripting provides a whole new avenue of neat ways to use forms. Unlike with CGI, forms that use scripts process the information immediately and can return the results right to the current web page. Script-based forms can also react to events other than just the user pressing a "Submit" button.

An example of a script-only form is small form which sets the color of the current web page:

this code	produces this
<FORM> <SELECT onChange="document.bgColor=this.options[this.selectedIndex].value" > <OPTION VALUE="white">White <OPTION VALUE="coral">Coral <OPTION VALUE="yellow">Yellow <OPTION VALUE="burlywood">Burlywood </SELECT> </FORM>	White Coral Yellow BurlyWood

A more extensive example is this form which calculates the properties of various geometric figures:

Circumference and Radius of a Circle	radius:		circumference: area:
Surface Area and Volume of a Cone	radius: height:		surface area: volume:
Surface Area and Volume of a Sphere	radius:		surface area: volume:

This form also demonstrates that even a relatively simple script-based form requires lengthy script coding. Take a look at the source code for this form.

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