search box

[jimfog]

In modern web design, in websites, I see that the search boxes have text in them, text thatgives a hint to the user as to what he can search for. You can see that in facebook for example, in the search box it says "search for friends,places, things...."., As I know the above(this "search for friends,places, things....".,) is the result of the value attribute of the input tag. What I want to know is how can adjust the behavior(regarding the text that appears in it) of the search box upon the user clicking there.At the w3schools site when you click inside that search box, the text/value(search w3schoools.com) is gone. Is this achieved with javascript or can be done with css to? Obviously we are talking here about an onclick event Thanks.

[dsonesuk]

Actually its onfocus AND onblur. onfocus is used and checks if current text input value is equal to default text input value, if so then hide, else show current text input value entered for user to change. onblur check if current text input value is empty, if so then reshow default text input value. <input type="text" value="Enter value" name="something" onblur="if(this.value == this.defaultValue || this.value == ''){this.value=this.defaultValue;}" onfocus="if(this.value == this.defaultValue){this.value=''}" >

Edited August 19, 2012 by dsonesuk

[jimfog]

So, you are saying that despite the user clicking on the search box is NOT a click event but an onfocus/onblur event.

[dsonesuk]

What happen when a user tabs to the input, its not a click, and so the default text will still show, onfocus and onblur cover both situations.

[jimfog]

I am not talking about the case where you use the tab key, but about the case where you go the mouse cursorover the input element and then press the mouse click button. Is the above considered also onfocus?

[dsonesuk]

I don't what the problem is? focus means you select form element by CLICKING OR by keyboard TABBING, by keyboard or voice activation command. IF YOU WANT TO USE ONCLICK USE ONCLICK, BUT FOR ACCESSIBILITY YOU WOULD/SHOULD USE ONFOCUS INSTEAD. For one occasion for safari, or was it chrome, I found you have to use onclick to use a script to clear a form input type of 'file.

[jimfog]

I did, all the required coding, onfocus and onblur, thanks.