Re: LYNX-DEV pop up menu question

[Larry W. Virden, x2487]

>If I hit enter, the list pops open, and "News" (which is what was selected 
>before) is selected. In fact, "News" is right over the line the field was

Yes, I see the News item selected, as coded in the html.  However, as I
said, my _text cursor_ (where in most environments the user expects his/
her input to be) shows up in front of the Database entry.  Interestingly
enough, on _my_ screen, the Database entry is the one "right over the line
the field was on."  Maybe _that's_ what's causing the difference for me.
...  Sure enough - when I add a few lines of filler space before the
form, the pop up has room to be positioned at the News entry and the text
cursor is positioned in front of the default entry.

So whatever is causing the phenomena that I am seeing _seems_ to be
related to the code that determines where to position the popup on
the screen.  The 'text cursor' is being left on the entry that is
on the same line as the select 'widget'.  As I said, this makes it
difficult for the novice user to figure out which entry is going to be
selected when they hit return - the entry where the text cursor is
positioned or the one where it is selected.  After they get experience
with lynx, they will learn that it's the one that's selected.  

>and saw this extra blank selection at the top of the list. Then I tried it
>in (gasp!) Netscape, and it gave me a blank selection at the top of the list
>too. This seems to result from the "hidden" field. I ran it through Webber
>which accepted it as valid HTML 3.2. Seems to me that hidden fields should
>not become visible.

It's not the hidden field that's doing that.  It's the blank selection
field.  I see a lot of folk who use this technique to force the selection
of a state, etc. without providing a default.  The first value is
value="".  In non -popup mode, the blank selection isn't noticed.

-- 
Larry W. Virden                 INET: address@hidden
<URL:http://www.teraform.com/%7Elvirden/> <*> O- "We are all Kosh."
Unless explicitly stated to the contrary, nothing in this posting should 
be construed as representing my employer's opinions.
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