WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: Submit button

for

From: Paul J. Adam
Date: May 26, 2016 2:09PM

Standard behavior of forms is to submit on enter key. Spacebar key activates checkboxes not enter key.

I would trigger error validation to stop their accidental submit when they press enter if the form is not filled correctly.

I get very frustrated when I press enter to submit a form but they've broken that standard convention and now I have to manually grab my mouse and click on the fake submit button.

I think the real issue is they need to learn how standard form control keyboard behavior works and not break that behavior.

Paul J. Adam
Accessibility Evangelist
www.deque.com

> On May 26, 2016, at 2:49 PM, Alan Zaitchik < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>
> We have a complicated form with various radio buttons and checkboxes, textareas, and you name it. Currently there is a Submit button on the bottom; a user who hits Enter will cause submission of the form, of course.
> We hear that some users are accidentally hitting Enter when they really just want to select a radio or checkbox or select value, not submit the form. We are being asked to consider changing the submit input button to a mere "button" with an onclick handler that will submit the form only if the button is actually clicked. I'm worried that users of screen readers and other users will find it terribly inconvenient to "tab" their way to the button. Does anyone know of facts that show how many users will expect/not expect an Enter to submit a form? Is there a real issue here?
> Thanks for your input to this submission ( pun intended).
> A
>
>
> Alan Zaitchik | Senior Technologist / Senior Associate
>
> <EMAIL REMOVED> <mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> >
>
> Center for Social Innovation
>
> Needham, MA
> > > >