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Clickable labels WAS: Adding a label to search box

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From: ben morrison
Date: Apr 12, 2006 3:50AM


On 4/12/06, Christian Heilmann < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> Another cool benefit of labels is that
> they focus the element the label is associated with when you click
> them. This makes them dead handy with checkboxes, as users get a
> larger area to click on. What is so wrong about writing next to a form
> element what you are supposed to enter in it?

For us in the know this is why labels are great. We've just spent last
friday doing usability testing, watching 7 users on a site with eye
tracking technology (a great experience).

However, not one of them clicked on the label for checkboxes, radio or
inputs or used tab for that matter.

A while back I considered using

label {
cursor:hand;
}

so that it was a pointer that you could click on the label - but
people suggested that this could confuse people.

Thoughts? Would using JS rollover to highlight the area be of help?

Ben