Chapter 8: Forms with Function

I'm shoutin'
We're waiting for a reply
    —Devo, "Shout"

Nearly every website that requires feedback from the user will employ a form in one capacity or another. Throughout the life of the Internet, forms have played the role of pack mule, carrying information from the end user back to the website's publisher—dependably, reliably, but with very little grace or style. Perhaps this lack of flair was caused by the repetitious, arduous journey to the server and back; or perhaps it had something to do with the intransigent elements the form had to work with and their unwillingness to follow the latest fashion. Whatever the reason, it wasn't until recently, with the resurgence of client-side scripting, that forms found new vigor, purpose, and style. In this chapter, we will look at ways in which we can breathe new life into forms. We'll enhance their style, create validation routines for them, use them for calculations, and send their results to the server while nobody is watching.