HTML drop-down menus are form elements used to show a list of options, saving screen space and time. They ensure valid data entry, but may not be suitable for limited or non-standard options. They can also be used for navigation with Javascript code.
A Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) drop-down menu is a form element of a web page. The menu can be used to show a list of options, such as geographic regions, and allows a user to select from the list when entering data. An HTML drop-down menu can be used to make a web page more usable and is an important skill in website design.
In many cases, HTML drop-down menus can be created within web forms using the “select” tag. Within the tag’s code, the options indicate the text to be displayed to the user and the data to be entered behind the scenes when the form is submitted. The HTML code will determine the order of the options, whether more than one option can be selected, and how many options to display when the menu is not selected.
Using an HTML drop-down menu in a web form can offer a number of design benefits. The menu can save screen space, because usually only one selection is displayed until the menu is chosen. It can save you valuable time, because in many cases it can be easier to select from a list than to enter text.
In addition to saving screen space and time, it can help ensure that users only enter valid data. For example, a web form may have a drop-down list to allow the user to select their country. The dropdown menu ensures that the country is written in a way that the form will understand. If the user was asked to enter his or her country by typing text, he or she could easily mistype or use abbreviations that the form might not be able to handle.
While an HTML dropdown menu can offer benefits, there are also times when the web designer may decide not to use it. If the user will be prompted to choose from a limited number of options, it may be preferable to use other types of form input methods, such as radio buttons or checkboxes. When the information to be entered is non-standard, a freeform text box can make more sense than forcing users to select from drop-down lists of options that may not apply.
HTML drop-down menus are typically used for data entry, but can also be used for navigation. When used this way, Javascript code can interact with the options in the HTML drop-down menu. In this case, the “select” tag options may list navigational selections, rather than data to be entered into a form.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
