HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the predominant markup language used for creating web pages. In modern web pages, HTML is used to markup the contents of the website, while CSS and Javascript are used to define the styles and behaviors respectively.
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10answers
1k views
Is Markdown Friendly Enough for Non-Technical Users?
The Problem
I love using markdown to write questions, answers, posts, comments etc. That being said, I am a very technical, detail oriented, programmer type. However, I am working on a CMS of sorts ...
50
votes
6answers
2k views
Should the space between the checkbox and label be clickable?
Take, for example, these two scenarios. Both very similar HTML, but different semantically:
Scenario 1:
<label for="myCheckbox">
<input type="checkbox" id="myCheckbox" />
My ...
32
votes
11answers
10k views
Why is it impossible to deselect HTML “radio” inputs?
Previous title: Default behavior of HTML “radio” inputs: Did they get it wrong?
In HTML, there are currently two types of "checkbox" style controls:
Checkbox: Allows toggling on/off, multiple ...
29
votes
23answers
579 views
Is there ever a good reason to force opening a new browser window?
As a power web user, I know how to use my browser and it drives me nuts when web sites force me to open a new page. My mother, by contrast, just gets confused when this happens. At the end of a web ...
29
votes
6answers
2k views
Why do websites not use entire width of browser?
What reasons might a website not use the entire width of the browser, like Gmail does?
For example, StackOverflow does not use the entire width — it has left and right margins. This means the ...
28
votes
7answers
1k views
Is there an optimal font size / line height ratio?
When styling text on web pages, both font size and line height can be set. For example, the text of this post will be displayed using a font-size of 14px and a line-height of (about) 18px, set using ...
23
votes
17answers
720 views
All my users are from Afghanistan or how to get users to correctly fill out a form
I have a website with a form users fill out to create an account. Following advice from this forum and other places I am asking for only the minimum required information to create an account ie. ...
22
votes
11answers
2k views
Should a full-sentence HTML link include the period in the linked text?
In HTML, if a full sentence is used for a link, should its terminal punctuation (i.e., period) be included in the linked text?
Consider these two examples:
<a href="about:blank">Watch the ...
21
votes
6answers
7k views
What should be the default option of a required dropdown list?
Given that there is no logically default animal from the list of animals below, what should be the "Default Value" below, according to best practice?
<label for="animal">Animal ...
20
votes
3answers
1k views
HTML label association with inputs; bad UX?
I'm a web developer having a weird UX issue. When I build HTML forms, I ensure that every input's label is implemented through a <label></label> tag and that each label uses the for ...
19
votes
7answers
2k views
Best way to offer a large amount of selectable options (without using Javascript)?
I come from stackoverflow and have no answers for this one, so I turn to the UI guys for assistance.
Let's say I have a library application that allows a user (librarian) to add a book to the ...
17
votes
5answers
551 views
Should users be allowed to copy and paste rich text into text?
I have a wiki-style application where users can create articles. Recently, some users have been complaining that our editor does not support copying rich text and formatting from applications like ...
16
votes
6answers
2k views
Pros/Cons of PSD mockups vs. HTML mockups
I've read some articles (this one and this one) recently that are opening my eyes to HTML mockups as oppose to the usually PSD mockups.
In the article they cite certain pros:
changes are a lot ...
14
votes
1answer
4k views
Why is it inaccessible to create a form with no submit button?
Considering the W3C advice on including submit controls, is it still possible for a form to be accessible if the only way to submit it is by pressing the return/enter key?
14
votes
4answers
1k views
Does the average user understand the standard HTML multiple select box?
If I want the user to select one or more items the HTML symantecally correct form element would be <select multiple>.
So the code would be:
<select multiple id="sel">
...
12
votes
8answers
773 views
Should Printer-Friendly button open a new browser window ?
Reading Common web app usability gotchas? I felt guilty when I read that using a target = "_blank" is a bad thing.
I have developed a small web application that format Stack Exchange questions in a ...
12
votes
4answers
2k views
Should I manually hyperlink phone numbers using “tel:” on my websites?
In code, you have the ability to make a phone number on a website into a link by prepending the phone number in the href with a "tel:"
So, for example, you can create a link to 800-867-5309 with the ...
11
votes
10answers
378 views
Coding Best Practices as UX?
I've been stating in most of my recent contracts that meeting HTML coding Best Practices (what's outputted to the browser) is an important part of UX.
This would include things like Semantics (using ...
11
votes
6answers
649 views
Should every page in a site have a totally unique H1?
I agree that every page in a site should have a unique TITLE, and that every page should have one and only one H1 element, but should the text of each H1 be completely unique too?
Instinctively one ...
11
votes
3answers
421 views
Is there a convention for distinguishing internal and external links in a website?
From a user point of view, I think it is a reasonable idea to distinguish internal and external links. By internal links, I mean links that have the same domain name than the website displaying the ...
10
votes
9answers
986 views
Whats a better user experience: A scrollable table or a full size table allowing the browser window to do scrolling?
Whats a better user experience:
A scrollable table by using overflow css settings in a DIV?
A full size table allowing the browser window to do scrolling?
9
votes
2answers
1k views
Proper usage of fieldset / legend tags
I'm wondering what the suggested usage of <fieldset>s are on a webpage.
For example, on a simple page with just one form (one set of inputs) is it still recommended to use a fieldset? Or should ...
8
votes
5answers
562 views
Is a language switcher necessary on a web site's every page?
I'm working on a multilingual WordPress driven web site running the WPML plugin. WPML offers a language switcher widget which is pretty neat.
However, the layout of the page I'm working on is very ...
8
votes
4answers
478 views
How to correctly encode a leaderboard with a gap in HTML
I want to display a leaderboard like so:
1 - John 232342
2 - Mary 45234
3 - Luke 234
59 - You 45
It's an ordered list but I can't make an ordered list that jumps from 3 to an arbitrary ...
8
votes
3answers
785 views
Multiscreen Forms (Wizards), the Form's Previous Button, and the Back Button
Scenario:
I have a web form split across 3 screens/pages. A user can move between forward and back between the screens via Next and Previous labeled buttons respectively.
Question:
When the user ...
8
votes
5answers
2k views
Modern approach to textarea (or alternatives)
For a simple text editor for longer articles I am looking for advice and inspiration on programming/designing a minimalistic and modern textarea (which does not necessarily have to use the tag) ...
8
votes
1answer
127 views
Is it better to have more links to the homepage on your website?
Is it a good idea to have more than 2 or 3 links to the homepage on your website?
Think about something like:
Link in Footer
Link in Header (obvious)
Link in content
Link the headerlogo to homepage
...
8
votes
5answers
232 views
Looking for advice regarding a Web design involving 3-dimensional lists
I hope this is the right place for Web design advice; considering StackOverflow also, but not sure if pure design questions are welcome there?
I'm trying to design a Web page that is to display ...
8
votes
2answers
336 views
How should a website's title be structured?
Are there any best practices for choosing the title of web pages? There are a lot of resources online oriented toward SEO, but not toward users.
My impression is that most sites have something ...
7
votes
5answers
299 views
What would be the best way to fill “space” in an User Interface for irregular image sizes gallery?
What would be the best way to fill "space" in user interface for irregular image sizes gallery?
Conditions:
The row are subjected to hold maximum 3 images only.
Float left
If the total width of the ...
7
votes
2answers
377 views
How to best display a table of data with sub items?
We have a web application where we show lots of data in "datasheets". As part of this, some data values can have other values associated with them. To make it more complicated, every item can have ...
7
votes
2answers
90 views
Display input text that exceed input width
I'm having some issues when the user types extensive text in a small input field.
I need some good way to display data that will be cut off.
I tried to use a Bootstrap based Tooltip or Popover on ...
6
votes
3answers
219 views
Are extensive validations necessary on mundane input forms in a website?
I'm having a rather bitter affair with my client who also happens to be my boss at office. He is a completely non-technical dumb muggle in terms of application development. The frustrating thing is ...
6
votes
4answers
285 views
Is it good practice to only accept numeric keystrokes in number-only fields?
I have a form that only takes in numbers as it represents a dollar amount. Currently, the form only accepts numerical keystrokes. Is this good practise?
6
votes
4answers
338 views
How to avoid pagination when an items list is very large (Webapp)?
We have a web application for correcting automatically-detected mistakes in translation documents. Those are split into sentences and their amount can be up to hundred thousands (its not even closely ...
6
votes
2answers
111 views
When should the message informing the user that the password they entered is wrong go away?
This is a follow up to this question since it got closed. In a log in form, after the user enters the wrong password, when should the message saying "wrong password or user name" go away? For example ...
5
votes
2answers
149 views
Measurement to use when designing for desktop and mobile
I am currently working on a web based administration interface which has a lot of controls, such as sliders, check boxes, input fields, etcetera. The interface should work on desktops, tablets and ...
5
votes
1answer
60 views
Accessible way to override tab key in textarea
I'd like to create a textarea for code which would allow the user to press Tab and Shift + Tab to indent and outdent the content respectively, however I'm worried that overriding the Tab key would ...
5
votes
1answer
84 views
Wrapping Stack Exchange footer site list?
Browsing through the StackExchange Android website I came across this, and was curious whether wrapping of site names is correct. Will a users eye automatically read "User" and wrap their eyes to the ...
5
votes
2answers
247 views
Sign up button disabled by default - Best practice?
I would like to know what the best practices in the web are for Sign up button on HTML Forms. Currently the site I'm working on has a design in which Sign up is disabled by default and is enabled when ...
5
votes
5answers
1k views
How do users expect dropdown navigation to work?
This question is in regards to expected behavior with drop-down navigation in web pages.
This is part of an email I just got from a client: ("Admissions" is one of the top level navigation links)
...
5
votes
5answers
347 views
Best way to show User Profile?
I'm working on a web application where I have to save a user's info. This form has about 20 fields. This is the format I am currently using:
Problem:
What's the best way to show these fields in a ...
5
votes
2answers
111 views
How to contrast read-only labels from their corresponding data
Given the interface below, what would be the best way to contrast the labels from the data labels?
The only thing I could think of would be to shade the background of the labels, however, according ...
5
votes
2answers
88 views
Character stats page design for Facebook game
I need some expert advice redesigning the layout of my Facebook game. Below is a screenshot of my home page as it stands now. Styling of margins and some font stuff isn't done which is why some things ...
5
votes
1answer
294 views
empty cells in accessible html tables
For an html data table in which each row represents an item (such as an email) would screen-reader users prefer empty table cells to be empty or to have a placeholder like a dash?
In my brief ...
5
votes
2answers
353 views
Alternatives to pop-up in JSF
Modal pop-ups feel like ugly work-arounds in web applications. They seem to be hard to manage, can have problems with pop-up blockers, and the modality can create user confusion.
What are ...
4
votes
6answers
2k views
Best UI for an HTML table. [closed]
I frequently need to show tabular data and I want all the magic . . . sorting columns, pagination, etc. I prefer to use columns where you click on the name of the column and the sorting is done for ...
4
votes
4answers
677 views
Best error message to display when too many users logging onto web system
I have a website that started experiencing issues when too many people are trying to log into the website at the same time (usually at the start of the business day). Are there some examples of or ...
4
votes
3answers
294 views
Any evidence of increased click through rates on blue underlined links in html emails?
I'm redesigning our company email template. At the moment links are grey, bold and not underlined. I don't think this makes it very clear that it is a link. My gut instinct tells me that I should make ...
4
votes
3answers
343 views
Emails in plain text or HTML?
When communicating with customers, is it better to send emails in plain text or html formats?
Each has different strengths and weaknesses, but the question of which is better still remains. Which ...
