My browser "remembers" what I typed previously in text fields and gives
me a drop-list of "suggestions" as I type. I generally like this
feature, but was asked to disable it for a specific text field on a web
page I maintain. I've seen instances where the feature does seem to be
disabled, so what is the trick to disable the browser from remembering
previous input for a specific text entry or two?
Mark
Posted by Adrienne Boswell on November 8, 2007, 3:40 pm
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Mark wrote:
> My browser "remembers" what I typed previously in text fields and gives
> me a drop-list of "suggestions" as I type. I generally like this
> feature, but was asked to disable it for a specific text field on a web
> page I maintain. I've seen instances where the feature does seem to be
> disabled, so what is the trick to disable the browser from remembering
> previous input for a specific text entry or two?
>
> Mark
1. It depends on the user. If the user wants to do that, then the
user should be able to do that. Don't mess with the browser.
2. It depends on the browser, and if there are any plugins or
toolbars.
3. For IE, you could put autocomplete="off"... Note, however, this is
a proprietary attribute, will not pass validation and could not be
supported by that browser in the future. Googling suggests this
method does NOT work in Firefox. Opera does not even have this
feature available, so don't even bother.
4. If the user has the Google Toolbar, and that is filling in
information, you could change the names of form items to something not
common so GT would not recognize it. Again, you would be messing with
the user's browser, and that is a no, no.
My suggestion to you is to go back to whomever asked you to disable it
and tell them to stop wanting that, then state the above reasons.
Good Luck!
--
Adrienne Boswell at work
Administrator nextBlock.com
http://atlas.nextblock.com/files/ Please respond to the group so others can share
Posted by Mark on November 9, 2007, 7:34 am
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Adrienne Boswell wrote:
>
> 1. It depends on the user. If the user wants to do that, then the
> user should be able to do that. Don't mess with the browser.
> 2. It depends on the browser, and if there are any plugins or
> toolbars.
> 3. For IE, you could put autocomplete="off"... Note, however, this is
> a proprietary attribute, will not pass validation and could not be
> supported by that browser in the future. Googling suggests this
> method does NOT work in Firefox. Opera does not even have this
> feature available, so don't even bother.
> 4. If the user has the Google Toolbar, and that is filling in
> information, you could change the names of form items to something not
> common so GT would not recognize it. Again, you would be messing with
> the user's browser, and that is a no, no.
>
Well, Your reasons are noteworthy, but inconsistent with my own
experiences. Without tweaking any browser settings, there are some text
widgets on some web pages that never remember what I typed previously
(no matter how many times I revisit that page, and yet the majority of
text widgets do "remember" what I typed previously -- even on the same
web site. So, I figured the programmer is somehow deliberately turning
off the "memory" for that text widget. What I think I am hearing is
that there is no way to turn off "memory" on a widget-by-widget basis.
Correct?
Mark
Posted by Bergamot on November 10, 2007, 11:38 am
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Adrienne Boswell wrote:
>
> 3. For IE, you could put autocomplete="off"... Note, however, this is
> a proprietary attribute, will not pass validation and could not be
> supported by that browser in the future. Googling suggests this
> method does NOT work in Firefox.
Yes, it does. Mozilla added the attribute many many years ago at the
request of a major US bank. It was a condition for supporting gecko at all.
> Opera does not even have this
> feature available, so don't even bother.
I don't really agree than non-support of a minor browser is grounds for
dismissal.
> 4. If the user has the Google Toolbar, and that is filling in
> information, you could change the names of form items to something not
> common so GT would not recognize it.
And what about the millions who don't have the google toolbar?
> My suggestion to you is to go back to whomever asked you to disable it
> and tell them to stop wanting that, then state the above reasons.
The request is not really unreasonable. There are good reasons to
prevent autocomplete, even if it is an inconvenience to some users.
--
Berg
Posted by Adrienne Boswell on November 11, 2007, 3:34 pm
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> Adrienne Boswell wrote:
>>
>> 3. For IE, you could put autocomplete="off"... Note, however, this is
>> a proprietary attribute, will not pass validation and could not be
>> supported by that browser in the future. Googling suggests this
>> method does NOT work in Firefox.
>
> Yes, it does. Mozilla added the attribute many many years ago at the
> request of a major US bank. It was a condition for supporting gecko at
> all.
>
I didn't know that. Good to know.
>> Opera does not even have this
>> feature available, so don't even bother.
>
> I don't really agree than non-support of a minor browser is grounds
> for dismissal.
I was telling the OP not to bother meaning don't worry about it because
it doesn't exist. Opera has something in the user preferences that you
call fill out, and if you start typing in something that begins with
that letter or number, it can complete it. I live in Glendale, so when
I start typing G, it suggests Glendale to be filled in (that can get
kind of annoying).
>
>> 4. If the user has the Google Toolbar, and that is filling in
>> information, you could change the names of form items to something
>> not common so GT would not recognize it.
>
> And what about the millions who don't have the google toolbar?
GT recognizes certain field naming conventions which it will
automatically fill in. If the fields are named something else, GT will
not automatically fill it in. I'm sure there are other toolbars/plugins
available that act in a similar manner.
>
>> My suggestion to you is to go back to whomever asked you to disable
>> it and tell them to stop wanting that, then state the above reasons.
>
> The request is not really unreasonable. There are good reasons to
> prevent autocomplete, even if it is an inconvenience to some users.
>
I have a client who uses IE. A form he fills out frequently is an
account number field that accepts 8 digits. He wanted me to sort the
autocomplete list for him. He thought this was something _I_ had
programmed in, so I explained to him that it was the _browser_ doing it.
Although autocomplete="off" is not a stardard attribute, I too have used
it, in the above case in particular.
--
Adrienne Boswell at Home
Arbpen Web Site Design Services
http://www.cavalcade-of-coding.info Please respond to the group so others can share
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