[thelist] HTML: Simluating OPTGROUP in IE 5

Jeff Howden jeff at jeffhowden.com
Sun Mar 30 11:58:06 CST 2003


frank,

><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
> From: Frank
>
> I've got my list sorted as country/dub-division.
>
> Can someone suggest how I might make an intelligent
> visual distinction in the long list of options? If
> possible, I'd like to avoid reloading the page.
> Alternating colours per row is fine, but it doesn't
> relate it to a country in any meaningful way.
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a list of countries is already a really long list of options.  i can only
imagine how much more unwieldy that select must be when sub-divisions are
included as well.  additionally, the options are more difficult for the user
to isolate the right choice with the use of the keyboard.  for instance,
rather than being able to tab to a "states" dropdown and press the letter o
3 times (or 4 if it's states/provinces) to get oregon, i now have to
actually use my mouse to expand your list of options and see how it's
organized, find my way to us and then to the sub-division oregon (assuming
that's what you mean by sub-division).

using scripting you could implement a nice interface for selecting country
and then sub-division.  with alittle forethought, you could also build the
interface in such a way that those without scripting could also use it,
albeit with a trip to the server and back.

in short, i think you really should rethink your stance on not breaking
these two things into separate lists.

.jeff

http://evolt.org/

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