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HTML: The Markup Language Reference

textareatext input area # T

The textarea element represents a multi-line plain-text edit control for the element’s raw value.

Permitted contents #

Permitted attributes #

global attributes
Any attributes permitted globally.
name = string #
The name part of the name/value pair associated with this element for the purposes of form submission.
disabled = "disabled" or "" (empty string) or empty #
Specifies that the element represents a disabled control.
form = ID reference NEW #
The value of the id attribute on the form with which to associate the element.
readonly = "readonly" or "" (empty string) or empty #
Specifies that element represents a control whose value is not meant to be edited.
maxlength = positive integer #
The maximum allowed value length of the element.
autofocus = "autofocus" or "" (empty string) or empty NEW #
Specifies that the element represents a control to which a UA is meant to give focus as soon as the document is loaded.
required = "required" or "" (empty string) or empty NEW #
Specifies that the element is a required part of form submission.
placeholder = string NEW #
A short hint (one word or a short phrase) intended to aid the user when entering data into the control represented by its element.
rows = positive integer #
The number of lines of text for the UA to show.
wrap = "hard" NEW #
Instructs the UA to insert line breaks into the submitted value of the textarea such that each line has no more characters than the value specified by the cols attribute.
cols = positive integer #
The expected maximum number of characters per line of text for the UA to show.
wrap = "soft" NEW #
Instructs the UA to add no line breaks to the submitted value of the textarea.

Additional constraints and admonitions #

Tag omission #

A textarea element must have both a start tag and an end tag.

Permitted parent elements #

any element that can contain phrasing elements

Details #

The contents of the textarea element represent the control’s default value.

DOM interface #

interface HTMLTextAreaElement : HTMLElement {
           attribute boolean autofocus;
           attribute unsigned long cols;
           attribute boolean disabled;
           attribute DOMString dirName;
  readonly attribute HTMLFormElement form;
           attribute long maxLength;
           attribute DOMString name;
           attribute DOMString placeholder;
           attribute boolean readOnly;
           attribute boolean required;
           attribute unsigned long rows;
           attribute DOMString wrap;

  readonly attribute DOMString type;
           attribute DOMString defaultValue;
           attribute DOMString value;
  readonly attribute unsigned long textLength;

  readonly attribute boolean willValidate;
  readonly attribute ValidityState validity;
  readonly attribute DOMString validationMessage;
  boolean checkValidity();
  void setCustomValidity(in DOMString error);

  readonly attribute NodeList labels;

  void select();
           attribute unsigned long selectionStart;
           attribute unsigned long selectionEnd;
  void setSelectionRange(in unsigned long start, in unsigned long end);
};