[WEB4LIB] Help with Site Search Page in Front Page

[Thomas Dowling]

At 11:19 AM 3/12/2002, Gardner, Thomas wrote:
>Dear Colleagues:
>
>If you would, please take a look at our site search page
><http://www.mcl.org/ssearch.html> not yet linked up because of the
>following problem:

Form currently doesn't work for me.



>The reset button works fine *before* you do the search, but in the
>results page generated by Front Page after the search - over which I
>have no control - you search terms remain in the text box and the search
>and reset buttons are still there, but the latter button doesn't work.
>It's just there, mocking the user, seemingly proffering the solace of a
>new start, a clean slate, a fresh beginning ...


I think you misunderstand what an input type=reset is supposed to do.  It 
doesn't make all the form inputs blank--it resets them to their default 
values.  It sounds like your form handler includes the previous search as 
the search input's default value on the results page (<input name="search" 
value="[what you just searched]">).

In other words, the reset button is doing what it should, just not what you 
expect.  There is nothing in HTML corresponding to what you're asking 
for.  Usually you'd accomplish it by instructing the form handler not to 
include a default value for the input in the first place.



Thomas Dowling
OhioLINK - Ohio Library and Information Network
tdowling at ohiolink.edu