readonly/mutability clarification

[patrickhlauke]

In the definition for the readonly attribute https://w3c.github.io/html/sec-forms.html#element-attrdef-input-readonly it is stated

The readonly attribute is a boolean attribute that controls whether or not the user can edit the form control. When specified, the element is not mutable.

On the surface, this reads like it would work on every type of form control. However, looking at the big table in https://w3c.github.io/html/sec-forms.html#the-input-element for instance (or simply when trying it out in current UAs) it's clear that readonly only controls/has an effect on a subset of input elements. It does not affect <input type="color">, <input type="checkbox">, <input type="radio">, <input type="range">, <input type="file">

Further, readonly has no effect on the mutability of <select> elements - and compared to the <input> definition, which at least shows where readonly has or hasn't got an effect, this doesn't seem to be mentioned at all in https://w3c.github.io/html/sec-forms.html#the-select-element (except for the statement "A select element that is not disabled is mutable." which implicitly means that readonly has no effect on mutability).

It would be nice/good if:

• the definition for readonly was reworded so that it does NOT imply that readonly controls the editability of all form controls
• a note was added to the readonly section to quite explicitly say which form controls readonly has no effect on
• the definition of select stated quite clearly that readonly has no effect on this form control

[patrickhlauke]

(/cc @stevefaulkner as discussed)

[chaals]

see also #837 (open) and #89, #91 and #92 (closed) which cover the same question.

Note that readonly affects any input type not recognised by the user agent, as a result of the design of input … and in some cases also recognised types.

[patrickhlauke]

@chaals thanks, reading through those other issues.

the issue i describe here is strictly about having the wording in the spec matching reality better. (incidentally, contrary to what I read in some of those other issues, <input type="range" readonly> does allow the user to change the value in Chrome/Windows). so I'd assume this part doesn't need incubation first?

fundamentally though, I'd love to see readonly act effectively like disabled (but submit its value when form is submitted)

[siusin]

Thanks @patrickhlauke .

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