HTML <textarea> Tag
Topic: HTML5 Tags ReferencePrev|Next
Description
The <textarea> tag defines a multi-line text input control within a form.
The text inside the textarea usually rendered in browser's default monospace (fixed-width) font such as Courier. A text area can hold unlimited number of characters.
The following table summarizes the usages context and the version history of this tag.
| Placement: | Inline |
|---|---|
| Content: | Text |
| Start/End Tag: | Start tag: required, End tag: required |
| Version: | HTML 2, 3.2, 4, 4.01, 5 |
Syntax
The basic syntax of the <textarea> tag is given with:
The example below shows the <textarea> tag in action.
Example
Try this code »<form>
<p>Leave your Comment:
<textarea cols="60" rows="5">write here...</textarea>
</p>
</form>Tag-Specific Attributes
The following table shows the attributes that are specific to the <textarea> tag.
| Attribute | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
autofocus |
autofocus |
Specifies that the textarea should automatically get focus when the document is loaded. |
cols |
number | Specifies the number of visible text lines. |
disabled |
disabled | This boolean attribute disables the textarea for user input or interaction. |
form |
form-id |
Specifies the form that the textarea is associated with i.e. its "form owner". |
maxlength |
number | Specifies the maximum number of characters that the user can enter in the textarea. |
minlength |
number | Specifies the minimum number of characters required that the user should enter in the textarea. |
name |
unique-name | Assign a name to the textarea control. |
placeholder |
text | Provides a hint to the user of what can be entered in the textarea. Placeholder text must not contain line breaks. |
readonly |
readonly |
This boolean attribute indicates that the user cannot modify the value of the textarea control (i.e. read-only). |
required |
required |
This Boolean attribute specifies that the user must fill in a value before submitting the form. |
rows |
number | Specifies the visible width in average character widths. |
wrap |
hard |
Specifies how the value of the textarea is to be wrapped for form submission. |
Global Attributes
Like all other HTML tags, the <textarea> tag supports the global attributes in HTML5.
Event Attributes
The <textarea> tag also supports the event attributes in HTML5.
Browser Compatibility
The <textarea> tag is supported in all major modern browsers.
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Basic Support—
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Further Reading
See tutorial on: HTML Forms.
Other form-related tags: <form>, <fieldset>, <legend>, <label>, <input>, <select>, <optgroup>, <option>, <button>.
