These form elements are used to provide a list of items to choose from. There are two different kinds of selection lists: Single selection lists and multiple selection lists.
A single selection list allows to choose exactly one item and is similar in its effect to a group of equally named radio buttons.
During display, the (first) selected
item of a single selection list element is shown enclosed within a pair of
parentheses "()", e.g.
(One__)
Activating the selection list element in
order to select another item causes a
helper window that contains a list of
available items within a subwindow and the two standard buttons for accepting
and discarding the current choice to appear. The item list can be scrolled in
all directions and shows each item as an on-off switch, indicated by the
prefix (*) if selected and by ( ) otherwise. A
particular item can be selected by activating
it, which may be accomplished on the keyboard by using the Space
bar, after having chosen the item by using the cursor keys. Initially, the
Accept button also gets the focus, so that invoking the
Return key instead of the Space bar causes the chosen
item to be selected and accepted simultaneously.
Note: Some authors of web pages are not able to initially preselect exactly one item of a single selection list. This is immediately reflected in the selection list element and is intentionally not resolved until the user accepts a new choice.
A multiple selection list allows any number of items or none at all to be selected and is similar in its effect to a group of equally named checkboxes.
During display, the first selected item
of a multiple selection list element is shown enclosed within a pair of
brackets "[]", e.g.
[Two__]
Activating the selection list element in
order to change the current choice causes a
helper window that contains a list of
available items within a subwindow and the two standard buttons for accepting
and discarding the current choice to appear. The item list can be scrolled in
all directions and shows each item as an on-off switch, indicated by the
prefix [X] if selected and by [ ] otherwise.
The state of a particular item can be toggled by activating
it, which may be accomplished on the keyboard by using the Space
bar or the Return key, after having chosen the item by using the
cursor keys.