Text Entry Fields allow the User to enter non formatted, and/or non validated text. For instance, if you we're doing a survey, and you wanted to give the Web Surfer the option of entering his or her name, you could use a text entry field. The following example shows the coding of a text entry field within the Form.

The Tag is the Input Tag. The TYPE parameter identifies the type of input field. In our case the Type is "text" to identify a text entry field.

Other values for the TYPE parameter are "hidden" which tells the browser the field is not to be displayed, and the Web Surfer cannot enter any data into the field. This becomes handy for fields that must be provided to the CGI program in order for the CGI program to successfully process the data entered in the form.  

Another input TYPE is the "password" type, which tells the browser to echo each entry in the field with the Asterisk (i.e*******).

The NAME parameter provides a field name that will be associated with the value is entered. This is important for the CGI (Common Gateway Interface) program to processes the data sent to it. In the case of the formmail.cgi program, the NAME will be used in the e-mail that is sent to your e-mail address.

The SIZE parameter tells the browser how large to make the Field. This is pretty self-explanatory.

The MAXLENGTH parameter tells the browser how many characters maximum is allow to be entered in the field.. You may have a SIZE of 20, and a MAXLENGTH of 40. In this situation, the form field accepts more data than can be displayed in the field. The fields will simply scroll as the Web Surfer types until the MAXLENGTH value is reached.