Textarea Sizing: CSS or HTML Attributes? Which Should You Use?

Navigating the Dilemma of Textarea Sizing: CSS vs. HTML Attributes

When creating web forms with textareas, the question of how to specify their dimensions often arises: should you use CSS or the textarea's attributes cols and rows?

Pros and Cons

CSS

• Allows for more precise control over dimensions, facilitating specific design requirements.
• Easier to maintain and update, as you can make changes in one location instead of multiple HTML elements.

HTML Attributes

• Required for accessibility, ensuring that all users can interact with the textarea, regardless of their browser's CSS support.
• Useful when supporting older browsers that may not recognize CSS properties.

Semantics

• Cols: Specifies the number of visible columns in the textarea, primarily used to estimate its horizontal width.
• Rows: Sets the number of visible rows in the textarea, influencing its vertical height.

Common Practice

It is recommended to use both approaches for optimal compatibility and usability. Specify cols and rows in the HTML attributes for accessibility and initial sizing, then override them with CSS for precise dimensions and design flexibility.

Example Implementation

In an external stylesheet:

<code class="css">textarea {
  width: 300px;
  height: 150px;
}</code>

In the HTML document:

<code class="html"><textarea cols="40" rows="10"></textarea></code>

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