Contents
In web development, a hidden field is a special type of form field that is not visible to the user. It allows developers to store data that needs to be submitted along with the rest of the form, but does not necessarily need to be displayed or modified by the user.
When creating a web form, there are often cases where certain data needs to be passed along with the form submission, but the user does not need to interact with or see this data. This is where hidden fields come in handy.
A hidden field works just like any other form field, but it is not displayed on the user interface. It is rendered as HTML code within the form, but hidden from view. This means that the user cannot see or modify the value of the hidden field, but its value can be accessed by the server-side code when the form is submitted.
To use a hidden field, you simply need to include it within your HTML form markup. Here’s an example:
“`html
“`
In this example, we have a hidden field with the name “secretKey” and value “ABC123”. When the form is submitted, the data from the hidden field will be sent to the server along with the value entered in the “username” field.
Hidden fields can be useful in a variety of scenarios. Here are a few examples:
1. Security: Hidden fields can be used to pass along security tokens or keys that are required to authenticate the form submission on the server-side.
2. Preserving data: If you have a multi-step form where the user progresses through multiple pages, you can use hidden fields to store the data entered in previous steps, ensuring it is preserved until the final submission.
3. Tracking: Hidden fields can be used to track user behavior or gather specific data, without interrupting the user experience or cluttering the interface.
It’s important to note that hidden fields should not be used to store sensitive or critical information, as they can be manipulated by tech-savvy users. They are primarily intended for non-editable data that needs to be passed along with the form submission.
In conclusion, hidden fields provide a way to store and transmit data in web forms without displaying it to the user. They are a powerful tool for developers to enhance the functionality and usability of their web applications.
Reference Articles
Read also
[Google Chrome] The definitive solution for right-click translations that no longer come up.