IE autocomplete feature?
Hi, I've built some web based forms - nothing fancy - just lots of text boxes.
Someone with a new version of Internet Explorer browser told me that when they view the form, the textboxes now appear as drop-down boxes: they can still type in their answer, but the browser is now also offering them the ability to select words/numbers that they've entered into previous text boxes on previous forms.
Kind of like when IE or Windows remembers a password that you've previously entered. This may or may not be referred to as "autocomplete".
Can I override a visitor's browser settings to control whether or not this happens in my forms? Or is this like someone turning off JavaScript - nothing to do but beg them to turn it back on
Thanks...
Renegade posted this at 23:06 — 6th January 2003.
He has: 3,022 posts
Joined: Oct 2002
hmmm never seen that happen before... what eversion of IE?
Mark Hensler posted this at 00:21 — 7th January 2003.
He has: 4,048 posts
Joined: Aug 2000
5.5+ i believe
Renegade posted this at 03:00 — 7th January 2003.
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Can we/I have a link to the site?
Busy posted this at 03:56 — 7th January 2003.
He has: 6,151 posts
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I doubt you can as it's a setting, it's off by default but real handle if you fill out a lot of forms (I use it for auctions IE5).
It's like asking can you clear someones temporary internet folder.
in IE it's tools/internet options/auto complete (just over half way) then has the options, web addresses, forms, username and password and prompt to save passwords, also has the option to clear forms and passwords
Renegade posted this at 08:21 — 7th January 2003.
He has: 3,022 posts
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Even if you can over rid, is it going to be a good idea anyway? I mean isn't the viewer's CPU going to start whirring for some 'strange' reason?
The Webmistress posted this at 08:55 — 7th January 2003.
She has: 5,586 posts
Joined: Feb 2001
I'm sure that they don't actually change to drop-down boxes, they just give you a list below the text box of previously entered items, so until they actually click in a box to fill it in the page will look how you intended it to and if it happens then the person whos browser it is will be used to this! Never try to change a persons browser settings!!!
Julia - if life was meant to be easy Michael Angelo would have painted the floor....
Renegade posted this at 11:14 — 7th January 2003.
He has: 3,022 posts
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YIp!
I agree! 
taff posted this at 12:13 — 7th January 2003.
They have: 956 posts
Joined: Jun 2001
Funny - I just noticed something like this myself the other day with IE6. Doubleclicking on the box drops down peviously entered values. The values in my case appeared to be my htaccess usernames for the site.
.....
nike_guy_man posted this at 12:30 — 7th January 2003.
They have: 840 posts
Joined: Sep 2000
I know certain sites (Yahoo!, MSN etc) disable auto-complete for their log-in forms-- Try and log-in, you won't see your previous entries!
I've read about disabling it in your forms somewhere I just can't find it
Abhishek Reddy posted this at 12:55 — 7th January 2003.
He has: 3,348 posts
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http://developer.irt.org/script/1638.htm
If ya can't find it, Google it.
Suzanne posted this at 14:24 — 7th January 2003.
She has: 5,507 posts
Joined: Feb 2000
N7 has a nice option, outside of the developer's control -- it has autocomplete as a Netscape function, not on the page.
Quite seriously, I prefer it. Smart sites have the option to save the login information on the computer as a cookie anyway (with a checkbox if it's a public computer) -- removing this option is just screwing with the user, something that will not gain you any kudos.
critical posted this at 14:50 — 7th January 2003.
They have: 46 posts
Joined: May 2002
Thanks to everybody. Thanks to Abhishek Reddy for the link - I'll give that a try. I really appreciate all the help and comments.
nike_guy_man posted this at 18:16 — 7th January 2003.
They have: 840 posts
Joined: Sep 2000
I must have been searching for the wrong query but that was definitely it!
So simple too... autocomplete="off"
Renegade posted this at 07:54 — 8th January 2003.
He has: 3,022 posts
Joined: Oct 2002
Murphy's Law...
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