157255 - [RFE] Need separate minimum font size for forms input

Status: VERIFIED WONTFIX

(Core :: DOM: Core & HTML, enhancement)

Description

[Felix Miata]

2002071208 OS/2 trunk at 800 X 600

Don't know whether other platforms are subject to the same problem, so marking
platform specific.

Some form fields on some web pages use a smaller font size than others, notably
the same itty bitty size and face used in the URL bar. This is simply too small
for forms input, where legibility is more important than it is on the URL bar.
The minimum font size in prefs might be used, but then there would never be any
small fonts on web pages, where smaller fonts for things like footnotes and fine
print are OK. There needs to be a way to ensure form input field contents and
select lists are legible.

Comment 1

[Felix Miata]

Attachment: 800 X 600 screenshot of too small input text

Comment 2

[Mike Kaply [:mkaply]]

You consider that text too small?

Go try the search engne at www.microsoft.com :)

You need to take a look at userContent.css. It is located in the chrome
directory in your profile (you'll have to rename userContent-Example.css to
userContent.css)

This file will lets you override lots of things on web pages to prevent the
behaviors you are seeing.

That is what it is designed for. 

Adding prefs for everything isn't really the right idea, and is being discouraged.

In particular, you can force a partciular size and font for anything you want.

I added these lines:

textarea {
    font: large Courier;
}
input {
   font: large Courier;
}

Now all entryfields on all web pages use the font Courier and it is large

I'm marking this bug WONTFIX, since userContent.css does exactly what you want.

Comment 3

[Felix Miata]

Attachment: Screenshot of same 800 X 600 IJ form page in Nescape 4 with OK font sizes

Comment 4

[Felix Miata]

"You consider that text too small?"

I consider anything smaller than 10 pt too small for anything important, and
forms input fields should always should be treated as something important, even
when you don't think the answers are the page's business to ask.

The creators of web browers should not be held to a lesser standard than the
creators of web pages. See http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20020428.html and
http://css.nu/faq/ciwas-aFAQ.html#QA02

"Go try the search engne at www.microsoft.com :)"

Other than its income, market reach, and ego, everything about M$ is small, and
its web site fonts are a perfect example of poor usability, precisely because of
its font sizing.

"You need to take a look at userContent.css. It is located in the chrome
directory in your profile (you'll have to rename userContent-Example.css to
userContent.css)"

The only file in that directory is chrome.rdf, and there is no file by that name
anywhere I can find. I can't find anything about this in any readme. Where is
the user interface for modifying it?

"Adding prefs for everything isn't really the right idea, and is being discouraged."

If the drivers had their way, there wouldn't be any prefs at all. :-( I don't
really understand why understand why either an existing pref or something else
doesn't already prevent undersized forms content, or why some forms input fields
use a different font than others?

"I added these lines: . . . Now all entryfields on all web pages use the font
Courier and it is large"

If I understand this correctly, the next builds will have this file included, so
that I don't have to learn css to see legible fonts? If so, you fixed it, so
this should be marked fixed as having solved the problem presented, just not in
the manner the summary requested.

Comment 5

[Felix Miata]

Attachment: 800 X 600 screenshot using userContent.css

I created one containing this instead:

textarea {
    font: medium System Monospaced;
}
input {
   font: medium System Monospaced;
}

Comment 6

[Vladimir Ermakov]

verifying