What HTML/CSS would you use to create a text input with a background?

Answer 1

I have done this a few times. I have the background image inside a div and use css to position the input field accordingly.

Have a peek at the following site I created that used this technique and use the code: http://www.ukoffer.com/ (Right hand side Newsletter)

Answer 2

You don't need the div element, you can assign a background to the input directly.

Edit: Here is the working code. I tested it, but you'll have to adjust it for your needs. As far as I can tell, everything here is needed.

input {
    background: #FFF url(test.png) no-repeat bottom right;
    width: 120px;
    height: 20px;
    line-height:20px;
    padding:0;
    text-indent:3px;
    margin:0;
    border: none;
    overflow:hidden;
}

Edit2: I'm not quite sure why I'm getting downvoted, but this method should work unless you need an image bigger than the input element itself. In that case, you should use the extra div element. However, if the image is the same size as the input, there is no need for the extra markup.

Edit3: Ok, after bobince pointed out a problem, I'm getting a little closer. This will be work in IE6&7 and it's close in FF, but I'm still working on that part.

input {
    background: #FFF url(test.png) no-repeat 0px 0px;
    background-attachment:fixed;
    width: 120px;
    height: 20px;
    line-height:20px;
    padding:0px;
    text-indent:3px;
    margin:0;
    border: none;
}
body>input {
    background-position:13px 16px;
}

Edit4: Ok, I think I got it this time, but it requires use of a CSS3 selector, so it won't validate as CSS 2.1.

input { 
    background: #FFF url(test.png) no-repeat 0px 0px;
    background-attachment:fixed;
    width: 120px;
    height: 20px;
    line-height:20px;
    padding:0px;
    text-indent:3px;
    margin:0;
    border: none;
}
body>input { 
    background-position:13px 16px;
}
body>input:enabled { 
    background-position:9px 10px;
}

body>input will target everything except for IE6, body>input:enabled will target any form elements that aren't disabled for all browsers except for IE 6, 7, & 8. However, because :enabled is a CSS3 selector, it doesn't validate as CSS2.1. I wasn't able to find an appropriate CSS2 selector that would allow me to separate IE7 from the other browsers. If not validating (yet, until the validator switches to CSS3) is a problem for you, then I think your only option is the extra div element.

Answer 3

Have you evaluated using background image like this:

<style type="text/css"> 
  input{ 
  background-color: #AAAAAA; 
  background-image: url('http://mysite.com/input.gif'); 
  border: 0px; 
  font-family: verdana; 
  font-size: 10px; 
  color: #0000FF; 
}

Answer 4

I'd do it this way:

<style type="text/css">
div.custom {
    background:url(/images/input-bkg-w173.gif) no-repeat;
    padding:8px 5px 4px 5px;
}
div.custom input {
    background-color: #fff;
    border:none;
    font-size:10px;
}
</style>
<div class="custom"><input type="text" class="custom" size="12" /></div>

You just have to adjust the padding values so everything fits correctly. It is - in my eyes- definitely the best solution since in any other case you're working with a whole input field. And the whole input field is - by definition - a box where users can enter text.

If you can rely on JavaScript you could wrap such div-Elements around your input fields programatically.

Edit: With jQuery you could do it this way:

$( 'input.custom' ).wrap( '<div class="custom"></div>' );

CSS:

div.custom {
    background:url(/images/input-bkg-w173.gif) no-repeat;
    padding:8px 5px 4px 5px;
}
input.custom {
    background-color: #fff;
    border:none;
    font-size:10px;
}

And your HTML:

<input class="custom" ... />

Answer 5

AFAIK, the background scrolling problem can be solved either in Firefox and friends, OR Internet Exploder; but not make everyone happy at once.

I would normally have said to style the input directly, but now that I think of it that div example doesn't sound too bad and should take care of your background image scrolling problem.

In that case you'd set a div as position:relative, and put the input inside it with proper padding and width (or 100% width if padding is 0), background transparent, and put an image on the div.

Answer 6

okoman has gotten the CSS aspect correct. May I suggest using a <label> to improve the semantic structure of the markup?

<label id="for-field-name" for="field-name">
    <span class="label-title">Field Name <em class="required">*</em></span>
    <input id="field-name" name="field-name" type="text" class="text-input" />
</label>

<style type="text/css">
    label, span.label-title { display: block; }
</style>

Not only is this more accessible, but it provides numerous hooks that you can use for any type of DOM manipulation, validation or field-specific styling in the future.

Edit: If you don't want the label title displayed for some reason, you can give it a class of 'accessibility' and set the class to display: none; in the CSS. This will allow screen readers to understand the input but hide it from regular users.