The HTML <textarea> tag is used within a form to declare a textarea element - a control that allows the user to input text over multiple rows.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>HTML textarea Tag</title>
</head>
<body>
<form action="/cgi-bin/hello_get.cgi" method="get">
Fill the Detail: <br />
<textarea rows="5" cols="50" name="description">
Enter your name
</textarea>
<input type="submit" value="submit" />
</form>
</body>
</html>
This will produce following result:
Fill the Detail:
The HTML <textarea> tag also supports following additional attributes:
| Attribute | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| autofocus | autofocus | Specifies that on page load the text area should automatically get focus. |
| cols | number | Specifies the width of the textarea based on the number of visible character widths. |
| disabled | disabled | Specifies the width of the textarea based on the number of visible character widths. |
| form | form_id | Specifies one or more forms. |
| maxlength | number | Specifies the maximum number of characters in textarea. |
| name | text | Assigns a name to the input control. |
| placeholder | text | Specifies a short hint of the value in textarea. |
| readonly | readonly | Sets the input control to read-only. It won't allow the user to change the value. The control however, can receive focus and are included when tabbing through the form controls. |
| required | required | Specifies that a textarea is required |
| rows | number | Specifies the height of the textarea based on the number of visible lines of text. If there's more text than this allows, users can scroll using the textarea's scrollbars. |
| wrap | hard soft |
Specifies the text to be wrapped in textarea. |