Forms are a key component of HTML and are used to provide an interface for collecting, displaying, and delivering information from users of a Web site to the Web site’s host, and vice-versa.

A form is basically a container element that can have any number of control elements which provide a means to exchange information between a client (the Web browser in the user’s computer) and a server (the computer where the files of the Web site are located).

Form control elements allow users to input text, and/or select options from check boxes, radio buttons, or drop-down menus.

When the user submits a form, usually by activating a submit button, the data contained in each control in the form is collected as a name/value pair, and is then sent to a form handler set up on the Web server. Different form handlers perform different functions, and the form’s output can be processed in a variety of ways.

For example, the most common type of a simple form is the search box, where a user can type in keywords to search for. The information from the text box is submitted to the search site’s server, where it is then processed and the search results sent back to the user’s browser.

Including forms in a Web page is relatively straightforward. Handling form submissions, however, requires knowledge of a programming language used in server-side scripting, such as ASP.NET.

The following sections shall walk you through the basic steps in creating a form, and provide suggestions on basic form design.