What are some best practices for creating responsive and adaptive forms and tables?

1 Use semantic markup

Semantic markup means using the appropriate HTML elements and attributes to convey the meaning and structure of your content. For forms, this includes using <form>, <label>, <input>, <select>, <option>, <button>, and other elements that describe the purpose and function of each form control. For tables, this includes using <table>, <caption>, <thead>, <tbody>, <tfoot>, <th>, <td>, and other elements that indicate the role and relationship of each table cell. Semantic markup helps screen readers, browsers, and search engines understand and present your content correctly.

2 Design for mobile first

Mobile first is a design principle that suggests starting with the smallest screen size and then adding features and enhancements for larger screens. This helps you focus on the essential content and functionality of your forms and tables, and avoid clutter and complexity. For forms, this means using simple and clear layouts, labels, and instructions, minimizing the number of fields and inputs, and choosing the right input type and keyboard for each field. For tables, this means using concise and meaningful headings, data, and captions, avoiding nested or complex tables, and providing alternatives or options for viewing large or wide tables on small screens.

3 Use CSS for layout and styling

CSS is a powerful tool for creating responsive and adaptive forms and tables. You can use CSS properties and values to control the size, position, alignment, spacing, color, font, border, and other aspects of your forms and tables. You can also use CSS media queries to apply different styles based on the device width, height, orientation, resolution, or other features. For example, you can use media queries to change the layout of your forms from a single column to a multi-column or grid layout, or to hide or show certain fields or buttons. You can also use media queries to change the display of your tables from a tabular format to a linear or stacked format, or to use techniques such as scrollable tables, collapsible rows, or responsive data tables.

4 Use JavaScript for interactivity and validation

JavaScript is a scripting language that can add interactivity and validation to your forms and tables. You can use JavaScript to create dynamic and engaging forms that respond to user input, events, or conditions. For example, you can use JavaScript to show or hide fields based on user selection, to autocomplete or suggest values based on user input, to check or validate user input before submission, to provide feedback or error messages, or to perform calculations or operations based on user input. You can also use JavaScript to enhance your tables with features such as sorting, filtering, searching, paging, or expanding data. However, you should always use JavaScript as a progressive enhancement, meaning that your forms and tables should still work without JavaScript, and that you should provide fallbacks or alternatives for users who have JavaScript disabled or unsupported.

5 Test and optimize your forms and tables

Testing and optimizing your forms and tables is a crucial step to ensure that they are responsive and adaptive. You should test your forms and tables on different devices, browsers, screen sizes, and orientations, and check for any issues or errors. You should also test your forms and tables for accessibility, usability, and performance, and make sure that they comply with the web standards and best practices. You can use tools such as validators, inspectors, simulators, emulators, or real devices to test your forms and tables. You can also use tools such as analytics, feedback, or surveys to measure and improve the user experience and conversion rate of your forms and tables.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?