Helpful advice

(9) When informing the user of errors, provide a delivery unit that only shows the fields that contain the errors.

Applies to:

Guideline 2.5, Level 2, SC 3b

Applicability:

This technique applies to interactive environments where the user has made at least one error.

Task:

Providing a delivery unit that only shows fields in which errors were made

Testable Statement:

When this task is completed, the user will be able to identify and correct errors.

Description:

When a user finishes a form and before it is submitted, the interactive web site will provide a page that only contains the fields where there were errors. This will allow the user to quickly see which fields need correcting and they will not have to sort out the fields with errors from the fields without errors. It would still be necessary to clearly provide text stating the nature of the error.

Resources:

This cannot be accomplished without server side scripting. And therefore there may not be a W3C technique to which we could link.

Editor's note: this technique could cause friction with 2.5 Level 2, SC 3b which implies that the user can review the entire document before submitting it. We are open to removing it.