Dev Support
writes on August 13, 2024
When constructing forms with HTML, it’s common to incorporate a date input field, allowing users to select a date. To enhance user experience, setting the default value of this input field to today’s date can be beneficial.
This tutorial will guide you through two approaches to achieve this using JavaScript or PHP.
Contents
HTML Date Input Basics
First, let’s understand the basic HTML for creating a date input field:
<html>
<input type="date" id="date" name="date">
</html>
This code snippet generates a date input field where users can choose a date from a calendar popup. By default the value of this input is empty.
JavaScript Solution
To set the default value to today’s date using JavaScript, you can utilize the `valueAsDate` property that is present on date-type input fields. We start by selecting our input field, given our HTML above we can select it using the id attribute.
const dateInput = document.getElementById("date");After selecting the element you can set the value to today’s date using the Date object.
dateInput.valueAsDate = new Date();This script sets the value of the input field to today’s date when the HTML document loads.
PHP Solution
For those working with PHP, you can use the `date()` function to retrieve today’s date. Since the input field requires the YYYY-MM-DD format you can provide the date function an argument like so:
$today = date('Y-m-d');Then, we simply set the value of the input field to this variable:
<input type="date" name="date" value="<?php echo $today; ?>">Conclusion
Setting the default value of a date input field to today’s date improves user interaction and efficiency, especially for tasks requiring the current date as a starting point. By implementing either the JavaScript or PHP solution described above, you enhance the usability and relevance of your forms. Experiment with these approaches in your projects to observe their impact on user experience and data quality.
If you’re eager to delve deeper into coding fundamentals, consider checking out our courses on JavaScript Basics and PHP Basics. This foundational content can further expand your knowledge and proficiency in web development. Happy coding!
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