Accessible forms on @aziontech/webkit — one Form Layout spacing reference (xs inside a field, lg between fields/rows) shared by five form types (Drawer, nested Drawer, Dialog, ItemGroup settings, CardBox with independent saves) that differ only in container + save model, with two internal layouts (Cards + ItemGroups / Fields separated) composing inside each. Every field carries a real label (never a placeholder-as-label), errors are tied to the control via aria-describedby, and related fields group in a real <fieldset>/<legend>; validated only on submit with the field's own required/invalid state as the feedback — no custom error-summary block, no Message callout for field validation. The a11y companion to /webkit-ux-heuristics (states) and /webkit-ui-states (locking + toast).
Installation
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Accessible forms on @aziontech/webkit — one Form Layout spacing reference (xs inside a field, lg between fields/rows) shared by five form types (Drawer, nested Drawer, Dialog, ItemGroup settings, CardBox with independent saves) that differ only in container + save model, with two internal layouts (Cards + ItemGroups / Fields separated) composing inside each. Every field carries a real label (never a placeholder-as-label), errors are tied to the control via aria-describedby, and related fields group in a real <fieldset>/<legend>; validated only on submit with the field's own required/invalid state as the feedback — no custom error-summary block, no Message callout for field validation. The a11y companion to /webkit-ux-heuristics (states) and /webkit-ui-states (locking + toast).
Forms are where a product is most keyboard- and screen-reader-tested and most often fails: a label
that is really a placeholder, a select whose <label for> points at nothing, a validation error shown
only in colour, a field that never says it was required. This skill fixes the accessibility of a form
built on @aziontech/webkit so it is operable by keyboard, understandable by a screen reader, and
recoverable when it rejects input. It is the a11y companion to /webkit-ux-heuristics
(which establishes the states) and /webkit-ui-states (which locks the scope and
toasts request errors) — this skill owns layout, labels, grouping, validation semantics, and submit.
There are two ways to lay out a form, and both are first-class:
Approach A — Cards + ItemGroups. Sections are a flush CardBox wrapping an Item.List; every
field is one Item row (name/guidance on the left, control on the right). This is the default for
grouped, settings-style, or list-like forms — an account settings page, a resource's config or
create page, a create drawer.
Approach B — Fields separated. Standalone field-* triads stacked in a column. This is for
short, focused, single-purpose forms — a sign-in flow, a rename or delete-confirmation dialog, a
short create drawer, a single step in a wizard.
Pick one per form; don't mix row-fields and stacked-fields in the same section.
How to use
/webkit-form
Apply the layout + patterns below to any form you build in this conversation.
/webkit-form <file>
Review the file's form against the patterns and output, per gap:
the exact line / element (quoted),
which pattern it breaks (1 short sentence),
the concrete fix, naming the webkit component to use.
When to invoke
Building or reviewing any create/edit page, settings panel, drawer form, or multi-field form.
The user asks "is this form accessible", "wire up the labels", "the screen reader skips this",
"where do errors go", "which layout for this form".
After /webkit-ux-heuristics establishes the states and before /webkit-ui-states locks the async submit.
Reach for the complete Field* first — loose inputs are the fallback
webkit ships two tiers of form control. Default to the complete Field* component; reach for a loose
input only when no Field* fits.
Field* (complete, preferred):FieldText, FieldTextarea, FieldPassword, FieldPhoneNumber,
FieldRadio / FieldRadioBlock, FieldCheckbox / FieldCheckboxBlock, FieldSwitch /
FieldSwitchBlock, FieldTextSwitch, FieldInputGroup. Each bundles the label ↔ control
association, the on-field HelperText, and the required / invalid a11y wiring (aria-required /
aria-invalid / aria-describedby) that this skill otherwise asks you to wire by hand. Using it means
the accessible-name / error-association rules below are satisfied by construction.
Loose (InputText, InputNumber, Textarea, Select, Checkbox, RadioButton, Switch,
InputGroup, …): the bare control, no label/helper/validation shell. Use one only when the matching
Field* genuinely doesn't fit — a composed Select inside a custom row, a control in an Item.Actions
cell, a bespoke layout the Field* wrapper can't express. When you do, you own the label
association + aria-describedby per the rules below.
This is a preference, not a prohibition: check whether a Field* covers the need first; if it does,
use it; if it truly doesn't, drop to the loose control and wire the a11y yourself.
<!-- ✅ Preferred — the field owns label + helper + validation -->
<FieldText
id="app-name"
label="Application name"
v-model="form.name"
:invalid="!!errors.name"
:helper-text="errors.name || 'Shown in the dashboard.'"
required
/>
<!-- ⚠️ Loose — only when no Field* fits; now YOU wire the label + aria-describedby -->
<Label for="app-name">Application name</Label>
<InputText
id="app-name"
v-model="form.name"
aria-describedby="app-name-help"
:invalid="!!errors.name"
/>
<HelperText id="app-name-help">{{ errors.name || 'Shown in the dashboard.' }}</HelperText>
Label association — every control names itself (both approaches)
The one non-negotiable both layouts share: every control has a programmatic accessible name, its
error is tied to it, and related controls are grouped — so a screen reader announces the field,
its state, and the group it belongs to. The mechanics differ per approach, the contract does not:
A real label, never a placeholder. Approach B (and a composed Select) wires a real <label for>
to the control id — via a field-* wrapper or a hand-rendered Label; a composed Select points
for at Select.Trigger's id (labelling the wrapper labels nothing). Approach A (ItemGroup) uses
Item.Title as the field name and gives the control an aria-label. A placeholder is never the
label — it disappears on input and is not a reliable accessible name.
Errors associated via aria-describedby. The on-field HelperText carries an id and the control
points aria-describedby at it, so the message is announced when focus lands; the control's
:required / :invalid props set aria-required / aria-invalid — don't hand-roll them. A field-*
wrapper wires this for you; in an ItemGroup you set aria-describedby on the control and the id on
the <HelperText> yourself.
Groups in <fieldset> + <legend>. Each section is a native <fieldset> with a <legend>
(sr-only when a visible title already names it); a radio/checkbox set is its own <fieldset> whose
<legend> is the question.
The sections below show each mechanism in place; this is the contract they satisfy.
Form Layout — the spacing reference
Every form sits on the same Form Layout: the shared spacing spec for field rows and columns — the
gutter between columns, the vertical rhythm between rows, and the label-to-control spacing. This is the
reference. The form types below only change the container the form lives in and its save
model; the two internal layouts (Approach A / B) compose inside any of them. The spacing itself never
changes.
Field spacing — the macro rule (one rhythm, everywhere)
The same spacing applies in every container and both approaches. Never hand-pick a one-off gap;
if a form seems to need a different rhythm, it's in the wrong container.
Between
Token
px
Label → control → HelperText (inside one field)
--spacing-xs
8 — already baked into every field-*
Field → field (and row → row)
--spacing-lg
24
Section → section
--spacing-lg
24
Section overline → its card (Cards + ItemGroups)
--spacing-sm
12
Compact modal body (Dialog / Drawer)
--spacing-md
16 — the only allowed tightening
Hierarchy (top → down, never inverted)
form title (text-heading-* — PageHeading size="medium" on a page, a CardBox title / text-heading-sm
in a contained card, DialogTitle in a modal) → form description (text-body-sm text-[var(--text-muted)])
→ section overline (text-overline-sm) or sub-heading (text-heading-xs) → field label (Label,
which carries the required tag) → control → helper (HelperText — guidance, or the required/invalid
feedback). A label is never smaller than its helper; a section title is never smaller than a field label.
Form types — container and save model
Every form sits on the same Form Layout (above); a type only changes the container the form
lives in and its save model. Approach A / B still applies inside each one. There are five form
contexts in Azion products:
Drawer form. In-context creation — the user is deep inside a navigated module and needs to create
a resource without leaving the page they're on. One scoped save (the drawer's primary action).
Approach A for grouped/config-heavy creates (one flush ItemGroup, or several overline-titled sections),
Approach B for short ones.
Nested drawer. A drawer form whose Select points at a related resource that may not exist yet — a
Function, a Cache Setting, a Team. Rather than sending the user away to create it (losing the parent
form's in-progress state), a "Create …" quick-add opens a second, smaller drawer stacked over the
first; on save the new resource is appended to the Select's options and selected back into the parent.
Each drawer is its own form — its own scoped save, its own submitting flag, its own <fieldset>;
the two never share a lock. Approach A inside each. This is the create-a-related-resource-inline case,
documented below.
Dialog form. Small, focused, usually confirmational or destructive — e.g. removing a resource.
Few (or zero) fields, a single confirm action. Approach B (stacked fields). A destructive confirm
typically gates its action on a typed phrase (error prevention) rather than surfacing a required-error.
ItemGroup settings. Account-level configuration surfaces built from Item rows (Approach A). The
rows organize either as multiple Cards (grouped by topic — e.g. Billing split into Plan, Payment,
Invoices; each card titled by an OVERLINE above it, see Approach A § Section title) or as a
single flush block (all rows in one container, for shorter or flat settings). Used for Billing,
Integrations, Account Settings — "define and manage personal account preferences and profile config".
CardBox with independent saves. Long configuration pages split into multiple CardBox sections
where each card owns its own save, so the user commits changes in parts instead of one giant
submit. Approach A inside each card.
Save model follows partitioning, not the container type. A form that is one logical unit has one
save — a Drawer, a Dialog, or an ItemGroup (whether a single flush block or several overline-titled
sections, like Account Settings; the sections group the topic, not the save). A form deliberately split
into independently-committed cards — the CardBox with independent saves type — has one save per
card, each locking off its own submitting flag (the /webkit-ui-states contract).
Example — CardBox with its own save
A self-contained settings card (one of possibly several on the page, each committing independently): the
card's name is the CardBoxtitle (it renders in the card header), then a short description at the
top of the body, the fields, an optional inline note, and the card's own save in the footer.
CardBox's footer is centered by default, so a full-width justify-between child puts a "Learn more"
link on the left and Save on the right. Canonical pattern:
<script setup>
import Button from '@aziontech/webkit/button'
import CardBox from '@aziontech/webkit/card-box'
import Label from '@aziontech/webkit/label'
import Link from '@aziontech/webkit/link'
import Message from '@aziontech/webkit/message'
import Select from '@aziontech/webkit/select'
import { reactive, ref } from 'vue'
const form = reactive({ preprod: 'default', prod: 'default' })
const options = [
{ label: 'Default (controlled at the team level)', value: 'default' },
{ label: 'Enabled', value: 'enabled' },
{ label: 'Disabled', value: 'disabled' }
]
const displayValue = (v) => options.find((o) => o.value === v)?.label ?? ''
const submitting = ref(false) // /webkit-ui-states: Save :loading + fields :disabled off one flag
</script>
<template>
<CardBox
title="Azion Toolbar"
class="w-full"
>
<template #content>
<!-- body rhythm: fields are --spacing-lg apart; each field triad is --spacing-xs -->
<div class="flex flex-col gap-[var(--spacing-lg)]">
<p class="text-body-sm text-[var(--text-muted)]">
Enable the Azion Toolbar on your Deployments.
</p>
<div class="grid grid-cols-1 gap-[var(--spacing-lg)] sm:grid-cols-2">
<div class="flex flex-col gap-[var(--spacing-xs)]">
<Label for="tb-preprod">Pre-Production Deployments</Label>
<Select
v-model="form.preprod"
size="large"
:display-value="displayValue"
>
<Select.Trigger id="tb-preprod" />
<Select.Content>
<Select.Option
v-for="o in options"
:key="o.value"
:value="o.value"
>{{ o.label }}</Select.Option
>
</Select.Content>
</Select>
</div>
<div class="flex flex-col gap-[var(--spacing-xs)]">
<Label for="tb-prod">Production Deployments</Label>
<Select
v-model="form.prod"
size="large"
:display-value="displayValue"
>
<Select.Trigger id="tb-prod" />
<Select.Content>
<Select.Option
v-for="o in options"
:key="o.value"
:value="o.value"
>{{ o.label }}</Select.Option
>
</Select.Content>
</Select>
</div>
</div>
<Message
severity="info"
title="The toolbar needs the browser extension in production"
description="To use the toolbar in production your team members need the Chrome extension or to enable the toolbar for that domain in the toolbar menu."
/>
</div>
</template>
<template #footer>
<div class="flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-[var(--spacing-sm)]">
<Link
href="#"
label="Learn more about the Azion Toolbar"
size="medium"
/>
<Button
label="Save"
kind="primary"
size="medium"
:loading="submitting"
/>
</div>
</template>
</CardBox>
</template>
Example — Dialog form (destructive confirm)
A modal for a short, blocking decision. Compose Dialog + DialogPortal/DialogOverlay/DialogContent
with the Panel* regions; the body uses the compact --spacing-md rhythm. The primary (destructive)
action stays disabled until the user types the exact confirmation phrase — error prevention, not a toast.
Canonical pattern:
<script setup>
import Button from '@aziontech/webkit/button'
import Dialog from '@aziontech/webkit/dialog'
import DialogClose from '@aziontech/webkit/dialog-close'
import DialogContent from '@aziontech/webkit/dialog-content'
import DialogOverlay from '@aziontech/webkit/dialog-overlay'
import DialogPortal from '@aziontech/webkit/dialog-portal'
import DialogTitle from '@aziontech/webkit/dialog-title'
import InputText from '@aziontech/webkit/input-text'
import Message from '@aziontech/webkit/message'
import PanelContent from '@aziontech/webkit/panel-content'
import PanelFooter from '@aziontech/webkit/panel-footer'
import PanelHeader from '@aziontech/webkit/panel-header'
import { computed, ref } from 'vue'
const open = ref(false)
const phrase = 'webkit-storybook-dev'
const confirmation = ref('')
const canDelete = computed(() => confirmation.value.trim() === phrase)
const remove = () => {
if (!canDelete.value) return
open.value = false
confirmation.value = ''
}
</script>
<template>
<Dialog
v-model:open="open"
size="medium"
>
<DialogPortal>
<DialogOverlay />
<DialogContent>
<PanelHeader class="w-full">
<DialogTitle>Delete Application</DialogTitle>
<DialogClose />
</PanelHeader>
<!-- compact modal body: --spacing-md between blocks -->
<PanelContent class="flex flex-col gap-[var(--spacing-md)]">
<Message
severity="warning"
title="Once confirmed, this action can't be reversed."
/>
<p class="m-0 text-body-sm text-[var(--text-muted)]">
The selected Application will be deleted, along with all associated settings or
instances.
</p>
<label
for="confirm-delete"
class="text-body-sm text-[var(--text-default)]"
>
To confirm, type "{{ phrase }}" in the box below:
</label>
<InputText
id="confirm-delete"
v-model="confirmation"
autocomplete="off"
class="w-full"
/>
</PanelContent>
<PanelFooter class="flex-col md:flex-row md:justify-end">
<Button
class="w-full md:w-auto"
label="Cancel"
kind="outlined"
@click="open = false"
/>
<Button
class="w-full md:w-auto"
label="Delete"
kind="danger"
:disabled="!canDelete"
@click="remove"
/>
</PanelFooter>
</DialogContent>
</DialogPortal>
</Dialog>
</template>
Example — Nested drawer (create a related resource inline)
A drawer form whose Select points at a resource the user may not have created yet. Rather than sending
them away to make it — and losing everything they've typed in the parent — a "Create …" affordance in the
Select's footer opens a second, smaller drawer on top. The child creates the resource, appends it to
the Select's options, selects it back into the parent, and closes; the parent form is exactly as the user
left it. This is the pattern behind Functions Instance → Edge Function → Create Function in the
Applications module.
Three decisions make it safe:
Independent scopes. The parent and child are separate <form>s, each with its ownsubmitting
flag, its own <fieldset :disabled>, its own Save :loading (the /webkit-ui-states Pattern 1 lock, per
drawer). Submitting the child never locks the parent, and the parent's save never touches the child.
A controlled Select + a sentinel value. The parent Select is controlled (:model-value, not
v-model) so picking the quick-add never commits a real value. The quick-add is a normal
Select.Option in the #footer slot carrying a sentinel value; @update:model-value intercepts it,
closes the dropdown, and opens the child instead of assigning form.*.
Explicit stacking. A webkit Drawer panel sits at z-[1001] and a Select.Content teleports to
<body> at z-50, so each layer must opt its overlay / content / popups above the layer beneath
it: the child drawer's overlay z-[1002] / content z-[1003], any Select.Content inside the child
z-[1004]; a Select.Content in the parent drawer needs z-[1002] to clear the parent panel.
(These !z-[…] overrides are the current stopgap for a webkit bug where overlay popups render behind a
Drawer — remove them once webkit stacks overlay content above Drawer.)
Canonical pattern:
<script setup>
// PARENT large drawer holds a Select of Functions; the CHILD medium drawer creates one.
const functions = ref([{ value: 'fn-auth', label: 'auth-handler' }])
const functionLabel = (v) => functions.value.find((f) => f.value === v)?.label ?? ''
// The PARENT form's own scope.
const form = reactive({ functionId: '' })
const errors = reactive({ functionId: '' })
const submitting = ref(false)
// A sentinel Select value for the quick-add. The Select is CONTROLLED (:model-value),
// so picking the sentinel never commits a real value — it opens the child instead.
const CREATE_FUNCTION = '__create-function__'
const functionSelectOpen = ref(false) // control the dropdown so we can close it first
const onFunctionModel = (value) => {
if (value === CREATE_FUNCTION) {
functionSelectOpen.value = false // close the dropdown …
functionOpen.value = true // … then open the child over the parent
return
}
form.functionId = value
errors.functionId = ''
}
// The CHILD form's own, SEPARATE scope — its own submitting flag.
const functionOpen = ref(false)
const functionForm = reactive({ name: '' })
const functionSubmitting = ref(false)
const submitFunction = async () => {
if (functionSubmitting.value) return // re-entrancy lock, on the CHILD's flag
functionSubmitting.value = true
try {
const value = `fn-${uid()}`
functions.value = [{ value, label: functionForm.name.trim() }, ...functions.value]
form.functionId = value // select the new resource back into the parent
errors.functionId = ''
toast.success(`Function "${functionForm.name.trim()}" created.`)
functionOpen.value = false
} catch (error) {
toast.error('Could not create the function.', { description: error?.message })
} finally {
functionSubmitting.value = false // release on success AND failure
}
}
</script>
<template>
<!-- PARENT: the Function Select with a quick-add in its footer slot -->
<Select
:model-value="form.functionId"
v-model:open="functionSelectOpen"
:display-value="functionLabel"
:disabled="submitting"
placeholder="Select a function"
:required="!!errors.functionId"
@update:model-value="onFunctionModel"
>
<Select.Trigger
id="fi-function"
aria-label="Edge Function"
/>
<Select.Content class="!z-[1002]">
<!-- above the parent drawer panel (z-[1001]) -->
<Select.Option
v-for="fn in functions"
:key="fn.value"
:value="fn.value"
>{{ fn.label }}</Select.Option
>
<template #footer>
<Select.Option
:value="CREATE_FUNCTION"
icon="pi pi-plus-circle"
>Create Function</Select.Option
>
</template>
</Select.Content>
</Select>
<!-- CHILD medium drawer — its own form + submitting flag; stacks above the parent -->
<Drawer
v-model:open="functionOpen"
size="medium"
side="right"
>
<DrawerPortal>
<DrawerOverlay class="z-[1002]" />
<DrawerContent class="z-[1003]">
<form
class="flex min-h-0 flex-1 flex-col"
aria-label="Create Function"
novalidate
@submit.prevent="submitFunction"
>
<fieldset
class="m-0 flex min-w-0 flex-col gap-[var(--spacing-lg)] border-0 p-0"
:disabled="functionSubmitting"
>
<legend class="sr-only">Create function</legend>
<!-- Approach A ItemGroup sections here; a nested Select uses !z-[1004] -->
</fieldset>
<!-- PanelFooter: Cancel + Save :loading="functionSubmitting" + sr-only submit -->
</form>
</DrawerContent>
</DrawerPortal>
</Drawer>
</template>
Rules:
Parent and child are two independent forms. Each has its own submitting flag, <fieldset :disabled>,
and Save :loading; neither save locks the other. Guard each handler and release in finally.
The parent Select is controlled + intercepted. Use :model-value (not v-model), a sentinel
value for the quick-add Select.Option (in the #footer slot), and an @update:model-value that opens
the child on the sentinel and only otherwise assigns form.* and clears the error.
Close the dropdown before opening the child. Control the parent Select's open state
(v-model:open) and set it false in the same handler that opens the child, so the popup doesn't linger
under the new drawer.
On the child's save, wire the resource back into the parent — append it to the Select's options,
set the parent's model to the new value, clear the parent's error for that field, toast.success, close
the child. The parent form keeps everything else the user had typed.
Stack every layer explicitly — child overlay z-[1002], child content z-[1003], a Select.Content
inside the child z-[1004], a Select.Content in the parent z-[1002] (temporary overrides for the
webkit Drawer/overlay-popup stacking bug).
Everything else follows the Drawer form rules: Approach A ItemGroup sections inside each drawer,
validation on submit only (Item.Title as the label, HelperText under the control), Enter submits via
an sr-only<button type="submit">.
Approach A — Cards + ItemGroups (grouped / settings forms)
Each section is a flush CardBox (:padded="false") whose body is an Item.List. Item.List draws
the dividers between rows automatically, so every field reads as a divided row inside one box: the
field's name + guidance on the left (Item.Content), the control on the right (Item.Actions).
Multiple sections stack, each with a small OVERLINE title above its card.
In an ItemGroup, Item.Title IS the label. Do not use <Label> inside an Item — the field
name is Item.Title, its guidance is Item.Description, and the control carries an aria-label for its
accessible name. <Label> is reserved for Fields separated (Approach B) and composed Select
fields, where there is a real <label for> wired to a control id. (Label renders at
text-label-sm, smaller than Item.Description — using it as a row title inverts the hierarchy.)
Items are size="small". Small is the density that gives grouped forms the best rhythm and
hierarchy — tight enough that a section reads as one unit, roomy enough that each row is a clear field.
Use size="small" on everyItem in a form; reserve medium for content/marketing rows.
Canonical pattern:
<script setup>
import CardBox from '@aziontech/webkit/card-box'
import HelperText from '@aziontech/webkit/helper-text'
import Item from '@aziontech/webkit/item'
import InputText from '@aziontech/webkit/input-text'
</script>
<template>
<section class="flex flex-col gap-[var(--spacing-sm)]">
<p class="px-[var(--spacing-xs)] text-overline-sm text-[var(--text-muted)]">General</p>
<CardBox :padded="false">
<template #content>
<Item.List>
<Item
size="small"
class="items-start"
>
<Item.Content>
<!-- Item.Title is the label; control takes an aria-label -->
<Item.Title>Name</Item.Title>
<Item.Description>A unique, descriptive name for the application.</Item.Description>
</Item.Content>
<Item.Actions class="flex-1 justify-end">
<!-- Control + feedback stack in one field-width column: the
HelperText renders UNDER the control, --spacing-xs apart, only
after a failed submit. An empty required field is amber
`required` (a prompt, NOT an error); a filled-but-malformed value
is red `invalid`. Emptiness picks the state — never both at once. -->
<div class="flex w-full max-w-[var(--container-xl)] flex-col gap-[var(--spacing-xs)]">
<InputText
v-model="form.name"
size="large"
class="w-full"
aria-label="Name"
:required="!!errors.name && !form.name.trim()"
:invalid="!!errors.name && !!form.name.trim()"
:aria-describedby="errors.name ? 'name-error' : undefined"
@update:model-value="errors.name = ''"
/>
<HelperText
v-if="errors.name"
id="name-error"
:kind="form.name.trim() ? 'invalid' : 'required'"
:value="errors.name"
/>
</div>
</Item.Actions>
</Item>
</Item.List>
</template>
</CardBox>
</section>
</template>
Rules:
CardBox :padded="false" + Item.List — one box, dividers from the list, no box-in-box.
Every Item is size="small". Consistent across the whole form.
Item.Title is the label; the control takes an aria-label. Name in Item.Title, guidance in
Item.Description, control on the right in Item.Actions class="flex-1 justify-end". No <Label>
inside an Item — validation feedback is the control's own :required/:invalid on submit.
The validation message renders as a HelperText under the control. Since there is no Label (so
no HelperText triad) and no guidance region on the right, wrap the control in a field-width
flex flex-col gap-[var(--spacing-xs)] column — capped at max-w-[var(--container-xl)] (576px) so the
control column stays a legible field width on wide pages — and render a <HelperText>below it, shown only
after a failed submit and linked to the control via aria-describedby. This is still the field saying
what it needs, on the field — not a summary block or a Message callout. Item.Description stays
as the always-on guidance on the left.
Required is NOT an error — pick the state by what failed. An empty required field is a prompt:
<HelperText kind="required"> (amber) + the control's :required (amber). A field whose value is
present but malformed is an error: <HelperText kind="invalid"> (red) + the control's :invalid
(red). Never set both :required and :invalid at once — that yields an amber border with a red
helper. When one field can fail both ways, emptiness is the discriminator
(:kind="value.trim() ? 'invalid' : 'required'"). Note Select/MultiSelect have no amber border,
so for an empty-required Select the amber HelperText (and :required for aria-required) carries
the cue — never colour it red.
A row whose left column wraps to two lines uses class="items-start" so the title aligns to the
control's top, not its centre.
Richer controls that don't fit a one-line row (a radio group, a block of field-radio-blocks)
stay a full-width block inside Item.Actions (or their own Item), not forced onto the row.
Section title — an OVERLINE above the card
When a settings surface is split into topic sections (a multi-Card ItemGroup — the Account Settings
pattern), each section is titled by an OVERLINE above its flush CardBox, not by the card's own
header. The <section> stacks the overline over the card with --spacing-sm (12px); the CardBox stays
:padded="false" and header-less (content only). This keeps the topic label lightweight and lets the
card read as a single divided block of rows.
The section title is text-overline-sm text-[var(--text-muted)] with px-[var(--spacing-xs)]
inset so it aligns with the card's content; --spacing-sm gap to the card (per the spacing macro rule).
The card is header-less (:padded="false", only #content). Don't also set a CardBoxtitle —
the overline is the section title; a card header would double it.
A dangerous section (Danger Zone) reuses the pattern with the danger tokens: overline in
text-[var(--danger-contrast)] above a CardBox class="border-[var(--danger-border)] bg-[var(--danger)]".
Overline vs CardBox title — pick by role. An OVERLINE above the card titles a section of a
larger page (multi-Card ItemGroup). A CardBoxtitle (in the card header) names a self-contained
card that is the form — the "CardBox with its own save" / Contained form. Never use both on one card.
Approach B — Fields separated (short focused forms)
A field is a triad: a visible Label, the control, and a HelperText. Ship it as one of the
@aziontech/webkit/field-* components — they render the triad and wire the a11y for you: the Label's
for matches the control id, the helper is linked via aria-describedby, required sets
aria-required, and invalid sets aria-invalid. Stack the fields in a single column.
The required tag on the Label is persistent — it advertises the field is mandatory from first
render, independent of validation. Because field-*'s own label prop couples the Label tag to the
same required that drives the field's amber state, render the Labelyourself (always required)
and give the wrapper nolabel; then bind the wrapper's :required to the post-submit empty state
so only the field's amber (border + helper) is revealed on submit. Canonical pattern:
<script setup>
import FieldText from '@aziontech/webkit/field-text'
import Label from '@aziontech/webkit/label'
</script>
<template>
<div class="flex flex-col gap-[var(--spacing-md)]">
<!-- Label required ALWAYS (rendered here; the wrapper gets no `label`). Empty →
:required (amber), the wrapper's helper flips to kind=required. A malformed
value → :invalid (red). Never both at once. `errors.name` holds the message
("" = valid), so the helper falls back to guidance when clear. -->
<div class="flex w-full flex-col gap-[var(--spacing-xs)]">
<Label
for="app-name"
required
>Name</Label
>
<FieldText
v-model="form.name"
input-id="app-name"
name="name"
placeholder="my-application"
:required="!!errors.name && !form.name.trim()"
:invalid="!!errors.name && !!form.name.trim()"
:helper-text="errors.name || 'A unique name for this application.'"
@update:model-value="errors.name = ''"
/>
</div>
</div>
</template>
Available wrappers (ask the webkit MCP suggest_component, or read
node_modules/@aziontech/webkit/catalog.json (imports) — every key is a real subpath): field-text,
field-textarea, field-password, field-phone-number, field-input-group, field-checkbox /
field-checkbox-block, field-radio / field-radio-block, field-switch / field-switch-block,
field-text-switch.
Rules:
Never a bare InputText / Textarea next to a floating <p> "label". Use the field-*
wrapper. A placeholder is not a label — it vanishes on input and is not a reliable accessible name.
The helper region is the guidance region. Feed it the field's guidance; on a failed submit swap it
for the message and flip the state — :required (amber, kind=required) for an empty field,
:invalid (red, kind=invalid) for a malformed one. Never pass both :required and :invalid true
together (amber border + red helper). It's still the wrapper's own helper row, not a second error node.
A composed Select labels its TRIGGER, not the wrapper — see the next pattern.
Composed Select — label the TRIGGER, not the wrapper
There is no field-select. When you compose one from Label + Select + options, the focusable
element is the trigger (a role="combobox"<button>), and Select's $attrs land on its outer
wrapper <div>, not the button. So the Label's for and the id must go on <Select.Trigger>.
Pointing <label for> at the <Select> wrapper labels nothing. This holds in both approaches.
<!-- Label required ALWAYS; empty-required → :required (amber semantics), not
:invalid (red). Select has no amber border, so pair with a HelperText. -->
<Label for="app-country" required>Country</Label>
<Select
v-model="form.country"
placeholder="Select an option…"
:required="!!errors.country"
:display-value="labelOf(countries)"
@update:model-value="errors.country = ''"
>
<Select.Trigger id="app-country" />
<Select.Content>
<Select.Option v-for="o in countries" :key="o.value" :value="o.value">{{ o.label }}</Select.Option>
</Select.Content>
</Select>
Rules:
Label for === Select.Trigger id. Same string, and it must be the trigger's.
Select already sets aria-required / aria-invalid on the trigger from its required /
invalid props — pass the props, don't hand-roll the aria.
Grouping — a real <fieldset> + <legend>
Each section is a group of related controls. Give it programmatic grouping with a native
<fieldset> and an sr-only<legend> (the visible section title — the OVERLINE or CardBox title
— already names it, so it isn't drawn twice). A <fieldset> also disables its whole subtree in one
attribute, which is how you lock the scope on submit.
<fieldset
class="m-0 flex min-w-0 flex-col gap-[var(--spacing-lg)] border-0 p-0"
:disabled="submitting"
>
<legend class="sr-only">Account settings</legend>
<!-- sections: CardBox + Item.List (Approach A) OR stacked field-* (Approach B) -->
</fieldset>
Rules:
<legend> is the fieldset's first child, and sr-only when a visible title already shows it.
Related radios/checkboxes are their own group — a set of radios is a <fieldset> whose
<legend> is the question; the field-radio-block labels are the options.
Validation — required (amber) vs invalid (red), surfaced only on submit
Validation runs on submit, once — not on every keystroke, not on blur. The feedback is the
field's own state plus an on-field HelperText — there is no separate error-summary block and no
Message callout for field validation; the field says what it needs, where it is.
Required is not an error. Two failure kinds, two states:
Required-but-empty → the amber required state (:required on the control, HelperText kind="required"). It is a prompt to fill, not a rejection — never the red danger state.
Filled-but-malformed → the red invalid state (:invalid on the control, HelperText kind="invalid"). The value is present and wrong.
Never set both on one field at once (amber border + red helper is the bug this rule prevents). When a
field can fail both ways, emptiness is the discriminator. Store a real message so the HelperText has
something to show.
Where a field has a Label, its required tag is persistent — it shows from first render, not just
on a failed submit, so the user knows the field is mandatory before touching it. Only the field's amber
state (border + helper) is revealed on submit. Because field-*'s label prop couples the tag to the
same required that colours the field, render the Label yourself (always required) and leave the
wrapper's label unset (see Approach B). An ItemGroup has no Label, so it has no persistent tag —
its required feedback is the on-submit amber HelperText only.
const errors = reactive({ name: '', country: '' }) // "" = valid; populated ONLY by validate()constvalidate = () => {
// Empty → a required prompt; a non-empty bad value → an invalid message.
errors.name = form.name.trim() ? '' : 'This field is required.'
errors.country = form.country ? '' : 'This field is required.'return !errors.name && !errors.country
}
constsubmit = async () => {
if (submitting.value) return// re-entrancy lockif (!validate()) return// errors now drive :required / :invalid — no focus dance, no summary
submitting.value = truetry {
awaitsave(form)
toast.success('Saved.')
} catch (error) {
toast.error('Could not save.', {
description: error?.message,
action: { label: 'Retry', onClick: submit }
})
} finally {
submitting.value = false
}
}
Rules:
<form novalidate @submit.prevent> — own the validation; the native bubble UI is inconsistent
and unstyleable.
Validate on submit only. No live validation while the user types the first time.
The feedback is :required OR :invalid bound to the error (amber for empty, red for malformed —
never both), appearing only after a failed submit and clearing as the user edits
(@update:model-value="errors.x = ''"). Colour is never the only signal — the required tag / helper
text is the non-colour cue.
The message lives on the field, as a HelperText. In Fields separated it is the field-*
wrapper's own helper row (its kind flips to required when you pass :required, invalid when you
pass :invalid); in an ItemGroup it is a <HelperText> rendered under the control, its kind
matching the failure (required amber / invalid red — see Approach A). Either way it is
aria-describedby-linked to the control and appears only after a failed submit.
No custom error-summary block (role="alert" list of links) and no Message callout for
field validation. Those were removed on purpose: the field's own state + its HelperText is the feedback.
Never toast a field error. Missing/invalid input stays on the field. Toast is for
request/API failures only (see /webkit-ui-states).
Submission — native submit, one locked scope, sticky actions
The primary action drives the native submit so Enter submits. While the request runs, one flag
locks the whole scope — this is /webkit-ui-statesPattern 1; this skill references it, does not
re-derive it. Save shows :loading, and every field the action reads takes :disabled off the same
flag. On a long form, the actions live in a sticky bar so Save/Cancel are always reachable.
Bind :disabled on the controls, not only the <fieldset>. A native <fieldset :disabled> blocks
interaction for the whole subtree, but webkit controls (Select, Switch, field-*, InputText)
render their disabled visual from their own disabled prop — a fieldset alone leaves them looking
active mid-submit. Keep the <fieldset :disabled="submitting"> as the native safety net and pass
:disabled="submitting" to each control (field-* forward it to their inner input). Multi-save forms
(CardBox with independent saves) bind each card's controls to that card's flag.
Enter must submit. The webkit Button renders a native type="button" and doesn't forward a
type, so drive submit from its @click; where the form is a drawer/dialog, add a hidden
<button type="submit" class="sr-only"> inside the <form> so Enter still submits.
Lock off one flag.<fieldset :disabled="submitting"> + :disabled="submitting" on every
control + Save :loading="submitting"; guard the handler and release in finally (this IS
/webkit-ui-states Pattern 1 — the fieldset is the native lock, the per-control
:disabled is what makes webkit Select/Switch/field-* show the disabled visual).
Report the request result where the user is looking — toast.success on the happy path,
toast.error with a Retry on failure. Field errors stay inline.
Disabled state — the disabled helper is optional context, not submit feedback
A HelperText with kind="disabled" (it prepends a lock glyph, muted text) is an optional element
whose only job is to explain why a field is disabled and how to lift the lock. It is not
validation feedback and it is not required by the submit lock. Two cases:
Submit lock — you don't need a helper. The :disabled="submitting" applied to every control
during a save is transient (it clears in finally) and the Save button's :loading already says the
form is busy. Don't add a disabled-reason helper just because fields are locked mid-submit. A
field-* that already has a guidance helper-text keeps showing it (its kind flips to disabled
for the ~1s of the request); one with nohelper-text briefly falls back to the built-in
"This field is locked.". Both are acceptable — the lock is momentary. If that transient text bothers
you, give the field a real guidance helper-text (Fields separated) or keep the guidance in
Item.Description (ItemGroup); do not invent a lock explanation for a lock that lasts a second.
Persistent disable — use the disabled helper when the reason isn't obvious. When a field is
disabled by a dependency (a plan tier, a toggle that must be on first, a mode that doesn't apply),
the disabled HelperText is the right, optional tool — e.g. "Enable HTTPS support to choose HTTPS
ports." It gives the user the context to understand and lift the lock. In an ItemGroup that
context usually already lives in Item.Description (e.g. a disabled "HTTPS Ports" row whose
description reads "Applies when the Application serves HTTPS traffic."), so a separate disabled
helper is redundant — add one only when it says something the description doesn't.
Rules:
The submit lock needs no disabled-reason helper — it's transient and the Save :loading covers it.
A disabled helper is optional and explains the dependency, never validation — it answers only
"why is this locked and how do I unlock it".
Don't fabricate a disabled explanation for a transient lock. Reserve kind="disabled" for a
persistent, non-obvious dependency.
A disabled field is never also required/invalid.disabled wins the control's state (and the
HelperTextkind), so a locked field shows neither the amber required nor the red invalid cue.
Choosing an approach
Situation
Approach
Settings page, resource config, many grouped fields, a Create drawer
A — Cards + ItemGroups (Item.List, size="small")
Login, rename, a short 1–3 field dialog, one wizard step
B — Fields separated (field-* stacked)
A section mixes a couple of simple rows with a radio block
A, with the radio block as a full-width child inside its Item
A drawer's Select needs a related resource that doesn't exist yet
Nested drawer — quick-add opens a second drawer; each drawer its own scoped save
The module create action for a long form lands on a dedicated page (route /<module>/new), not
a modal, so it is linkable and back-button-safe; a short create can live in a drawer.
Review output
For /webkit-form <file>, list gaps grouped by pattern. Each:
✗ SomeForm.vue:NN <Label for="runtime" /> but no element has id="runtime"
pattern: composed Select labels its trigger — for points at nothing; the combobox has no accessible name.
fix: add id="runtime" to <Select.Trigger>, matching the Label's for.
✗ SomeForm.vue:NN <Item> with no size
pattern: Cards + ItemGroups — form Items are size="small" for rhythm/hierarchy.
fix: <Item size="small">.
End with: form is accessible or N gaps — fix before polish.
References
Field wrappers, Label, HelperText, Item, CardBox, Select, Button import paths: ask the
webkit MCP suggest_component, or read node_modules/@aziontech/webkit/catalog.json (imports) —
every key is a real subpath.
Companion skills: /webkit-ux-heuristics (states + inline error placement) and /webkit-ui-states
(lock-the-scope + toast for request errors).
Token catalog (spacing, colour, shape, typography): the @aziontech/theme tokens (the --* CSS
variables it ships; the webkit MCP lists them).
Compose only webkit components and theme tokens — no external UI libraries, no hex/rgb colours, no
component-local CSS.
Definition of Done
Every control is a complete Field* (FieldText, FieldTextarea, FieldPassword, FieldRadioBlock,
FieldSwitch, …) unless no Field* fits; a loose input (InputText, Select, …) is used only as
the fallback, and then the label + aria-describedby are wired by hand.
The form type fits the flow (Drawer / nested Drawer / Dialog / ItemGroup settings / CardBox with
independent saves), and the save model follows partitioning: one save for a logical unit (Drawer,
Dialog, or an ItemGroup — single block or multiple overline-titled sections); one save per card only
for the CardBox-with-independent-saves type.
A nested drawer keeps parent and child as independent forms — each its own submitting flag,
<fieldset :disabled>, and Save :loading; the parent Select is controlled with a sentinel
quick-add; the child wires its new resource back into the parent on save; every layer is stacked
explicitly (child overlay/content and any nested Select.Content above the parent panel).
Field spacing follows the macro rule: --spacing-xs inside a field, --spacing-lg between fields
and sections (--spacing-md only in a compact modal body). No one-off gaps.
Hierarchy is not inverted: title → description → section title → field label → control → helper.
Section titling matches role: a multi-Card ItemGroup titles each section with an OVERLINE
(text-overline-sm) above a header-less flush CardBox; a self-contained card that is the form
uses the CardBoxtitle in its header. Never both on one card.
The form uses one layout: Cards + ItemGroups (Item.List, every Itemsize="small") or
Fields separated (field-* stacked) — not a mix within a section.
Field naming matches the type: in an ItemGroup, Item.Title is the label and the control
takes an aria-label (no <Label> inside an Item); in Fields separated, a real Label
(or field-* wrapper) with for→id, and a composed Select labels its trigger. No bare
control with a floating <p> label, no placeholder-as-label.
Where a required field has a Label, its required tag is persistent (always required, not
revealed on submit) — render the Label yourself and leave the field-*label unset so the tag
stays on while only the field's amber state is revealed on submit.
Each section is a native <fieldset> with an sr-only<legend>.
Validation runs on submit only; feedback is the field's state and an on-field HelperText
message (the field-* helper row in Fields separated; a <HelperText> under the control in an
ItemGroup), bound to the error and cleared on edit. Required-but-empty uses the amber required
state/kind (required is NOT an error); filled-but-malformed uses the red invalid state/kind;
never both on one field. No error-summary block, no Message callout for field validation.
<form novalidate @submit.prevent>; Enter submits; the scope locks off one flag
(<fieldset :disabled>and:disabled on every control + Save :loading, per /webkit-ui-states
Pattern 1); request errors toast, field errors stay inline.
