[css-forms-1] What does control-value() return for `<input type="checkbox">`

[lukewarlow]

Given <input type="checkbox" value="foo" checked> what does control-value() resolve to?

Currently the spec suggests it would be "foo"? Should be conditional based on whether it's checked like the form submission behaviour?

Would it make sense to allow access to the boolean "checked" state (we have :checked so I'm guessing not)?

[lukewarlow]

Likewise would <input type="radio"> just return the value from the value attribute?

Does it even make sense to provide a control-value() for these types of form controls?

[valtlai]

The value getter on type="checkbox" and type="radio" returns the same value whether the control is checked or not. So, just reflecting the getter would make control-value() useless for checkboxes and radio buttons.

[Shrinivassab]

Hi @lukewarlow and @valtlai,

I have been following this discussion and agree with the core issue raised: if control-value() simply mirrors the .value getter for checkboxes/radios, it becomes unusable for practical styling (as Valtlai noted). Since the goal seems to be reflecting user interaction, here are some options:

• Boolean/KW Values: Return true/false or keywords like 'checked'/'unchecked' to directly expose the checked state. This complements :checked without redundancy.

• Conditional Value: Return the value attribute only when checked (else null/empty), matching form submission.

• Explicit Limitation: If neither approach adds value, clarify in the spec that :checked suffices for these controls.

Key question: What is the intended use case for control-value() here? If it is not meant to reflect selection state, we might need to rethink its design for checkboxes/radios.*

Happy to help explore precedents (e.g., how ARIA or appearance handle this) or test implementations!