Textarea
A field for free text over several lines.
Left out of Content first Forms are rare and short: newsletter and search, both one line. Actions are rare: subscribe, share, save. None calls for long text entry. Use instead: Input
See it live
npm run storybookWhen to use it
- Use it when: Comments, descriptions, anything longer than one line.
- Not when: A one-line value (input), or a known set of options.
Instead:
- Input: One line.
How Content first uses it
Words
- Write to one person: "you", not "users".
- Short sentences with room to breathe.
- Explain why before asking for anything.
- Use: Read, Save for later, You, Next issue. Avoid: Click here, Submit, Users, Content.
The labels components use, from the voice tokens:
content.action.commit: Savecontent.action.cancel: Not nowcontent.action.destroy: Removecontent.action.retry: Try againcontent.action.empty-action: Browse guides
See Voice and tone for the whole voice.
Accessibility and keyboard
Test before you ship:
- It has a visible label; a limit is announced as people type. undefined
Use it in code
npx open-ds add textarea
The component reads only component keys and semantic tokens, so it follows the brand and mode on <html>.
Tokens it reads
Textarea reads 14 tokens of its own, each an alias of a semantic token. Each row is one part: its own token, the semantic it aliases, and the value it ends at. Change a semantic and every component that reads it follows; override one of Textarea's tokens to change Textarea alone.
Content first decides what changes when you switch theme. Here a switch changes colors only, so the marked rows differ between light and dark; everything else holds steady.
| Part | Its token and the semantic it aliases | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Textarea | ||
| Corner | component.textarea.radiusradius.controlvar(--textarea-radius) | radius.8:0.5rem |
| Border Changes with theme | component.textarea.bordercolor.border.strongvar(--textarea-border) | Lightstone.light.500:#7A7062Darkstone.dark.400:#A39A8B |
| Padding, left and right | component.textarea.padding-xspace.inset.control-xvar(--textarea-padding-x) | space.20:1.25rem |
| Padding, top and bottom | component.textarea.padding-ycomponent-spacing-map.x2var(--textarea-padding-y) | space.8:0.5rem |
| Text size | component.textarea.font-sizetype.body.font-sizevar(--textarea-font-size) | font.size.18:1.125rem |
| Shadow | component.textarea.shadowelevation.cardvar(--textarea-shadow) | shadow.none |
| Label placeholder Changes with theme | component.textarea.label-placeholdercolor.text.mutedvar(--textarea-label-placeholder) | Lightstone.light.600:#61594DDarkstone.dark.400:#A39A8B |
| Border focus Changes with theme on focus | component.textarea.border-focuscolor.border.focusvar(--textarea-border-focus) | Lightnavy.light.600:#1E3A5FDarknavy.dark.600:#8FA6C4 |
| Disabled opacity disabled when disabled | component.textarea.disabled-opacity-disabledopacity.disabledvar(--textarea-disabled-opacity-disabled) | opacity.40:0.4 |
| Border invalid Changes with theme when invalid | component.textarea.border-invalidcolor.status.dangervar(--textarea-border-invalid) | Lightred.light.600:#C42B2BDarkred.dark.600:#F28B8B |
| Focus ring invalid Changes with theme when invalid | component.textarea.focus-ring-invalidcolor.status.dangervar(--textarea-focus-ring-invalid) | Lightred.light.600:#C42B2BDarkred.dark.600:#F28B8B |
| Focus on focus | component.textarea.focusborder-width.focusvar(--textarea-focus) | border-width.2:2px |
| Focus ring focus Changes with theme on focus | component.textarea.focus-ring-focuscolor.border.focusvar(--textarea-focus-ring-focus) | Lightnavy.light.600:#1E3A5FDarknavy.dark.600:#8FA6C4 |
| Focus ring offset focus Changes with theme on focus | component.textarea.focus-ring-offset-focuscolor.surface.canvasvar(--textarea-focus-ring-offset-focus) | Lightstone.light.50:#FFFDF8Darkstone.dark.0:#14110D |
| From the system | ||
| Edge Changes with theme | color.border.default straight from the system, through --border | Lightstone.light.200 · #E4DDD0Darkstone.dark.100 · #2E2A24 |