Creating large inline forms - css

Question

I have been spending the entire day trying to figure out how I can create big forms and at the same time maintain a proper design of the layout.
Currently I'm using formee (style and 960 grid system), which I have tried to turn into an inline form rather than row based (default). Unfortunately it gets really messy and looks horrible.
To give an visual understanding of what I want to archieve I have created a mockup.
How can I solve issue?

Answer 1

Here is such an example: http://jsfiddle.net/PhilippeVay/gaegv/2/
HTML:
<fieldset class="group">
<legend>First logical group of items</legend>
<div class="col">
<p class="text">
<label for="label1">Field label 1</label>
<input type="text" id="label1" />
</p>
<p class="text">
<label for="label2">Field label 2</label>
<input type="text" id="label2" />
</p>
<p class="text">
<label for="label3">Field label 3</label>
<input type="text" id="label3" />
</p>
</div>
<div class="col">
<p class="text">
<label for="label4">Field label 4</label>
<input type="text" id="label4" />
</p>
<p class="text">
<label for="label5">Field label 5</label>
<input type="text" id="label5" />
</p>
<p class="text">
<label for="label6">Field label 6</label>
<input type="text" id="label6" />
</p>
</div>
</fieldset>
<div class="group fieldset-like">
<p class="textarea">
<label for="label7">Field label 7</label>
<textarea id="label7">some text (test font-size)</textarea>
</p>
</div>
<div class="group">
<fieldset class="col">
<legend>Third legend</legend>
<p class="text">
<label for="label8">Field label 8</label>
<input type="text" id="label8" />
</p>
<p class="text">
<label for="label9">Field label 9</label>
<input type="text" id="label9" />
</p>
<p class="text">
<label for="label10">Field label 10</label>
<input type="text" id="label10" />
</p>
</fieldset>
<fieldset class="col">
<legend>Fourth legend</legend>
<p class="text">
<label for="label11">Field label 11</label>
<input type="text" id="label11" />
</p>
<p class="text">
<label for="label12">Field label 12</label>
<input type="text" id="label12" />
</p>
<p class="text">
<label for="label13">Field label 13</label>
<input type="text" id="label13" />
</p>
</fieldset>
</div>
CSS:
.col {
float: left;
width: 36%;
padding: 2%;
background: #EEE;
}
.col + .col {
margin-left: 10%;
}
.col:after {
content: "";
display: block;
clear: both;
}
fieldset,
.fieldset-like {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
border: 1px solid darkgreen;
}
.group {
margin: 20px 10px; /* must come after .fieldset-like rule */
}
label {
font-weight: bold;
cursor: pointer;
}
.text { /* because .radio and .checkbox are SO different! */
clear: both;
}
.text label,
.textarea label {
display: inline-block;
width: 39%;
margin-right: 1%;
text-align: right;
background-color: lightgreen;
}
.text input,
.textarea textarea {
display: inline-block;
width: 55%;
border: 1px solid darkgreen;
padding: 4px;
}
.textarea {
width: auto;
padding: 2% 4% 2% 4%;
}
/* label and textarea: also see above */
.textarea label {
width: 14.04%; /* 39% of 36% Yeah I know... */
margin-right: 0.36%; /* 1% of 36% */
background-color: lightgreen;
vertical-align: top; /* otherwise label is at the the bottom of a very high neighbor */
}
.textarea textarea {
width: 74%;
}
a class on paragraph allows to style the label according to the nature of the form element (you can't style a preceding sibling - or a parent - according to an element that comes after it in the DOM, in 2012 and in CSS3 at least ;) ).
you can use selector attributes with modern browsers: input[type="text"] but it's longer to write in a Fiddle AND then you must consider text, password and select element in HTML 4.01 and in HTML5 add email, number, tel, etc That'll multiply the length of your selectors. Or you can use a class on a parent to distinguish and group form elements. Former is needed if you're writing a general reset stylesheet for thousands of colleagues, latter is more efficient if you're also the one writing the HTML code.
.group contains 2 .col, it doesn't matter if it's columns in a fieldset or fieldsets in a div.
calculation of a width into an element having a width means multiplication. Draw it on a sheet of paper and write down each width. It'll allow you to not forget about a single one ;)
padding in percentage doesn't seem to work for input. Not sure about that.
widths on select are easier and cross-browser if you add box-sizing:
select {
-moz-box-sizing: content-box; /* Firefox, meet padding ... */
box-sizing: content-box; /* IE8+ */
padding: 4px 6px; /* example */
}

Answer 2

From a UX standpoint form labels that sit to the left of the field have a lower rate of user completion. The reason for this is that users have to read the label, associate the label to the field and then move their eyes back to the left again after completing filling in of the field. This causes minor eye fatigue and mental distraction.
Forms that have the highest rate of completion is when the label is above the field. The second highest is when the label is within the field. This will also give your form a cleaner look and give the impression to the end user that, even though it might be long. It's not a daunting form to complete.