Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-tcl/tcl/form-processing-procs.tcl
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-tcl/tcl/form-processing-procs.tcl,v
diff -u -r1.16.2.12 -r1.16.2.13
--- openacs-4/packages/acs-tcl/tcl/form-processing-procs.tcl	17 Mar 2003 14:48:03 -0000	1.16.2.12
+++ openacs-4/packages/acs-tcl/tcl/form-processing-procs.tcl	20 Mar 2003 12:48:46 -0000	1.16.2.13
@@ -680,12 +680,16 @@
                     after_html -
                     result_datatype -
                     search_query -
-                    search_query_name {
+                    search_query_name -
+                    maxlength {
                         if { [llength $extra_arg] > 2 || [llength $extra_arg] == 1 } {
                             return -code error "element $element_name: \"$extra_arg\" requires exactly one argument"
                         }
                         lappend form_command [uplevel [list subst [lindex $extra_arg 1]]]
                     }
+                    default {
+                        ns_log Error "Unknown switch '[lindex $extra_arg 0]' to ad_form on url [util_get_current_url]"
+                    }
                 }
             }
             eval $form_command
Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/element-procs.tcl
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/element-procs.tcl,v
diff -u -r1.9.2.3 -r1.9.2.4
--- openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/element-procs.tcl	5 Mar 2003 14:57:37 -0000	1.9.2.3
+++ openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/element-procs.tcl	20 Mar 2003 12:49:15 -0000	1.9.2.4
@@ -367,6 +367,16 @@
        continue
     }
 
+    if { [info exists element(maxlength)] } {
+      set value_bytelength [string bytelength $value]
+      if {  $value_bytelength > $element(maxlength) } {
+        set excess_no_bytes [expr { $value_bytelength - $element(maxlength) }]
+        set message "$label is [ad_decode $excess_no_bytes "1" "one character" "$excess_no_bytes characters"] too long."
+        lappend v_errors $message
+        set formerror($element_id:maxlength) $message
+      }
+    }
+
     if { ! [template::data::validate $element(datatype) value message] } {
 
       # the submission is invalid
Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/widget-procs.tcl
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/widget-procs.tcl,v
diff -u -r1.14.2.4 -r1.14.2.5
--- openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/widget-procs.tcl	13 Mar 2003 17:55:19 -0000	1.14.2.4
+++ openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/widget-procs.tcl	20 Mar 2003 12:49:15 -0000	1.14.2.5
@@ -184,6 +184,10 @@
         append output " $name=\"$attributes($name)\""
       }
     }
+
+    if { [info exists element(maxlength)] } {
+        append output " maxlength=\"$element(maxlength)\""
+    }
     
     append output " />"
   }
Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/www/doc/api/element.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/www/doc/api/element.html,v
diff -u -r1.1.1.1 -r1.1.1.1.4.1
--- openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/www/doc/api/element.html	13 Mar 2001 22:59:27 -0000	1.1.1.1
+++ openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/www/doc/api/element.html	20 Mar 2003 12:49:52 -0000	1.1.1.1.4.1
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
                           name { expression } { message } \
                           ... } \
                         -options { { label value } { label value } ... } \
+                        -maxlength maxlength \
                         -value value \
                         -values { value value ... }
                         </em></pre>