# TextArea

> Multi-line text field with label, error/helper text, and optional animated auto-grow.

- Status: stable
- Group: form
- Page: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components/text-area
- Contract: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/contracts/v1/TextArea.contract.json

## When to use

TextArea is the multi-line counterpart to TextInput: label, control, helper and error text, plus an optional animated auto-grow mode bounded by minRows and maxRows.

## When not to use

- Do not use TextArea for single-line text. Use **TextInput**, which shares the label + helper contract but carries single-line UX and format validation.
- Do not use TextArea for single-line values just to get more width; use TextInput and layout.

## Look-alikes

- TextInput: Do not use TextArea for single-line values just to get more width; use TextInput and layout.

## Props

| Prop | Type | Default | Description | Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `label` | `string` | none | Visible field label. | Yes |
| `value` | `string` | `""` | Value synced into the field; typing still works after it is set. | No |
| `error` | `string` | none | Validation error message; renders above the helper line. | No |
| `status` | `FieldStatus` | none | Semantic state: colours the border and styles statusMessage. `error` overrides it. | No |
| `statusMessage` | `string` | none | Message under the field for `status`, above the helper line. | No |
| `actions` | `FieldAction[]` | none | Icon buttons at the end of the label row: each runs an operation or opens a menu. | No |
| `helperText` | `string` | none | Helper copy below the field. | No |
| `onChange` | `(value: string) => void` | none | Change handler receiving the raw string value. | No |
| `animateResize` | `boolean` | `false` | Enable smooth animated auto-growing (default: false) | No |
| `minRows` | `number` | `2` | Minimum number of rows when animateResize is enabled. | No |
| `maxRows` | `number` | `10` | Maximum number of rows when animateResize is enabled. | No |

## Variants

No variant dimensions and no props with a fixed set of values.

## Invalid combinations

The contract records no invalid combinations.

## Keyboard

| Key | Behaviour |
| --- | --- |
| Tab | Moves focus to the control and on to the next focusable element. (standard) |
| Shift+Tab | Moves focus to the previous focusable element. (standard) |

Rows marked (standard) name a key the contract lists without a description; the behaviour shown is the usual one for that key.

## Rules

Every item under When not to use is a MUST NOT. MUST and SHOULD follow RFC 2119.

| Level | Rule | How it is checked |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MUST | ARIA: Label association via htmlFor. | Not yet verified: no evidence record. WCAG 4.1.2. |
| MUST | ARIA: Error passed to FieldShell as the status message (an error HelperText with role=alert), linked with aria-invalid and aria-describedby; a consumer aria-describedby is merged after the status and helper ids, while a consumer aria-invalid replaces the computed value. | Not yet verified: no evidence record. WCAG 4.1.2. |
| MUST | Required stories produce no axe violations at the configured severity. | Automated by `npm run test:stories:matrix:ci`. WCAG 2.5.8. |
| MUST | The accessibility tree (role, name, state) matches the committed snapshot for every required story. | Automated by `npm run test:stories:matrix:ci`. WCAG 1.3.1, 4.1.2. |
| MUST | The component remains legible and operable under a real browser forced-colors: active pass. | Automated by `npm run test:stories:hc`. |
| MUST | Every documented keyboard interaction works as specified. | Not yet verified: no evidence record. WCAG 2.1.1, 2.1.2. |
| MUST | A human completed an end-to-end accessibility review of this component. | Manual review, last on 2026-11-04. |
| SHOULD | Size the empty state honestly: rows or minRows should suggest the expected answer length. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD | Enable animateResize for chat-like and note fields; growth is smooth and stops at maxRows. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD | State length expectations in helperText up front instead of failing after submit. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD | Keep the label a noun phrase (Message), matching the other fields. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD NOT | Do not rely on manual resize as the only escape hatch for long content when auto-grow is off; verify overflow scrolls. | Not stated in the contract. |

## Install and import

- Install: `npm install @digitaltableteur/react` (version 0.9.1, restricted access on npm).
- Import: `import { TextArea } from "@digitaltableteur/react";`
- Entry point: `@digitaltableteur/react/forms` exports it too.
- Styles: import `@digitaltableteur/react/style.css` once at the app boundary.
- Also available as the custom element `<dt-text-area>`; see the custom elements manifest.

## Links

- Machine-readable contract (Design System Contract 1.0): https://www.digitaltableteur.com/contracts/v1/TextArea.contract.json
- Markdown version of this page: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components/text-area.md
- Component index as JSON: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components.json
- All components: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components
- Source: The implementation lives in a private repository. This page, its Markdown twin and the contract are generated from it at build time and are the public source of truth.