Create a group box around certain controls on a web form using CSS

A fieldset with a legend provides a visual and semantic grouping for form controls. You can then style this as desired with CSS. A fieldset is somewhat unique in that the legend is capable of visually interrupting the border of its parent fieldset (possible with other elements, but difficult).

Example: http://jsfiddle.net/NUMcr/1/

<fieldset>
<legend>Group 1</legend>
    <input type="text" />
    <asp:Textbox runat="Server" id="txt1" />
    <!-- etc -->
</fieldset>

fieldset {
    margin: 8px;
    border: 1px solid silver;
    padding: 8px;    
    border-radius: 4px;
}

legend {
    padding: 2px;    
}

There is the fieldset HTML element, which is made for this specific purpose: http://www.w3.org/wiki/HTML/Elements/fieldset. If you are set on using CSS only, you could do something like this:

<html>
<head></head>
<body>

    <h1>Step 1</h1>
    <div style="border: 1px solid #000000;">
        <input type="text" />
        <input type="submit" value="Submit" />
    </div>

</body>
</html>

You could then style the h1 (or whatever type of HTML element you'd like to use for the header) and the div containing the input elements.

<form>
  <fieldset>
    <legend>Personalia:</legend>
    Name: <input type="text"><br>
    Email: <input type="text"><br>
    Date of birth: <input type="text">
  </fieldset>
</form>

Create a group box around certain controls on a web form using CSS

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