diff --git a/frontend/cs-hx.lisp b/frontend/cs-hx.lisp
index 61e77cc..7d17c9e 100644
--- a/frontend/cs-hx.lisp
+++ b/frontend/cs-hx.lisp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 (defpackage :scopes/frontend/cs-hx
   (:use :common-lisp)
   (:local-nicknames (:dom :scopes/web/dom)
+                    (:frontend :scopes/frontend)
                     (:message :scopes/core/message)
                     (:response :scopes/web/response)
                     (:shape :scopes/shape)
@@ -35,13 +36,15 @@
          (fields (getf data :fields)))
     (dom:form (list :name "login" :hx-target "#cs-debug" :hx-post "/hx/auth/login") 
               (mapcar (lambda (f) (form-field f)) fields)
-              (button '(:class "btn btn-primary") "Login")
+              (button '(:class "btn btn-primary") (getf data :button))
               )))
 
-(defun form-field (name)
+(defun form-field (fld)
   (div nil 
-       (label '(:class "form-label") name)
-       (input (list :type "text" :name name :class "form-control"))))
+       (label '(:class "form-label") (frontend:label fld))
+       (input (list :type (frontend:field-type fld) 
+                    :name (frontend:name fld) 
+                    :class "form-control"))))
 
 (setf (gethash :view *templates*) #'view)
 (setf (gethash :form *templates*) #'form)
diff --git a/frontend/frontend.lisp b/frontend/frontend.lisp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..20027f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/frontend.lisp
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+;;;; cl-scopes/frontend - generic (browser-oriented) frontend definitions.
+
+(defpackage :scopes/frontend
+  (:use :common-lisp)
+  (:export #:form 
+           #:field #:attrs #:field-type #:label #:name 
+           #:control))
+
+(in-package :scopes/frontend)
+
+(defclass field ()
+  ((name :reader name :initarg :name)
+   (label :reader label :initarg :label)
+   (field-type :reader field-type :initarg :type :initform :text)
+   (attrs :reader attrs :initarg :attrs :initform nil)))
+
+(defun field (name label &key type attrs)
+  (make-instance 'field :name name :label label :type type :attrs attrs))
diff --git a/lib/auth/web.lisp b/lib/auth/web.lisp
index 9542c70..a5ca2a9 100644
--- a/lib/auth/web.lisp
+++ b/lib/auth/web.lisp
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
                     (:auth :scopes-auth)
                     (:config :scopes/config)
                     (:core :scopes/core)
+                    (:frontend :scopes/frontend)
                     (:jwt :scopes/web/jwt)
                     (:message :scopes/core/message)
                     (:server :scopes/web/server)
@@ -15,12 +16,23 @@
 
 (in-package :scopes-auth/web)
 
-(defun login-form (ctx msg)
-  (let ((mso (message:create '(:auth :form :login)
-                             :data '(:fields (:login :password) :button "Login"))))
-    (actor:send (actor:customer msg) mso)
+;;;; set up login form for interactive (browser) login
+
+(defun login-form (ctx msg-in)
+  (let ((msg (message:create '(:auth :form :login)
+                             :data (list
+                                     ;:fields (:login :password) 
+                                     :fields (login-fields)
+                                     :button "Login"))))
+    (actor:send (actor:customer msg-in) msg)
     ))
 
+(defun login-fields ()
+  (list (frontend:field :login "User Name" :attrs '(:autofocus t))
+        (frontend:field :password "Password" :type :password)))
+
+;;;; browser login: check credentials / auth token / external auth
+
 (defun login (ctx msg)
   (let* ((prc (auth:login (shape:data msg))))
     ;(jwt:create ...)
diff --git a/scopes-web.asd b/scopes-web.asd
index e8e78ab..1cfcc81 100644
--- a/scopes-web.asd
+++ b/scopes-web.asd
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@
   :depends-on (:cl-cookie :cl-html-parse :clack :dexador :flexi-streams 
                :lack :lack-component :lack-app-file :quri
                :scopes-core)
-  :components ((:file "frontend/cs-hx" :depends-on ("web/dom" "web/response"))
+  :components ((:file "frontend/frontend")
+               (:file "frontend/cs-hx" 
+                      :depends-on ("web/dom" "web/response"))
                (:file "web/client")
                (:file "web/cookie")
                (:file "web/dom")
diff --git a/test/etc/config-dummy.lisp b/test/etc/config-dummy.lisp
index aa5d54e..dac3d4f 100644
--- a/test/etc/config-dummy.lisp
+++ b/test/etc/config-dummy.lisp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 (config:add :child :class 'child-config
   :user (config:from-env :user)
+  ;:user (util:getenv "SCOPES_USER")
   :password (config:from-env :password)
   :address (config:from-env :address)
   :port (config:from-env :port "8199")