When using textarea, it's easy to put a fixed starting string into an HTML form, e.g.:

```
<form action="/whatever" method="POST">
<textarea cols="60" rows="10" name="whatever" maxlength="2500">dddddd</textarea>
</form>'''

```

and the user sees the data dddddd in the form and can edit it there.

But how can I put variable data into the form instead -- the data originally in the dictionary, so that users can start with that and make their changes? If in Python I have a variable y = 'xxx' and put y into the form, then users will see the variable name y instead of the text it contains.

Of course I could print the data and have the users cut and paste it into the form before editing, but there must be something better than that. I'd rather not require Javascript, and not require HTML5.