Content
1. Introduction
2. Connecting the formsbuilder module to a page
3. Working with the formsbuilder module
The Formsbuilder module of Site@School has the following features:
- Unlimited number of forms on the site and the 'Protected Area' where visitors or teachers can fill in forms.
- Forms are bound to page names; Each form must have a unique page name.
- Visitors can fill in forms on the site and send them.
- Forms can have the following options:
- Text: Which gives information to the visitors.
- Input fields: Where visitors can input text, for example, the answer to a question.
- Yes/No options: Where visitors can say 'yes' or 'no' to question or a text.
- Choose an option: Visitors have a dropdown menu to select an item.
- Correctable number of entries in a form. Easy when you have forgotten an item between, for example, no. 7 and 8.
- Forms are sent via email to whoever needs them (optional: including the sender. Read the security warning!).
- An [Edit] function to change the module name and the program name to fit your language. See the Module manager chapter for details on how to change the names.
NOTICE: Do not use " (double quotes) in texts in the formsbuilder module
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Before you can add a form to a page, you first have to create the page. This is done in the Page Manager. See the corresponding chapter.
NOTICE: You can have multiple forms on your site. For each installed form you must have made a page. When you have multiple forms, each form must have a unique page name.
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Now you can make a form. The making of a form is a two step process:
1. You create the texts and facilities that are part of the form, i.e. the intro text, the email address to send the form to, the number of entries, etc.
2. You create the prompts of the entries where the visitor can respond to, i.e. (examples), "How old are you?", or "Your ideas for the game?", etc.
Here we go. Click: Modulebrowser > Formsbuilder. You will see:
![[ ]](pics/mod_form_add_form.png)
mod_form_add_form.png
By clicking on 'Add a form' you enter:
![[ ]](pics/mod_form_form1.jpg)
mod_form_form1.jpg
Explanation:
- Form name:
NOTICE: This name must be equal to the page name you reserved for the form!
- Welcome text: The welcome text at the beginning of the form.
- Send form to: The receiver(s) of the form must be specified. Multiple addresses are possible. Separate them with commas.
- Email subject: The subject line that will be visible in the sent email.
- Email text: A text at the beginning of the email.
- Text after sending the form: When the submitter has sent the form, this text becomes visible.
- Email form to submitter (Y/N)?: By enabling this option, the submitter can send the form to her/himself.
NOTICE: This is a security risk! The sender can also send the form to someone else and in this way send unwanted messages; i.e. spam, coming from your school's address. Also the spammer can try to put multiple addresses in the field. S@S code tries to prevent this, but no warranty! Handle this option with care.
- Input fields: Here you must specify the number of input fields of your form. Be as specific as possible, although you can add or remove input fields afterwards.
- Go back: To return to the previous page.
- Save: To save your work and return to the previous page.
By clicking on 'Save' you get:
![[ ]](pics/mod_form_form_added.png)
mod_form_form_added.png
- Garbage can icon: To delete the form.
- Edit icon: To edit the form.
- Form/page name: Clicking on it brings you to the next step in making the form.
Click on the form name. You see:
![[ ]](pics/mod_form_form2.jpg)
mod_form__form2.jpg
Explanation:
- Form part 1: The fields you filled in step 1.
- Garbage can icon: To delete the input field.
- Add field icon: To add a field to the form under the one you are clicking on.
- Text above input box: Here you put the text that someone responds to.
- Length: This option not only sets the length in characters of the input field for the expected response text. By giving certain characters and numbers other options become available. This a complex option:
length | explanation |
0 | When you put in a 0 (zero), no input field will be made.
This is a useful feature to put extra information in the form that needs no response. |
1 | you will get a checkbox with yes and no. |
< 80 | a normal input field |
> 80 | if set to more than 80 characters a text area will be displayed |
Sn | To display a dropdown menu, the following options must be used:
- S0: (Capital 'S' and a zero) The text above the dropdown menu.
- S1: The first entry in the dropdown menu
- S2: The second entry in the dropdown menu. The following fields must be named S3, S4, etc. etc.
- SE: The last entry in the dropdown menu.
|
- Order: The order in which the fields will appear on the page. After adding or removing fields you will see a disrupted order.
This is not a problem.
- Required: To have an '*' (asterisk) to the input field, indicating it's required.
When no input is given in this field a popup window with an error message is shown.
- Go back: To return to the previous page.
- Save: To save your work and return to the previous page.
Now you can go to the page on your site and admire the result. It's always a good idea to test the form. Mistakes are easily made in layout etc.
Here is an example:
![[ ]](pics/mod_form_example.jpg)
mod_form_example.jpg
Here are all the possibilities that exist in a form.
- Welcome text: The text you set in 'Add a form' [2].
- Text only: Just a text without anything else. You need an input length of 0 (zero).
- A yes / no question: Needs a 'Length' of 1.
- Length = 70: Produces a field length of 70 characters because the length is less than 80.
- Length = 80: Produces a 'normal' length.
- Length = 100: Produces a text area. When the text gets too large a scrollbar is produced.
- Intro text for dropdown menu: When S0 (zero) is put in the 'Length' field, the text above the dropdown menu will be produced.
- The first field in the menu: A text with S1 in the 'Length' field.
- Send copy of form to: The option was set to 'yes' in the 'Add form' [7] option.
- Send: Click to send the form.
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Author: Dirk Schouten <schoutdi (at) knoware (dot) nl>
Last updated: 2006-04-12