FormgeneratorGuide

The following guide will explain the function of the Form Generator module and how to use it.

What is the Form Generator?

The Form Generator allows you to quickly and easily make a survey, quiz, or questionnaire that users of your site can respond to in a wide variety of ways. The Form Generator also keeps track of these responses for you and allows you to view and save these results. This survey can allow questions to be answered in many different ways, from short answer to multiple choice and other options.

How do you use the Form Generator?

To use the Form Generator, start by selecting the Content tab of your Control Panel. Once you are in your Content tab select the Form Generator icon.

http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/images/wiki/Form1.png

Once you are in the Form Generator the first step is to create a new form. Click on 'New Form'.

http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/images/wiki/Form2.png

Once you are at the form creation screen, you have several fields to fill in to create your new form. The first is the Name field where you give your form a name. The Instructions field is next and is where you describe what the form is for and how to respond/answer the questions. Next is the Submission Message field; here you enter the message that you want to show up once a user has completed your form and clicked finish. The following field is for the Post Process Code it is for advanced users to be able to add code to do things after the form is submitted. After the Post Process Code is the area for you to enter the Admin E-mail. If the form is for you, enter the e-mail where you want to be updated on the form at. (Note: An e-mail will be sent to the address you enter each time someone completes the finished form.) Finally at the bottom there are several preferences to fill in or check off for yes or no.

http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/images/wiki/Form3.png
http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/images/wiki/Form3_1.png

You can choose how many items will show up per page and several options about who can post, if they can post more then once, if they can edit their post(s) and if forms and pages will be numbered or if you want to hide the form for the time being. When you are satisfied with the form preferences and everything else, select 'Save Settings'.

Once you have saved your new form you will be taken to your new form and can now begin adding questions.

http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/images/wiki/Form4.png

In this area you have the option to add many types of entry fields for your form. You can have questions with answers selected from a drop box, multiple select, radio Button or Check Box. Or you can choose to have the questions answered in a blank text field or text area. Each of these options will be discussed in more detail below.

The first is the Drop Box. Select this from the menu and click on Add. Once you do that you will have a space to name and ask the question for the drop box. You also get to select how many options you want there to be in the drop box and if it is required for those being surveyed to answer this question. Once you have these all filled out click Next.

http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/images/wiki/FormDrop1.png

Now you will be able to enter a different possible answer in each drop box option. You can also enter a value to be associated with each answer. Users filling out the survey will not see these value but they can be filled in to be analyzed later. For instance you could ask true or false questions and have the correct value be 1 and the incorrect value be 0. Or if you are giving a survey with responses such as Dissatisfied, Neutral, Satisfied; you could have the responses be represented by 1, 2 and 3. Also, you may notice that you can check 'default' next to each option. The one you select as Default will cause that answer(s) to be pre-selected by default. You can also save the answer set, this way if you have a few questions each with similar responses, you can use the answer set for each with out having to type them out multiple times.

http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/images/wiki/FormDrop2.png

The rest of the different elements are added much the same way. Below are descriptions of each type as well as an image with a sample of what each will look like.

The next option available is a text field. This will add a single line text field. You have to enter how long it will be (this is entered in characters) and then the max amount of characters you want entered in the text field (This can be longer then the field to give responders more room). An example is shown below.

http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/images/wiki/formTfield.png

Similar to the text field, there is also the text area, this will add a text box for responders to put their answer in. You enter in the size by rows and columns, however the columns are not as wide as the rows are tall, so you may want to play with these numbers until you get an appropriate looking and sized text box. An example is featured below.

http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/images/wiki/FormTarea.png

Next is the Multiple Select. With this type of question you will provide answers and responders can select 1 or all options (or none if it is not required). An example is pictured below.

http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/images/wiki/FormMsel.png

The next option is the radio button. This type of question is your normal multiple choice response. You assign answers to each question and users can select only one of them. An example is pictured below.

http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/images/wiki/FormRbutton.png

The final option is the check box. It is similar to the Multiple select, however each option has a check box next to it and once again, users can select one or all of the answers and none if the question is not required. An example is pictured below.

http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/images/wiki/FormCbox.png

Once you have added all the questions you want, click on Save Form. This will complete the form and make it possible for others to view it.

http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/images/wiki/FormQuestions.png

Note: If you do not click on Save Form and go back to another menu, the form information will still be kept, but it will now be under 'Unsaved Forms' and users will not be able to see it.

http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/images/wiki/FormSave1.png

To save a form that ends up in the Unsaved Forms category, you will select it and click on Elements.

http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/images/wiki/FormSave2.png

The elements page is similar to the first page, however it will allow you to edit any questions you had added and give you the option at the bottom of the page to Save Form.

http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/images/wiki/FormSave3.png

Now that the Form is saved, users will be able to take your form. And once they take the form their responses will be saved and you can view them in the Archive section. (Also, you will be e-mailed completed responses) To get to the Archive section click on List Archives from the List Forms page. Note: A copy of the results of the form are also sent to the e-mail address that was set to the administrator of the form when it was created.

http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/images/wiki/Archive1.png

Once you are on the Archives page, you will see each completed instance where a user has completed a form. You can select to View the responses which will open them in your browser. If you choose to download you can choose to open it with a word program or to save the records to your computer. You can also choose to delete any archives you want.

http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/images/wiki/Archive2.png

The last area of the Form Generator Module is the Export List. This will allow you to export results from forums that have been responded to. The results will be exported as zip files and will need to be unzipped before they can be viewed.

http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/images/wiki/FormExport1.png

We have now covered all the main points of creating your own form, how to modify a form later and how to access and view the results of the form.

Permissions

All modules have a set of permissions that can be set to allow a user/user group or users/user groups to have different access to each module. These options are available through the User Administration module and you can learn more about permissions in the Permissions Guide. The Form Generator module allows you to give users none or unrestricted permission. If users are given unrestricted permission, they will be able to have full access to the module the same as you do as the site administrator. If they are given no permission, they will not be able to modify the module. You can also set permissions individually to allow the user(s) to create/edit forms, delete forms, not need approval for new forms (Forms are pre_approved), only edit their own forms, and view reports, edit form entries, delete form entries, export report data, archive forms and edit option sets.

Return to the Content Guide.

Return to the User Documentation main page.


Last modified 05/06/2008 10:38:50 AM by Matt McNaney

Immutable Page | Discussion | Print View | History |