Multiple problems with form

[abeausey]

I am having multiple problems with a form that I am attempting to put onto my website. I used the form wizard to build the form from scratch and I’ve [finally] successfully gotten the form to publish onto my site. However, when I attempt to test the functionality of the form it does not work as I’d like.

Here are a list of the item that I’d either like to have happen or that are not working correctly and I cannot figure out how to fix them.
This is kind of extensive, so please bear with me here.

1 – Upon opening the form the cursor should be in the combo box to indicate if / how the customer would like to be contacted. Right now I don’t see the cursor until I click put it in that location.

2 – If the customer selects “Yes…” the cursor should, upon tab, go to the “Name” input box. The form should edit the input for name for text and format.

3 – Upon tab the cursor should move to the input box for “I prefer to be contacted…”
If the customer selects “phone” or “either…” upon tab, the cursor should move to the input box for phone number. It should edit the input for phone number for format. If “Either…” or if “e-mail” was selected, upon tab, the cursor should move to “e-mail” input box. It should edit the input for format as an e-mail address.

4 – If “No” was selected to indicate the customer does not want to be contacted the cursor should move directly to the radio button for “New Customer” and then proceed through the form in the pattern that has been set up.

5 – If the customer has selected “Yes…” above and then completed the input for contact information, upon tab, the cursor should move to the radio button for “New Customer” and then proceed through the form in the pattern that has been set up.

6 – The form should only allow for one of the radio buttons to be set to “on”. Either New customer, Repeat customer, or Not a customer. Right now it allows for none or, any or all of them to be selected.

7 – I don’t know how to get the error page to be used when errors are found. I created and error page and have identified it as the page to be displayed when an error is found. However, currently, a box pops up with an error when the Submit button is clicked.

8 – The form currently won’t submit because the error message “Name must be in text format” is displayed via a pop up screen when the Submit button is clicked. Even though the Name input field contains a name in text format.

OK. That’s the most of it right now. As you can see I’m struggling and need a lot of help. So, anything you can do will be appreciated.

My domain is: bluestarsteamcleaning.com

The page I am having difficulty with is the “feedback.php” page.

If it is better someone can call me at: 858-248-6014 to discuss these items.

Thanks in advance for your attention and response.

~ Al ~

[navaldesign]

Re: Multiple problems with form

1 – Upon opening the form the cursor should be in the combo box to indicate if / how the customer would like to be contacted. Right now I don’t see the cursor until I click put it in that location.

This is standard HTML behavior. To have the cursor focus on a specific field, you need to add some Javascript combined to a "onLoad" event.

2 – If the customer selects “Yes…” the cursor should, upon tab, go to the “Name” input box. The form should edit the input for name for text and format.

Tab does move to the Name field. I don't understand "The form should edit the input for name for text and format." Since name is always text, why don't you simply validate the field for text only (plus whitespaces and possibly quotes - in example for name "James O' Tool")

3 – Upon tab the cursor should move to the input box for “I prefer to be contacted…”
If the customer selects “phone” or “either…” upon tab, the cursor should move to the input box for phone number. It should edit the input for phone number for format. If “Either…” or if “e-mail” was selected, upon tab, the cursor should move to “e-mail” input box. It should edit the input for format as an e-mail address.

This is not something you can do with HTML. You need Javascript. The form can't know what you want it to do unless you "tell" it. So you can do this using specific Javascript. The two fields can be pre-set (in BV) to validate as number (for tel) and email address (for the email field)

4 – If “No” was selected to indicate the customer does not want to be contacted the cursor should move directly to the radio button for “New Customer” and then proceed through the form in the pattern that has been set up.

Again, Javascript is required, the form can't "know" what you wish it to do.

5 – If the customer has selected “Yes…” above and then completed the input for contact information, upon tab, the cursor should move to the radio button for “New Customer” and then proceed through the form in the pattern that has been set up.

Javascript........

6 – The form should only allow for one of the radio buttons to be set to “on”. Either New customer, Repeat customer, or Not a customer. Right now it allows for none or, any or all of them to be selected.

This is due to how you have named the radio buttons. The three radio buttons MUST belong to the same group, which means that you need to give them the same group name.

7 – I don’t know how to get the error page to be used when errors are found. I created and error page and have identified it as the page to be displayed when an error is found. However, currently, a box pops up with an error when the Submit button is clicked.

BV's Javascript validation only supports alert popups. To get an error page which will actually report the errors, you need to use php validation, which requires writing your own form processing script OR use ABVFP that has this feature

8 – The form currently won’t submit because the error message “Name must be in text format” is displayed via a pop up screen when the Submit button is clicked. Even though the Name input field contains a name in text format.

Probably you have not allowed whitespaces.....

[abeausey]

Re: Multiple problems with form

Thank you for the above information.
I'm not really that program savvy and my skill set doesn't include knowing java script, or SQL or any of that.
I have been working on the form and have made modifications to use some alternative approaches. E.g., telling customer that "No" = Skip Optional Contact Information section. I figure if they're told then they will know how to move through the form.

I did figure out why the typed name wasn't being allowed. Yes. It was because I was not allowing for whitespaces.

One thing I don't fully understand in your response is how to make the radio buttons a part of the same group. How do I edit the characteristics to have that happen?

~ Al ~

[navaldesign]

Re: Multiple problems with form

Double click each radio button: in its properties you will see "Group Name".

Name all 3 radios with the Group Name: "Customer Type" and give the first value "New Customer", the second "Return Customer" and the 3rd "Not a Customer".

Make the Initial State of all three "Not Selected"

[abeausey]

Re: Multiple problems with form

Thank you!
I would have never figured that one out!
The form is now working just as I wanted!

Thanks for your help!

~ Al ~