Creating Forms
A Mail Form allows members/visitors to enter requested information and submit the information to a desired email account.
Click here for a sample of a mail form. Refer to this image while exploring the features below.
The form element is a container for all form contents, which means that all form controls (for example checkboxes, text fields, or buttons) must be placed inside it. To insert the form into your document, press the toolbar button. The Form Properties dialog window that opens lets you configure basic form settings that control the form's interaction with the server.
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Once you configure the form and click the OK button, the form area will be visible in the editing area as a frame with a red dotted border. Anything contained within this "box" will be part of the mail form.
**DO NOT DELETE ANY OF THE BOXES THAT APPEAR AT THE TOP OF THE MAIL FORM.
They are hidden and will not show on your page, however they are essential for the mail form to work!
Since the form element is just a container you need to add some form controls to make it usable. To do so, place the cursor inside the form frame (within the red dotted box) and use further form toolbar buttons to insert form elements.
**ALL FORM ELEMENTS MUST BE PLACED WITHIN THE RED DOTTED BOX.
Checkboxes are used when there are lists of options and the user may select any number of choices. Each checkbox is independent of all other checkboxes in the list.
To insert a checkbox into a document, place the cursor inside the form element and press the toolbar button. The Checkbox Properties dialog window that will open lets you set the name and value of a checkbox as well as decide whether it should be selected by default.
Once you configure the checkbox and click the OK button, the checkbox will be visible in editing area and you will be able to add some text that describes the checkbox option. |
A radio button is a form element that lets you select one item from a list. Radio buttons are usually used in groups and they differ from another form element, the checkbox, in that only one item can be selected at a time.
To insert a radio button into a document, place the cursor inside the form element and press the toolbar button. The Radio Button Properties dialog window that will open lets you set the name and value of a radio button as well as decide whether it should be selected by default.
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A text field is a form element that lets you enter text into a single-line field (for example, name, email address, etc.).
A text field element comes in two variants: The first one lets you enter the text and see it as you type, the second is used for entering passwords and obscures the typed characters with an asterisk (*), a bullet (•), or another symbol used by the browser.
To insert a text field into a document, place the cursor inside the form element and press the toolbar button. The Text Field Properties dialog window that will open lets you set the name, value, type, and size of a text field.
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A textarea is a form element that lets you enter text into a multiline, scrollable field. Textareas differ from another form element, the text field, in that they are multiline fields and thus are meant for longer entries.
To insert a textarea into a document, place the cursor inside the form element and press the toolbar button. The Textarea Properties dialog window that will open lets you set the name and size of a textarea.
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A selection field is a form element that lets you select one or more items from a scrollable list. Selection fields usually contain numerous options and depending on the settings, you can either limit the selection to one item or choose multiple items by holding the Ctrl key while selecting them with a mouse.
To insert a selection field into a document, place the cursor inside the form element and press the toolbar button. The Selection Field Properties dialog window that will open lets you set the name of a selection field as well as the number and content of available options.
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A selection field with one option selected:
A button is a form element that gives the user a visual cue for completing a form action.
There are three types of form buttons. The first one is a standard button. The second one is a submit button that submits the form data to the server. The third one is a reset button that resets the form to it's default values.
To insert a button into a document, place the cursor inside the form element and press the toolbar button. The Button Properties dialog window that will open lets you set the name, value, and type of the button element.
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An image button is a form element that gives the user a visual cue for completing a form action. It is a clickable image that functions just like a standard button but has a customized appearance.
To insert an image button into a document, place the cursor inside the form element and press the toolbar button. The Image Button Properties dialog window that will open lets you configure the URL and display options of the custom image button.
The Image Button Properties dialog window includes three tabs that group image button options: Image Info, Upload, and Advanced. Since the configuration options for an image button match the settings for normal images inserted into documents, please refer to the Inserting Images section of the Reference Guide. |
A hidden field is a special form element in that it does not allow any interaction with the user and is hidden from view. At the same time its value is sent along with the other information when the form is submitted.
To insert a hidden field into a document, place the cursor inside the form element and press the toolbar button. The Hidden Field Properties dialog window that will open lets you set the name and value of a hidden field.
Once you configure the hidden field and click the OK button, the hidden field will be visible in the editing area as a small icon. Note, however, that as the name suggests, it will be hidden while in preview mode. |
In some cases, you do not want your users to skip fields within your form. To make a field required: