Forms Hack

Forms Hack 3.5

Features:

Ever wanted an online form that a user can fill out, which when submitted gets:

• Posted into a new thread in a forum of your choice
• Create a new poll in the new thread with options of your choice
• Posted as a reply in an existing thread of your choice
• PMed to you or someone else
• Emailed to an email address you specify
• Choose to redirect to the post, thread or forum, or a custom thank you message
• Choose to redirect to edit post to upload attachments
• See a preview before they submit

Or any combination or all of the above?

Well, this is the hack for you!

You can use this for:

• Moderator Applications
• Quiz Submit Form which gets PMed to a moderator
• Contact Form that goes to PM, email or thread
• Guests to apply to be members
• Report a Moderator form that goes as a PM to you
• Guests can PM you for whatever reason
• Order form to buy things
• Donation form
• News or Articles submissions that can go straight to a thread

Or anything you like - this hack is totally customizable via the AdminCP.

The beauty of this hack is that once you install this hack, to make a new form all you need to do is copy the main hook, rename it to whatever you want, edit the variables in the hook, and you have a totally new form!!! You do not need to touch the templates again, but can always create new ones and use different templates for different forms.

Format of the form:

• One main input question
• 3 Radio buttons Choice questions
• 3 Normal text input questions
• 1 Drop down menu
• 3 Check boxes
• 1 Long answer question
• 1 VB message editor text box question

This is customizable via the hook.

Also:

• You can set the usergroups you want access to this form.
• Depending on your forum permissions, if the new thread is in a public forum, members can reply to it. This hack allows a form to submit the new thread or post wherever you want it to go.
• Force the user to answer all questions.

INSTALLATION
Easy - takes only a few minutes:

• Import the XML into products. (admin cp -> Plug-in System -> Manage Products -> Add/Import Product)
• Edit the main plug-in - the instructions are all inside the hook itself, in the top half. Follow the instructions carefully!
• To get to the form, go to: /newthread.php?do=form (change "form" to the name of your form if you have few)

Done!

Use this hack to make as many forms as you like!

Enjoy!

Updates:

Version 2.0: (08/10/2005)

• Ported over for vb3.5

Version 2.1: (08/10/2005)

• bug fix with answers not showing

Version 2.5: (08/13/2005)

• Major update:
• Templates have a few lines changed here and there.
• You can now have more then 2 poll options very easily
• Polls can't be created if your not creating a new thread
• New Thread now uses VB function to add the thread
• New Poll now uses VB function to add the poll
• New Reply now uses VB function to add the reply
• PM now uses VB function to send the PM

Version 2.6: (08/21/2005)

• fixed bug with posts having to be moderated

Version 2.7: (08/23/2005)

• Minor update:
• Fixed some issues with signatures, URL parsing, and subscriptions
• Option to name the post titles
• Made template XHTML 1.0 Transitional

Version 3.0: (11/29/2005)

• Major update:
• Added drop down menu
• Made the long answer show up in a the vb message box
• Re-wrote some instructions
• Pressing back should save work
• Both templates and plug-in were edited
• Some more minor things

Version 3.1: (12/07/2005)

• Brought back the standard text box (longanswer)

Version 3.2: (12/09/2005)

• [ADDED] Option to make polls public.

Version 3.3: (12/19/2005)

• [FIXED] Guests can now post using the forms to make a thread or post. They cannot send a PM though.
• [ADDED] Paypal link so you can make a donation for this hack.

Version 3.4: (04/05/2006)

• [FIXED] Removed extra line from template.
• [ADDED] WYSIWYG editor now works besides the regular editor.
• [ADDED] Preview.
• [CHANGED] Subscriptions now take from user default setting.

Version 3.5: (05/31/2006)

• [ADDED] Check boxes.

Abe1 with rights from Dr Erwin Loh

This hack is created for your use free of charge. No payment is requested. However, if you would like to donate money for the work I put in to this hack, a donation would show your appreciation.

[zennifer]

hmm I've been using this for quite some time now to post membership requests but for some reason when I tried to add PMing and E-mailing of the form those two don't work. I am the one filling out the form and I have permission to e-mail and PM so it's not a permissions thing.... at least I dont' think. It still posts to the same forum that it always did so I'm not sure whats wrong... any advice?
-Jenn

[Abe1]

Originally Posted by zennifer

hmm I've been using this for quite some time now to post membership requests but for some reason when I tried to add PMing and E-mailing of the form those two don't work. I am the one filling out the form and I have permission to e-mail and PM so it's not a permissions thing.... at least I dont' think. It still posts to the same forum that it always did so I'm not sure whats wrong... any advice?
-Jenn

Unsure. I dont know why it wouldn't be working. Are you making sure you are enabling it?

[ChrisBaktis]

Originally Posted by ChrisBaktis

I want to include a link to a form in the postbit....

My question - is there a way that when I click on the link the the username of the post i was in will become one of the variables for output?

ill try to make it clear...

I run a trading site...if I go to post made by User X and click on the link I want User X's username to be a variable in the form as the person I trade with (etc User X will become $normalquestion1).

Any idea?

Id like to be able to do this.

[Abe1]

Originally Posted by ChrisBaktis

Id like to be able to do this.

They are already. $bbuserinfo[username]

[defcon_420]

gotta say Great hack Abe1! you really put alot of effort into this and have spent alot of time supporting it
A++

[Abe1]

ANY OTHER FEATURES? I'm almost realy to release.

Originally Posted by zennifer

hmm I've been using this for quite some time now to post membership requests but for some reason when I tried to add PMing and E-mailing of the form those two don't work. I am the one filling out the form and I have permission to e-mail and PM so it's not a permissions thing.... at least I dont' think. It still posts to the same forum that it always did so I'm not sure whats wrong... any advice?
-Jenn

I set the form now that it uses the users defaut pref. on subscriptions.
Is that good?

[ddolliver]

We need PayPal button to use this as a registration form. We want to have fill-in boxes for user information, vehicle information and then the option to send the form by email AND payPal the membership fee, or send the fee by USPS.

[Abe1]

Originally Posted by ddolliver

We need PayPal button to use this as a registration form. We want to have fill-in boxes for user information, vehicle information and then the option to send the form by email AND payPal the membership fee, or send the fee by USPS.

:P Keep dreaming

[ChrisBaktis]

Originally Posted by Abe1

They are already. $bbuserinfo[username]

Im not sure on how to have the username of the member that posted the post I was just on to carry over to the form...can you explain?

I dont want my name in that area - I want the members name that wrote the post to appear there.

[Abe1]

Originally Posted by ChrisBaktis

Im not sure on how to have the username of the member that posted the post I was just on to carry over to the form...can you explain?

I dont want my name in that area - I want the members name that wrote the post to appear there.

Right, use: $bbuserinfo[username] in the answer template.