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.

[welo]

Okay, this thing is pretty cool. Am playing with setting it up while preparing to deploy our annual 'Secret Santa' gift exchange. Will click 'Install' once I have it running. :up:

One question though: How difficult would it be to add a preview feature to this thing? This could sure eliminate a lot of submitted misinformation.

[saxpics]

Yah. A preview would be kewl. I betcha the reason we cant have that now is the same reason why we can't get the WYSIWYG text editor.

Anyhow, I wanted to say that I was able to do the modifications the way I wanted (i.e., posts as a new thread, the answer to question 1 becomes the title of the thread).

I do want to ask this again, though, in a somewhat better way:

The idea behind using this Form Hack for my Forum is to make $member submit all the info in the form for "classified" ads. The info gets sent into a forum where the user can't edit anything. The unfortunate thing is, what's to stop $member from just hitting the "New Thread" button? Is there a way to disable that for a forum and link to the form instead? I do want $members to be able to add new posts to the form-submitted thread.

[silurius]

Originally Posted by silurius

I finally found the problem. Disabling the sign a contract plugin re-enables your plugin. Since I need this hack more than the contract one, this will work for me for a little while.

Abe, I know you're working on a few enhancements to this great hack, but do you think you might have time to look at the conflict with the sign a contract plugin some time soon? I would like to start utilizing both items. Thanks!

[welo]

Originally Posted by saxpics

Yah. A preview would be kewl. I betcha the reason we cant have that now is the same reason why we can't get the WYSIWYG text editor.

I lean toward thinking it's more of an oversight than anything. Can't think of any practical reason to add WYSIWYG. Preview, on the other hand, should be standard issue for nearly any complex form submission protocol. Matter of fact, I don't see why VB doesn't use this on its contact form.

[SirJonathan]

Originally Posted by SirJonathan

Hey Guys!

I'm having some serious challenges with this form.. I'm using it for a membership application to my community and I'm having some serious trouble with people filling out an entire application, putting a LOT of time and energy into it, and then bam.. losing the whole thing. They hit post and it just never goes through.

Many applications go through fine, I just have this sinking feeling that just as many aren't going through. There isn't much that's more discouraging than losing something you've really just put your heart and soul into..

Are there alternatives? Is there something I could do to make the form more secure? Has anyone else had trouble with this? =\

Thanks in advance guys, any help is much appreciated!

-Jonathan

Do I get any points for persistance? .. *grins*.. Is there anyone who'd be willing to take a look at it for me? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks guys!

-Jonathan

[murat]

Originally Posted by silurius

Abe, I know you're working on a few enhancements to this great hack, but do you think you might have time to look at the conflict with the sign a contract plugin some time soon? I would like to start utilizing both items. Thanks!

:up:

[Cyricx]

Is there a way to add the date to the thread title?

I've already got the username in there but what I'm hoping for is like a thread title of:

Cyricx 11-18-05

[Ramsesx]

Only want to say, thank you very much for this hack abe1, it's exactly what I need and I'm sitting now plenty hours for customizing it but it's worth this time. I love you abe1 Erwin too
I would like as somebody asked before to add a dropdown list where the user can choose the forum to place the form into. This would be absolutely great.
Thanks

[SirJonathan]

Hey Abe!

Is there a way that a PHP post-back session could be added in so that when they get the error saying that not all forms were filled in and hit back the user's data isn't all lost? When they hit back or refresh, all the text they've entered would be saved. This would be a great addition and would solve a lot of my frustations with the data not going through to the forum! Thanks!

-Jonathan

[welo]

Originally Posted by SirJonathan

...not all forms were filled in and hit back the user's data isn't all lost? When they hit back or refresh...

I've noticed this too. Am thinking about something using extract($_POST); that stores POST-data in hidden inputs (on a preview page? ).

[SirJonathan]

That would be another great way to do it . I'm working with a friend of mine to add post-back integration to the application, anyway that does it will work. Will let you guys know how it goes and I'll check back to see if you guys have come up with anything!

-Jonathan

[Abe1]

I know how to do this and will implement into the next version.

[ZGeek]

This might be a huge thing to ask, but is it possible to make a form that on submission PM's a moderator or other user to approve the form? Once it's approved it then emails or PM's another person?

[SirJonathan]

Awesome Abe! Thanks a ton . And as if that wasn't enough to ask.. *grins*.. any ideas when the next version will be going out? Let me know if there's anything I can do to help. Keep up the awesome work bro .

-Jonathan

[Abe1]

New version released. For now, the text editor only allows standard editor do to a problem. I will try to figure out how I can get the wysiwyg editor working.