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.

[eleblanc]

I installed the forms hack from erwin. But i have a issue, maybe this one done for vb3.5 will solve my issue.

Let say i have the same form i want to use to post in multiple forum id or forum and sub forums. Do i need to create one form for each forumid, or with this new version i can create one form that will be used to post in all sub forums \forum\ for exemple. if i need to simply had forum id to the form i don't mind.

Also, once the user has posted using the form, can he edit is post and mess up the formatting?,

[CnB]

heck forgot
Abe if you want and have some spare time
can you have a look at my xml to see where i went wrong ?
i want to change the name from the form
atm its something like forums/newthread.php?do=form
i want more then 1 so want to change form to recruit for example

but i cant seem to get that since importing this one will always overwrite the first one uploaded
and this one wont work :P

nice job on this hack though , exactly what i needed

btw how do you get a post like chatbum has in this screenshot http://www.blizzedhost.com/form.gif

[WNxWakko]

After removing the radio questions and such from the template and the hook, now when the form is submitted to a thread, there is a huge blank space between the username and the answer to the first question. Seems to be about 10 blank lines. Any clue?

[Abe1]

Originally Posted by eleblanc

I installed the forms hack from erwin. But i have a issue, maybe this one done for vb3.5 will solve my issue.

Let say i have the same form i want to use to post in multiple forum id or forum and sub forums. Do i need to create one form for each forumid, or with this new version i can create one form that will be used to post in all sub forums \forum\ for exemple. if i need to simply had forum id to the form i don't mind.

Also, once the user has posted using the form, can he edit is post and mess up the formatting?,

You can do this if you know how to edit php and html slitly. I do this on my forum. But, I dont have time to write out the steps right now. Maybe another day.

[Abe1]

Originally Posted by WNxWakko

After removing the radio questions and such from the template and the hook, now when the form is submitted to a thread, there is a huge blank space between the username and the answer to the first question. Seems to be about 10 blank lines. Any clue?

Did you edit the answers template?

[Abe1]

Originally Posted by CnB

heck forgot
Abe if you want and have some spare time
can you have a look at my xml to see where i went wrong ?
i want to change the name from the form
atm its something like forums/newthread.php?do=form
i want more then 1 so want to change form to recruit for example

but i cant seem to get that since importing this one will always overwrite the first one uploaded
and this one wont work :P

nice job on this hack though , exactly what i needed

btw how do you get a post like chatbum has in this screenshot http://www.blizzedhost.com/form.gif

Here you go.

[CnB]

thanks Abe
one thing though
which line do i use to see the form ?
form does not work form_recruit also wont work
both say
Invalid Forum specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator

[Abe1]

Originally Posted by CnB

thanks Abe
one thing though
which line do i use to see the form ?
form does not work form_recruit also wont work
both say
Invalid Forum specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator

recruit

[CnB]

ok got it to work
thanks Abe

one more thing how do you get something like this http://www.blizzedhost.com/form.gif ?

another thing , lets say i post the link to the form in a thread
when i click the link it always opens up in a new window
can it be set so it will open in the same window ?
if so which line do i change for this?

[WNxWakko]

I got the answer problem fixed. Didnt realize you had two templates.

Another issue, I dont understand how to duplicate this for more forms. I copied the code, clicked add plugin (not product) pasted code, changed title, change description, fixed it to newthread_start hook. However it disables my original one.

[Abe1]

Originally Posted by WNxWakko

I got the answer problem fixed. Didnt realize you had two templates.

Another issue, I dont understand how to duplicate this for more forms. I copied the code, clicked add plugin (not product) pasted code, changed title, change description, fixed it to newthread_start hook. However it disables my original one.

In the first line of the plugin code you have to change the name of the form.

[WNxWakko]

I did change the name. Here is what happens. Line through it and unchecked. I try to check it but it wont let it stick.

[Abe1]

Originally Posted by WNxWakko

I did change the name. Here is what happens. Line through it and unchecked. I try to check it but it wont let it stick.

Did you click "remember active" on the bottom?

[WNxWakko]

yup your right. the active switch. sorry, never installed a plug like that before. thanks

[WNxWakko]

I have another question. I have made a form that I also need unregistered users to use. Now I opened up the usergroup in your permissions, also tried doing the // on the usergroups so all could use. Problem is, unregistered user appears as name in form, it lets me submit and gives me the message that its sent, but it never appears in the designated forum. If I am using a logged in account the form works perfect. So how to I get it to allow unregistered/guests to use the form?