Creating forms using FrontPage and FormMail
Step by Step guide to creating a form using FrontPage and FormMail | Form style
Step by Step - creating a simple form
In Frontpage select Insert from toolbar.
Select Form from the drop down menu and then select Form from the drop down menu. This will create your form area including submit and reset buttons.
We need to ensure that the form is referencing the correct script.
Place your cursor over the form and right click your mouse. From the menu select Form Properties.
Select the Options button. In the Action field type - this field is case sensitive.
http://www.hants.gov.uk/cgi-bin/FormMail.pl
Then click OK
This will take you back to the Form Properties window. From this window select the Advanced button.
Another window will appear.
select the Add button, and again another window will appear.
In the Name field type - subject. In the value field give the name or subject of your form. This will be displayed as the subject of the email when the form is sent.
Click on Add again. In the Name field type - recipient. In the value field type the email address of the person who needs to receive the form e.g. hantsweb@hants.gov.uk
Click on Add again. In the Name field type - redirect. In the value field type in the web address of your thank you page. You will need to create a page that confirms the form has been sent, who it has been sent to and when to expect a response. This is just a normal page so for this form as an example I will redirect to: http://www.hants.gov.uk/austen/thanks.html
To begin to create fields in your form. Select Insert from the Toolbar. From the drop down list select Form. Now select the field type you wish to use e.g. one line text box.
To give this field value, place your cursor over the field and right click your mouse. From the menu select Form Field Properties. A window will open called Text Box Properties.
In the Name field give your field a name, ideally it should be short, lower case and without spaces. The second field Initial Value allow you to add text into the field, so for example you could type for this field 'Enter name here', this is optional. You can also enter the width of the text box by changing the figure in the field Width in Characters.
Finally you can rename the submit and reset button by placing your cursor over the button and right click your mouse. Select Form Field Properties from the menu. In the Name field give your field a name. In the Value/Label field you can enter what you want to appear on the button, for example Send request. In Button type the Submit option should be selected. This will ensure the function of this button is submitting the form.
Follow the same process for the reset button but ensure that the Button type is shown as Reset.
Finally, when you have completed you form to ensure your fields come back in the correct order you need to list them in your sort input field. To do this place your cursor over the form and right click. Select From Properties from the menu. A new Form Properties window will appear, select the Advanced button.
Click on Add. In the Name field type - sort. In the value field type order: then list your fields separated by a comma (no spaces) for example order:name,anotherfield,anotherfield, always end with a comma. This field will allow you to decide the order in which you receive the answers to your form in your email. If you do not use this field the answers will be returned in a random manner
If you need to add or remove field names in the sort field you can return to it by highlighting the sort field from the menu window by clicking on it with your mouse and selecting the Modify button, then you will be able to add and delete fields.
An optional field - if your form has fields with information that must be returned you will need to insert the required field. Here you will list the names of the fields that must be completed, otherwise the form will not be sent until they have been filled in. Click on Add again. In the Name field type - required. In the value field list the required fields separated by a comma (no spaces).
For further information on FormMail please take a look at Matt's Script Archive
Form style
The form that was created using these instructions is below. This form also demonstrates how the privacy statement should appear, along with where the form is being sent with an email contact and acknowledgements to FormMail and Matt's Script Archive.
The form will be passed to the Hantsweb Team.
Enquiries: angela.coates@hants.gov.uk
Acknowledgement: This form uses FormMail.pl from Matt's Script Archive.
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