Forms

Form

Displays the Form sub menu, which allows you to add a new form and form elements to your Web page. You must first create a new form (see below) and your cursor must be in the form, before you can add form elements (such as text fields and check boxes) to your Web page. Forms require CGI programming to make use of the data you will collect in the form. When designing a form in Web Factory, be sure to work closely with your CGI programmer (unless, of course, the programmer is you) to ensure that your form will work successfully. The Form sub menu provides you with the following options:

New Form

Displays the New Form box, which allows you to insert a new form on your Web page. You can then add the form elements. The New Form box has the following options:

• Method: Select post or get. Find out from your CGI programmer which method to use. Defaults to post.
• Action: Type the URL of the CGI program associated with the form.

Text Area

Displays the Text Area Properties box, which allows you to insert a multi-line text area in which the user can type information that you have requested. The Text Area Properties box has the following options:

• Name: Specify a unique name for this text area. This name is used in the CGI program to refer to this element. Web Factory provides a unique name that you or the CGI programmer can change.
• Width: Type the number of characters across that will be displayed in the text area.
• Height: Type the number of lines of text that will be displayed in the text area. If the user types more information that fits in this text area, scroll bars will be added to accommodate the extra information. The text area can contain as few as one line or as many as you like.
• Contents: Type the initial text that will display in this field, if any.

Selection

Displays the Select Properties box, which allows you to insert a list from which the user can select items. The Select Properties box has the following options:

• Name: Specify a unique name for this selection. This name is used in the CGI program to refer to this element. Web Factory provides a unique name that you or the CGI programmer can change.
• Size: Type the number of lines of text that will be displayed at one time. This number can be fewer than the total number of lines provided in the selection list. If only part of the list is displayed at once, scroll bars will appear.
• Multiple selections: Select this option if you want to allow the user to choose more than one item on the list.
• Contents: Type each of the list items that will be available to the user in this selection. To insert a line break for the next item, press Ctrl+Enter.

Select Option

Adds another list item to the selection. After choosing Select Option, type the text of the list item to be added.

Text Field

Displays the Text Input Field box, which allows you to insert a one-line text field that the user can type in. The Text Input Field box has the following options:

• Name: Specify a unique name for this text field. This name is used in the CGI program to refer to this element. Web Factory provides a unique name that you or the CGI programmer can change.
• Size: Type the number of characters across that will be displayed in the text field at any one time.
• Max length: Type the maximum number of characters that you will allow the user to enter in the text field. This number can be larger than the Size number. If the user types more text than can be displayed at any one time, the user can scroll across this field with the cursor and arrow keys. Scroll bars will not appear.
• Value: Type the initial text that will display in this field, if any.

Password Field

Displays the Password Input Field box, which allows you to insert a text field in which the user can safely enter a password. Any text the user types in the field will display in the browser as "xxxxx", to protect the confidentiality of the user's password. The Password Input Field box has the following options:

• Name: Specify a unique name for this password field. This name is used in the CGI program to refer to this element. Web Factory provides a unique name that you or the CGI programmer can change.
• Size: Type the number of characters across that will be displayed in the password field at any one time.
• Max length: Type the maximum number of characters that you will allow the user to enter in the password field. This number can be larger than the Size number. If the user types more text than can be displayed at any one time, the user can scroll across this field with the cursor and arrow keys. Scroll bars will not appear.
• Value: Type the initial text that will display in this field, if any.

Checkbox Button

Displays the Checkbox Field box, which allows you to insert a check box option into the current form. The Checkbox Field Box has the following options:

• Name: Specify a unique name for this check box field. This name is used in the CGI program to refer to this element. Web Factory provides a unique name that you or the CGI programmer can change.
• Checked: Select this option if you want this check box to be selected.

Radio Button

Displays the Radio Box Field box, which allows you to insert a radio button option into the current form. The Radio Box Field box has the following options:

• Name: Specify a unique name for this radio button field. This name is used in the CGI program to refer to this element. Web Factory provides a unique name that you or the CGI programmer can change.
• Checked: Select this option if you want this radio button to be selected. Keep in mind that within a set of radio buttons, only one is selected.

Submit Button

Displays the Submit Button box, which allows you to insert a submit button into the current form. Submit buttons send the information gathered from the user to the CGI program for processing. The Submit Button box has the following options:

• Name: Specify a unique name for this submit button. This name is used in the CGI program to refer to this element. Web Factory provides a unique name that you or the CGI programmer can change.
• Value: Type the text that will appear on the button, usually "Submit".

Reset Button

Displays the Reset Button box, which allows you to insert a reset button into the current form. Reset buttons clear the text and/or selections the user has entered, and allow the user to start all over in filling out the form. The Reset Button box has the following options:

• Name: Specify a unique name for this reset button. This name is used in the CGI program to refer to this element. Web Factory provides a unique name that you or the CGI programmer can change.
• Value: Type the text that will appear on the button, usually "Reset".

Related Topic:
You can accomplish each of the above actions with a single click on the corresponding button in the Forms Toolbar.

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