Generating Free Forms for your Forum

by **Shadow** December 13th 2007, 9:06 am

Generating Free Forms for your Forum

To make a free form, go here. You will need to sign up, but its totally free. Once signed up, log in and you will be on the welcome page, where it will ask you to use the create form wizard. Click it.

Step 1

Give your form a name, for example...staff application form. Enter the email address you want form submissions to be sent to and enter the web address that your members should be returned to after sending. Think hard about how many fields your form will have, lets say for a staff application form you might have name, forum username, email, position applied for, comments. That would be five fields. You can always go back and sort this though. Click next once finished.

Step 2

Okay the next page is more interesting. You have your list of fields. Now you have to name them. Using the staff form example, field one would be name, field two username, field three email and so on. Once named you can set text effects for each field, meaning the name of the field can appear bold or italic if you choose. You will then be able to select field type. I have explained about the field types below:

Short text: This is usually used for name, email. Short bits of text
Large text: Used for Address if you need it, comments, long bits of text
Check box: Handy if your field is multiple choice.
Radio Buttons: Not a need for these.
Drop Down List: giving a list of choices of which only one can be selected.

Carrying on with the staff application form, i would make the name, username and email, short text. For the position applied for i would use a drop down list and for comments, large text. You can then select if the member is required to provide the information you have asked for, meaning that if you set a field to being required, and a member doesnt fill it in, the form wont send until they do. Once finished click next.

Step 3

On the next page you can now set the size of your fields. I have always left to default and its been fine. Where you have chosen drop down list or check box, you will need to fill in your choices and separate each one with the | symbol. For example, with position applied for, i would put: moderator|graphic designer|forum promoter. Once finished click next.

Step 4

The next page is more for those whom know css. If you dont i would suggest scrolling to the bottom to display mode, and clicking Web Form will be on EmailMeForm server, but looks like your site. For those whom do know css its simple so i shouldnt need to explain. Click next when done.
On the next page leave settings as they are, and click next. You will now see a preview of your forum. You can click back at any time to modify. I would suggest leaving the antispam image verification on. Click finish when done. Your form will be saved and it will give you the html code link for your form. You can take that and post it in any topics on your forum. Alternatively you can create a link in your nav bar to your form.