FormsForms

FormsForms

Forms are used for e-commerce, online purchases, surveys, registrations, etc.

Websites using forms usually collect information and must use secure internet connections

Sending information via forms is easy and automatic The information is sent using name/value pairs:

It can be submitted/written to a database It can be e-mailed to someone

Structure & Structure & CommunicationCommunication There are two distinct parts: front end and back end

Front end is the visible part in the browser where the user enters data

Back end is the invisible part and is a computer program that processes the information

Developing front end is much simpler than developing the back end

Front end uses XHTML, while back end uses knowledge of programming languages

The <form> tag with action attribute develops the link between the front and the back ends

Structure & Structure & CommunicationCommunication

ElementsElementsThe form elements are:

text fields – allows you to input a line of text Parameters: size and maximum length

radio buttons – provide multiple choices with only one selection Parameters: checked or unchecked

check boxes – provide multiple choices with multiple selections Parameters: checked or unchecked

Menus – Provides a menu of verbose choices Parameter: size

text areas – Provide multiple lines of text Parameters: width and height

submit buttons – collects and sends form input Parameters: button label

reset buttons – erases or clears the form input Parameters : button label

ElementsElements

Layout & DesignLayout & Design

Form design tips: Keep the form short Keep the form simple Keep the form organised Arrange form elements with tables and layers

The common theme for each form is: All forms have a submit and reset button Every form has an action attribute and a method

Layout & DesignLayout & Design

Using FormsUsing Forms There are 5 XHTML tags that can be used

<form> - Allows you to create a layout Attributes: name, action, method, enctype, accept-charset,

accept <input> - creates form elements

Attributes : type, name, value, size, maxlength, checked, src <select> - creates a menu

Attributes : name, size, multiple <option> - creates menu items

Attributes : selected, value, label <textarea> - creates a text area

Attributes: name, rows, cols, wrap

Using FormsUsing Forms Create a web page that uses text fields

Using FormsUsing Forms

The start of the code for this form is as follows:

<form name="MyForm" action="mailto:youremailaddress@dit.ie" method="post">

Enter your name: <br/>

First name: <input type="text" name="First Name" size="40" maxlength="256" value="James" />

MI: <input type="text" name="Middle Initial" size="5" maxlength="6" value="D" />

Last name: <input type="text" name="Second Name" size="40" maxlength="256" value="Carswell" /> <br/>

Address: <input type="text" name="Address" size="10" maxlength="30"/>

<input type="submit" value="Send It" />

<input type="reset" value="Reset It" />

</form>

Using FormsUsing Forms Create a web page that uses check boxes

<form name="MyForm2" <form name="MyForm2" action="mailto:youremailaddress@dit.ie" action="mailto:youremailaddress@dit.ie" method="post">method="post">

<input type="checkbox" <input type="checkbox" name="FavouriteFood" value="Pizza" name="FavouriteFood" value="Pizza" checked/> Pizzachecked/> Pizza

<input type="checkbox" name=" <input type="checkbox" name=" FavouriteFood" value="Salad" /> FavouriteFood" value="Salad" /> SaladSalad

<input type="checkbox" name=" <input type="checkbox" name=" FavouriteFood " value="Burger" /> FavouriteFood " value="Burger" /> Burger<br/>Burger<br/>

<input type="submit" value="Send It" /><input type="submit" value="Send It" /><input type="reset" value="Reset It" /><input type="reset" value="Reset It" />

</form></form>

Using FormsUsing Forms Create a web page that uses radio buttons

<form name="MyForm3" <form name="MyForm3" action="mailto:youremailaddress@dit.ie" action="mailto:youremailaddress@dit.ie" method="post">method="post">

<input type="radio" name="gender" <input type="radio" name="gender" value="male" /> Male<br />value="male" /> Male<br />

<input type="radio" name="gender" <input type="radio" name="gender" value="female" /> Female<br />value="female" /> Female<br />

<input type="submit" value="Send It" /><input type="submit" value="Send It" /><input type="reset" value="Reset It" /><input type="reset" value="Reset It" />

</form></form>

Using FormsUsing Forms Create a web page that uses buttons

<form name="MyForm4" <form name="MyForm4" action="mailto:youremailaddress@dit.ie" action="mailto:youremailaddress@dit.ie" method="post">method="post">

Select your favourite season:Select your favourite season:<input type="button" value="Fallish" /><input type="button" value="Fallish" /><input type="button" value="Winter" /><input type="button" value="Winter" /><input type="button" value="Spring" /><input type="button" value="Spring" /><input type="button" value="Summer"<input type="button" value="Summer"/><br />/><br />

</form></form>

Using FormsUsing Forms

Create a web page that uses menus

<form action="mailto:email@address.com" <form action="mailto:email@address.com" method="post">method="post">

<select name="compHardware" <select name="compHardware" size="4">size="4"><option> Disk Drive</option><option> Disk Drive</option><option > More RAM</option><option > More RAM</option><option selected> Zip drive</option><option selected> Zip drive</option><option> New monitor</option><option> New monitor</option>

</select></select></form></form>

Formatting FormsFormatting Forms A form may have multiple elements

The form elements must be organised to make it easier for the web surfers to fill them

When using tables, form elements are a part of the table cells -> can get quite complex

Formatting forms by using layers is easier and offers more flexibility

Formatting FormsFormatting Forms Format form with tables

<table align="center"><table align="center"><caption><h2 align="center">Please fill this survey </h2></caption><caption><h2 align="center">Please fill this survey </h2></caption><form name="myForm" method="post" action="mailto:a@b.com"><form name="myForm" method="post" action="mailto:a@b.com">

<tr><tr><td>First Name:</td><td>First Name:</td><td><input type="text" name="first" size="10" <td><input type="text" name="first" size="10"

maxlength="15"></td>maxlength="15"></td><td>MI:</td><td>MI:</td><td><input type="text" name="mi" <td><input type="text" name="mi"

size="1"></td>size="1"></td><td>Last Name:</td><td>Last Name:</td><td><input type="text" name="last" size="10" <td><input type="text" name="last" size="10"

maxlength="18"></td>maxlength="18"></td></tr></tr>

</form></form></table></table>