|
How To Create An Online Form
Using FrontPage 2003
An online form can be used to interact with and gather information
from your parents and/or your students. First, you must create the
form, and then
tell FrontPage how to
handle the form (where to store results) or
how to email results to you. If you make changes to
the form after you have created the database, you have to
update the database.
To Create A Form:
- Open your website in FrontPage 2003.
- Open the page on which you want to create the
form.
- From the File menu, choose File; choose
Save As.
- In the Save As box, choose the Change title:
button and give the page a title.
- In the File name box, type a file name.
- Choose the drop-down arrow for the Save
as type: box and choose ASP Files(*.asp)
- Choose Save.
- From the File menu, choose Insert. Choose Form.
Choose Form.
(Note: This will insert an area with a
dotted line around it. Everything added inside that dotted
line applies to the form and will be interactive.)
- To add fields to the form, make sure the cursor
is blinking inside the form to the left of the Submit button.
- Choose enter and then use the
up-arrow to position the cursor to the top of the form, but
still inside the dotted line.
-
Add a table to the form to hold the form fields in position.
- Give the table one row and two
columns -- or more columns, if necessary.
- Click inside the left
cell and type the information for the first form field. (Example:
Presenter.)
- Tab to move the cursor into the second cell.
- Insert a form field for that
information. (Example: for Presenter, which requires a
person's name, use a Textbox. A Textbox is a one-line form
field.)
- To insert a Textbox, choose Insert.
Choose Form. Choose
Textbox.)
- Right-click on the form field. (Example:
the textbox.)
- Choose Form Field Properties.
- In the Text Box Properties box, give the field
a name to identify it. (Example: Presenter.)
- In the Width in characters: box, make changes
to the width. (A good width for a name is 40.)
- Choose OK.
- Save the page.
Below are some examples of additional form
fields:
An Option Button is used for choosing
only one option from a group. (Example: Choose
Yes or No.) You must create an option button for each choice.
- To insert an Option button, click inside the left
cell and type the information for the form field.
(Example: Are you interested in being a parent volunteer?)
- Tab to move the cursor to the right
cell.
- From the File menu,
choose Insert. Choose Form. Choose Option Button.
- Space 2 times beside the Option Button,
then type the choice the Option Button represents.
(Example: Yes)
- Right-click on top of the Option Button
form field,
and choose Form Field Properties.
- In the Option Button Properties box, give the
button a Group name: (Note: Additional related
option buttons for this group have to be given the same
Group name. Example: the options buttons for this group
will be Yes and No.)
- In the value: box, type the choice for the
form field.
- Next to initial state: choose Not selected.
- Choose OK.
- Save the page.
- Tab 2 times to position the cursor in
the cell directly below the first Option Button.
- As above, insert
another Option Button and assign it Option Button Properties.
- Notice the only difference between the
Option Button Properties for this Form Field is the Value: box.
The choice is No.
A Check Box is used when you want to
offer the choice of multiple options from a group. Unlike
the Option Button, use of a Check Box does not limit a choice to
only one option, but allows as many
choices as there are check boxes.
- To insert a Check box, click inside the left
cell and type the information for the form field.
(Example: What days are you available? (Check all which
apply.))
- Tab to move the cursor to the right
cell.
- From the File menu, choose Insert.
Choose Form. Choose Group Box.
- Space 2 times beside the Group Box, then
type the choice the Group Box represents. (Example:
Monday)
- Right-click on top of the Group Box form
field, and
choose Form Field Properties.
- In the Check Box Properties box, type a
name, usually the same as the choice name.
- Type a value.
- Choose Not checked.
- Choose OK.
- Save the page.
- Repeat these steps as
above for each of the check boxes.
A Text Area Box is used to enter more
than one line of text, such as a comment. The Text Area scrolls to
accommodate several lines of text.
- To insert a Text Area, click inside the left
cell and type the information for the form field.
(Example: Please add comments.)
- Tab to move the cursor to the right
cell.
- From the File menu,
choose Insert. Choose Form. Choose Text Area.
- Right-click on top of the Text Area form
field, and choose Form Field Properties.
- In the TextArea Box Properties box, type
a name.
- Set the Width in characters:. (50 is a
good choice for a comment box.)
- Set the Number of lines:. (5 lines is
sufficient.)
- Choose OK.
- Save the page.
NOTE:
If you want to receive results through email, stop and go to
directions here. If you
want to store results in a database, proceed below:
To Tell FrontPage How To Handle the
Form - Where To Store Results:
- Right-click anywhere on the form (inside
the dotted line).
- Choose Form Properties.
- In the Form Properties box, choose Send to
database.
- Choose Options.
- In the Options for Saving Results to Database
box, choose Create Database.
- When the message appears that a database has
been created, choose OK.
- Choose OK two more times.
- Save the page.
NOTE: If you make changes
to the form after you have created the database, you must update the
database.
- To update the database, right-click
anywhere on the form (inside the dotted line).
- Choose Form Properties.
- In the Form Properties box, choose Send to
database.
- Choose Options.
- In the Options for Saving Results to Database
box, choose Update Database.
- When the message appears that FrontPage has
updated the database, choose OK.
- Choose OK two more times.
- Save the page.
If you would like to view the results from the
database online, you can create a page to
display results from the database in
the browser.
|