Using the form designer tool - many questions
Design and Skin Customization
The form designer works the same everywhere - i.e. it is not different on a profile form versus a page designer form. The concept is identical. So instead of going into detail on every page and URL you have listed, I'm going to do my best to help you understand the concept of the form designer.
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(1) What is the relationship between the create and update form design page - in each module that labels the form design pages in this way?
(1) What is the relationship between the create and update form design page - in each module that labels the form design pages in this way?
Most modules have a way to CREATE an item and way to UPDATE an item. For example you create a page - you will do this on the CREATE form. You come back later to modify it and you do that on the UPDATE form. The form designer allows you to have custom form fields on both, or just the create or update form. It is up to you.
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(2) Should we always work with the Form Designer Create Form, and then tick a box that says "Add To Update Form"?
(2) Should we always work with the Form Designer Create Form, and then tick a box that says "Add To Update Form"?
Do you want the same form field to show on the update form? Then yes.
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(3) Is the result different if we make changes in the Update Form and tick the box for "Add to Create Form"? What happens if the Create and Update Forms are not exact mirrors of each other? Are there situations where they should not be mirrors of each other?
(3) Is the result different if we make changes in the Update Form and tick the box for "Add to Create Form"? What happens if the Create and Update Forms are not exact mirrors of each other? Are there situations where they should not be mirrors of each other?
No - its the same. Usually they will be the same on both forms - i.e. you have a "page category" option on the CREATE form, so you want the same "page category" on the UPDATE form. It is up to you.
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(4) The "Add to Update Form" checkbox seems to exist only when the two form panels in a module are "Create" and "Update"? In other modules, this option does not appear when we create a new field in our form. What is the relationship between the alternative form design pages in those modules?
(4) The "Add to Update Form" checkbox seems to exist only when the two form panels in a module are "Create" and "Update"? In other modules, this option does not appear when we create a new field in our form. What is the relationship between the alternative form design pages in those modules?
If the module has BOTH a create and update form it will show. If it doesn't, it won't show.
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(5) In each module, how do we tell the form to display itself when a user has filled in the form? It seems like these forms are only visible in Admin. mode or to the profile owner when they are being created or filled in. I want all profile owners to have their profile information displayed by default, and visible to any visitor from the internet. When I am logged out, I do not see any profile pages that display the form created with the profile module.
(5) In each module, how do we tell the form to display itself when a user has filled in the form? It seems like these forms are only visible in Admin. mode or to the profile owner when they are being created or filled in. I want all profile owners to have their profile information displayed by default, and visible to any visitor from the internet. When I am logged out, I do not see any profile pages that display the form created with the profile module.
Visitor to your site cannot modify your information (say a page you created in page creator). When adding a custom form field to a form you can choose who you want it to be displayed to in the groups field. It's important to understand that form designer is just for the form - it does not control what data is DISPLAYED on a item detail page - that is controlled by the skin and templates.
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(6) When a new member signs up, how can they create a public profile page that is displayed by default, and that follows the standard format of a form designed and provided by Admin?
(6) When a new member signs up, how can they create a public profile page that is displayed by default, and that follows the standard format of a form designed and provided by Admin?
This is how Jamroom works "out of the box" - you don't need to don anything. Make sure Signups are turned on in ACP -> Users -> User Accounts.
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(7) Once a particular user's profile has been created with a profile description based on a particular form, will future updates of that form apply to the existing profile? (Keeping all the existing information in so far as the fields for that information have not been deleted).
(7) Once a particular user's profile has been created with a profile description based on a particular form, will future updates of that form apply to the existing profile? (Keeping all the existing information in so far as the fields for that information have not been deleted).
yes.
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(8) In the profile module, I can design a form and select "display groups" from the bottom of the Form Designer page, but I cannot see what effect this selection has. Regardless of the groups and quotas selected, and logged in as Admin., I see the same profile form attached to all profiles in all quotas.
(8) In the profile module, I can design a form and select "display groups" from the bottom of the Form Designer page, but I cannot see what effect this selection has. Regardless of the groups and quotas selected, and logged in as Admin., I see the same profile form attached to all profiles in all quotas.
This decides who the form field will show to. If you set it to admin, that form field will only show to ADMIN users when they are viewing that form.
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(9) Once a particular form design has been applied to a module, and to all the quotas where that module is used, will that design be fixed (unchangeable) in each existing quota, or will it be updated across all existing quotas?
(9) Once a particular form design has been applied to a module, and to all the quotas where that module is used, will that design be fixed (unchangeable) in each existing quota, or will it be updated across all existing quotas?
It's dynamic - it will update if you change it.
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(10) Can operation of the form designer tool be explained in every context where it automatically appears after installing all the modules? The only introduction I can find is the example at the top of this page, and this only shows the tool being used for a video module.
(10) Can operation of the form designer tool be explained in every context where it automatically appears after installing all the modules? The only introduction I can find is the example at the top of this page, and this only shows the tool being used for a video module.
Like I said at the very top - the form designer works the exact same everywhere. You use it to add custom form fields to existing CREATE and UPDATE forms. For example, let's say when modifying a Page Creator page in your system you want a new field for holding the page background color, but you want only MASTER ADMINS to be able to set it - you:
- go to a page in your system and click on the GEAR icon to modify it
- click the FORM DESIGNER button
- add a new field called "page_background_color" - do NOT check the "add to create form" (since we want it to be on our update page only)
- save
- in the FORM FIELD editor:
- in "label" type "page background color"
- in "sub label" leave it empty
- in "help" type "this will be the page background color"
- in "type" select "text"
- in "display groups" select ONLY "master admins"
- put a checkmark in ACTIVE and save
Now when you view the UPDATE form for a page you will see your new field. ONLY YOU will see it (as master admin) - other users will not see that form field when viewing the UPDATE form.
Let me know if that helps.
