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Forms - Using the UW-Eau Claire Form Processing Script

To allow any of the forms processing features to return user-filled field values to you, you must both assign the forms processing script to your form and insert the five required hidden form fields. This will allow you to use the basic email message functions. To make use of additional features, you will also need to insert Optional Form Fields. This document will cover the following sections on activating the basic features of the forms processing script:

• Assigning the Forms Processing Script
• Defining the Required Hidden Form Fields
• Inserting the Required Hidden Form Fields
• Modifying the Required Hidden Form Fields

Assigning the Forms Processing Script

1. Open the file that contains your form or create your form

2. Click the red dashed form boundary
   The Form Properties pane appears.
   

3. To tell your form where the forms processing script is located on the UWEC Web server, in the Action text box, type /scripts/formmail/formmail.pl

4. From the Method pull-down list, select POST
   Continue with Defining the Required Hidden Form Fields and then Inserting the Required Hidden Form Fields.

Defining the Required Hidden Form Fields

Hidden form fields are similar to the other form fields in that they have name-value pairs with field names that are case sensitive. However, unlike the other form fields, hidden form fields are not visible to the user. Hidden form fields allow form developers to pass information from a form to a form handler script, or from one form to another.

There are five hidden form fields that must be inserted in a form in order for the forms processing script to work.

recipient

This hidden form field specifies who will receive the email message that contains the form field information. The appropriate person's email address must be entered as the value of this hidden form field. To send to multiple recipients, enter all email addresses, separated by a comma and a space as the value of this hidden form field.

subject

This hidden form field specifies the subject line of the email message containing the form results. The desired subject must be entered as the value of this hidden form field.

title

After a user submits a form, a new web page will be displayed showing the form field information that the user submitted. This hidden form field specifies the title of this web page, both on the page and in the top of the browser window. This title must be entered as the value of this hidden form field.

return_link_url

After a user submits a form, the web page which is returned showing the form results will contain a return link at the bottom, allowing the user to link back to another web page. The URL for this link must be entered as the value of this hidden form field.

return_link_title

After a user submits a form, the web page which is returned showing the form results will contain a return link at the bottom, allowing the user to link back to another web page. The value of this hidden form field specifies the text for the return link -- the text visible to the user. The text for this link must be entered as the value of this hidden form field.

HINT: There are additional, optional form fields available for you to use with the forms processing script. For more information, refer to Optional Form Fields.

Inserting the Required Hidden Form Fields

When working in Design view, the hidden form fields may not be visible to you after you insert them.

To display invisible elements:

1.  

   From the Edit menu, select Preferences...
   The Preferences dialog box appears.

2.  

   From the Category section, select Invisible Elements

3.  

   From the Invisible Elements section, ensure that there is a checkmark in the Hidden Form Fields checkbox

4.  

   Click OK

To insert the hidden form field(s)

1. Open the file that contains your form or create your form

2. Place your cursor within the form boundary where you would like to insert the hidden form field
   For information on inserting a form boundary, refer to Creating Forms.

3. From the Insert menu, select Form Objects » Hidden Field
   OR
   From the Forms tab on the Insert bar, click HIDDEN FIELD
   The hidden field appears within your form.

4. Select the hidden field by clicking it once
   The Hidden Field Properties pane appears.
   

5. In the HiddenField text box, type the name of the appropriate hidden form field

6. In the Value text box, type the appropriate value of the hidden form field
    

   Name of Hidden Form Field	Value
   recipient	The value is the email address of the person who will receive the form results (e.g., username@uwec.edu). To send the email to multiple recipients, type all the email addresses, separating each email address by a comma and a space.
   subject	The value is the subject line of the email message that will contain the form results (e.g., UW-Eau Claire Information Form)
   title	The value is the text for the title of the resulting web page (e.g., Student Information Form Results)
   return_link_url	The value is the URL of the return link found at the bottom of  the resulting web page (e.g., http://www.uwec.edu/formpage.htm)
   return_link_title	The value is the text for the return link -- the text visible to the user (e.g., Back to Dreamweaver Forms)

7. Repeat steps 3-6 until all five hidden form fields have been added
   HINT: There are additional functions available, including requiring that certain fields be filled, redirecting users to another page, sending copies, sending courtesy replies, and sending results to a text file. To do this you must insert optional form fields. For more information, refer to Optional Form Fields.

Modifying the Required Hidden Form Fields

There may be times when you want to change information contained in the required hidden form fields. This section explains how to modify the necessary hidden form fields.

1. Open the file that contains your form

2. Select the hidden form field you want to change by clicking it once
   The Hidden Field Properties pane appears.
   
    

3. Make the appropriate changes in the HiddenField and Value text boxes
   HINT: To delete the hidden form field, when it is selected, press [Delete].