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Web2Form Application Overview

FirstClass Web2Form is an application that will create a web form and corresponding perl script that can be installed on your server. The form and script will allow unauthenticated users to submit posts to your FirstClass conferences and have those posts submitted as a custom FirstClass form.

The interface

To create the html page and perl script, you must complete all of the required sections. More detail on each will follow

  1. Mandatory fields
  2. Mandatory Message Fields
  3. Optional Fields
  4. List of Hidden/Fixed data form fields
  5. List of Optional form fields
  6. The preview button which also generates the two files

Mandatory Fields

  1. The name of the web page that will be installed in your main site folder. (Must have .html or .shtml extension)
  2. The title used for the web page
  3. The name for the corresponding perl script. (Must be single word and have .pl extension)
  4. The date format used. Choose either MM/DD/YY or DD/MM/YY
  5. The text used in the confirmation alert after a successful submission
  6. The path to which the browser will be redirected after a successful submission. (Use "/" to get back to the root)
  7. The ID number of the corresponding FirstClass form
  8. The ICON ID number to be used for the submitted message to FirstClass

Mandatory Message Fields

Your solution must contain all of the 4 mandatory message fields. If the Message Body is not required, you have the option of designating it as such.

Optional Fields

You can add a variety of different types of optional fields to your form. These fields must match the fields on your FirstClass form. In each case, you will be asked to enter a Form Field Name and the Field ID number which matches the number on your FirstClass form. The Form Field Name is used by the perl cgi script and is hidden from view. It must be a single word.

User Input vs Fixed/Hidden Fields

For the Mandatory Message fields, all but the Message Body can be designated as Fixed/Hidden. Similarly, for optional fields, the Text, Data and Number fields can be designated as Fixed/Hidden fields.
This means that you can enter a fixed value and hide that entry on the form itself.
This is often used for the Message To: field where you want to specify the target destination. You can also specify and hide the From or Subject field and then use an application rule on the receiving conference to respond accordingly if a message is received without the known value.

Text and Number Fields

Text an number fields are treated the same by the form. In addition to the Form Field name and ID which is required for all fields, you enter the field size (length of the form field box and the label used to describe the entry.

Date Field

In addition to the Form Field name and ID which is required for all fields, you enter the field size (length of the form field box) and the label used to describe the entry. Your form label should also indicate the date format that you have specified for the template.

Multiline Text Field

In addition to the Form Field name and ID which is required for all fields, you enter the field size (length of the form field box), the number of rows and the label used to describe the entry.
Note: Multiline fields should be used sparingly as linefeed characters cannot be properly submitted to a FirstClass form field. All <Returns> entered in a multiline text field will be replace by '->' to denote the occurrence of a new line.

Checkbox Field

The only additional field entry for checkbox fields besides the field name and ID is the Form Field Label.

Selection List

Selection list fields match to FirstClass Editable List fields. Click on the New Option button to add a new option.

  • Remove an option by selecting the row and pressing the Delete key on your keyboard.
  • Rearrange options by clicking and dragging and dropping the row
  • Edit an option by double-clicking in a row to edit.

Radio Group

The field ID is the radio group ID. Create your options by clicking on the New Item button and entering your pair of items separated by a comma. The first item is the radio button label and the second is the value (numeric) submitted to FirstClass.
The Labels and options must match the corresponding values in your FirstClass form.

  • Remove an option by selecting the row and pressing the Delete key on your keyboard.
  • Rearrange options by clicking and dragging and dropping the row
  • Edit an option by double-clicking in a row to edit.

Modifying a Field Entry

To modify a field entry, double-click on the row to bring up the fields for editing

Deleting a field

To delete a field entry, select the field and press the <Delete> key on your keyboard

Reordering Fields

To reorder fields on your form, drag the row with your mouse and drop in the new location.