A (feedback) form element is used to obtain information from a user of your website. A form consists of a number of entry fields (text boxes, radio buttons, drop down lists and check boxes) and a submit button. When the submit button is clicked, information entered into the form is sent to a specified e-mail address.

A typical form element.

When in administration mode, click the Edit hyperlink above a form to update it.

Updating a form element's main details.

The Submit button text field is used to set the text that appears on a form's submit button. The Send form by e-mail to field is used to specify an e-mail address that form details will be sent to when the submit button is clicked. After a user has clicked the submit button, details entered are sent by e-mail to the specified e-mail address. In general, a Success message is then displayed. In the unlikely event that problems are encountered during the sending of an e-mail, the Failure message is displayed instead.

Below the Failure message field is a list of form rows. This list controls the form rows or entry fields that appear on a form element.

Updating a form element's form rows (or entry fields).

To add a new form row, click the New button.

Creating a new form row.

The Label field is used to specify text that appears to the left of a form row. Typically, this may contain text like "From (e-mail address):" or "Select an option:". The Type field is used to specify the type of form row. The four possible types: TextBox, DropDownList, RadioButtonList and CheckBoxList are described below.

The TextBox form row type provides an area that a user can type text into. The number of characters that can be entered into a TextBox form row can be restricted by entering a number greater than zero into the Max number of characters field. The Rows field determines whether a text area is single line or multiline. A value of one creates a single line text area that is suitable for entering short pieces of text such as name, e-mail address, age, subject etc. A value greater than one creates a multiline text area that is more suited to entering large pieces of text. Return or newline characters can be entered into a multiline text area to separate paragraphs of text. This is not the case for single line text areas. Finally, the Columns field determines the width of a text area.

The form element pictured at the very top of this web page contains three TextBox form rows. The From: and Subject: form rows are single line text areas, whereas the Message: form row is a multiline text area.

The DropDownList, RadioButtonList and CheckBoxList form row types are used to create entry fields that allow one or more options to be selected. The form row type determines how these options are displayed to users of your website.

A form row containing four options with form row type set to DropDownList (top), RadioButtonList (middle) and CheckBoxList (bottom).

The DropDownList form row type allows a user to choose one of a predefined set of options. When a drop-down list is inactive it displays a single value. When activated it displays (drops down) a list of values, from which a user may select one. When a user selects a new value the control reverts to its inactive state, displaying the selected value.

The RadioButtonList form row type allows a user to choose one of a predefined set of options. Radio buttons are named after the physical buttons used on car radios to select preset stations - when one of the buttons was pressed, other buttons would pop out, leaving the pressed button the only button in the "pushed in" position.

The CheckBoxList form row type allows a user to make multiple selections from a predefined set of options.

When the form row Type field is switched from TextBox to DropDownList, RadioButtonList or CheckBoxList, the TextBox fields Max number of characters, Rows and Columns disappear and are replaced by a new Options field. Click the New button to create a new option.

The Options field is displayed for form rows of type DropDownList, RadioButtonList or CheckBoxList.

Creating a new form row option.

On the resulting screen, enter a name for the option and hit the Create button. To delete an option, tick the checkbox to the left of the option you wish to delete. Then click the Delete button. To change the name of an existing option, click the Edit hyperlink to the left of the option you wish to update, change the name and then click the Update button. Finally, to change the order of a set of options, tick the checkbox to the left of the option you wish to move and then click the Move Up or Move Down button.

When you are happy with the form row details you have entered, click the Create button at the bottom of the Form Row Details page to create the new form row.

To delete a form row, tick the checkbox to the left of the form row you wish to delete. Then click the Delete button. To edit an existing form row, click the Edit hyperlink to the left of the form row you wish to update, make your changes and then click the Update button. Finally, to change the order of form rows, tick the checkbox to the left of the form row you wish to move and then click the Move Up or Move Down button.

Finally, here's a quick tip in case you want to create a gap between two form rows. One way of achieving this is to create a form row of type RadioButtonList, CheckBoxList or DropDownList that contains no options and whose form row label is blank.

When you have finished updating a form element, click the OK button to return to the previous page. You should not use your browser's back button.