Copyright: (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


WebForms 2.7

(C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development

    See below for registration and tech support info.

 Contents:

        Browser Setup

        CGI/Mailto Comparison Chart

        Compact Database

        Copy Form

        Error Log

        Exporting

        Forms

        Forms List

        Importing (Direct)

        Importing (Indirect)

        Installation of Upgrade

        Preferences

        Release Notes

        Repair Database

        Responses

        Toolbar

        Upgrade Policy

        View HTML/Browse

        WebForms FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

        WebForms Tutorial

Registration Benefits:

There are two versions of WebForms; the Shareware (unregistered) Edition, and WebForms Professional Edition.

The Shareware (unregistered) Edition includes most all of the functionality of WebForms Professional Edition, albeit for a 30 day evaluation period only, during which you will receive occassional registration reminders.  Incidentally, WebForms does not require any knowledge of HTML.

WebForms Professional Edition contains many unique features and capabilities,  including the following.  (Features new to version 2.7 are shown in italics.):

•    Direct Importing - Allows you to import responses directly from your POP3 mail server into an MS-Access 2.0 database on your hard drive, enabling you to view, print, or export your responses to other programs.

•	Support  for MS-Internet Explorer mailto forms - Beginning with MSIE 4.0, Microsoft has included support for mailto forms into Internet Explorer.  Response data coming from an MSIE mailto form is formatted somewhat differently from that which comes from Netscape Navigator.  WebForms 2.7 supports the MSIE 4.0 mailto form response format for Direct Importing.    NOTE: Older versions of MSIE still do not support mailto forms.

•    Field Validation - Allows you to specify permissible data types and ranges for any or all WebForms Text Fields.  A user will be unable to submit you form if the data entered does not meet your criteria.

•    Portability - Allows you to transport your WebForms program and database from your home to your laptop to your office, and back again.

•    Required Entry - Allows you to mandate that individual Text Fields and/or Comment Boxes be completed prior to form submission.

•    View HTML - Allows you to view the HTML code generated by WebForms from within the program.

•    Browser Setup/Browsing - Allows you to indicate to WebForms the location of your WWW browser.  You may then call your browser from within WebForms to test the forms you've created, prior to uploading them to your Web server.

•    Copy Form - Allows you to copy an existing form definition to a new form.  (Similar in concept to 'Save As...' functionality.)

•    Appearance Setup - Allows you to customize the way Text Fields, Check Boxes, and Radio Buttons appear on your forms.

In addition to receiving added features and continued use, registered users are entitled to DISCOUNTED UPGRADES to this program as they occur.  (Shipping and handling charges may be incurred in some cases.)

Registered users of software products by Q&D Software Development have come to expect high quality customer service, whether by telephone or electronically.  We encourage suggestions from our registered users.  If you have any questions or suggestions about any of our products, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Ordering Information:

WebForms Professional can be still be registered for only $34.95 (USD).  A shipping and handling charge of $3.95 nay also be applied, depending on the method you choose to order the program.  (Shipping and handling charges of $4.95 apply for orders outside the U.S.)

To order WebForms by CREDIT CARD, choose one of the following options:

•    Visit the On-Line Order Desk section of our web site at http://www.q-d.com

OR

•    E-mail us your name, address, phone number (optional), credit card type, number, and expiration date.  Also, be sure to tell us that you are ordering WebForms Professional Edition.  E-Mail orders should be sent to "orders@q-d.com".

OR

•    Fax us your name, address, phone number (optional), credit card type, number, and expiration date.  Also, be sure to tell us that you are ordering WebForms Professional Edition.  Our fax number is (908)626-9224.

OR

•    Call the Public (Software) Library at 1-800-242-4775 (1-800-2424-PSL), or 1-713-524-6394. These phone numbers are for CREDIT CARD ORDERS ONLY.  We accept VISA, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.  Specify Product Number 14064.  When ordering by credit card, please be prepared to give your name and billing address as it appears on the card.

OR

•    Mail us your name, address, phone number (optional), credit card type, credit card number, and expiration date.  Also, be sure to tell us that you are ordering; WebForms Professional Edition. Our mailing address is:

Q&D Software Development

5 Lyons Mall, Suite 318

Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

To order WebForms via Compuserve:

•    To order WebForms Professional, GO SWREG and register ID# 6013.

To order WebForms by check or money order:

Send a check or money order, mail to:

Q&D Software Development

5 Lyons Mall, Suite 318

Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

Be sure to specify your name and shipping address, as well as the program name and version you are registering.

Tech Support:

Please read the WebForms FAQ prior to contacting us for technical support.

For free technical support, registered users of WebForms Professional Edition have several options.  WebForms technical support can be obtained via e-mail at help@q-d.com, via our web site at http://www.q-d.com, or by phone at (908)626-9224.

Users of the unregistered Shareware version of WebForms must rely on this help file for support.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Forms

The Forms Window is accessed by choosing File | Forms | New... or File | Forms | Open... from the main menu.

The Forms Window is the place to enter all of the information about each form you create with WebForms.  The first tab in the Forms Window is the General Info tab pictured above.  The General Info tab should contain your form's Title and Heading.  The Title of a form does not actually appear in the form itself, but rather in the URL area of most browsers.  The Heading of your form will appear in bold type at the top of your form.  You can cause your heading to appear centered on your form by clicking the Center checkbox on the General Info tab.

The General Info tab is also where you will specify whether the form you create will be a CGI form or a mailto form.  You may do so by clicking the appropriate option button.  Also included in the General Info tab should be the e-mail address to which responses to this form should be sent.  Since WebForms sends responses to both CGI forms and mailto forms to your e-mail address, this information must be included regardless of the type of form you are creating.  This e-mail address for form responses will not actually appear in your form.  It is used by WebForms to route responses back to you.  If you are creating a mailto form you will also need to include an alternate e-mail address in the appropriately named field, to be used by your users should their particular browser not support mailto forms.

Additionally, the General Info tab includes facilities which enable you to further customize your form by way of background color, text color, and background graphic.  (Please note that should you provide both a background color and a background graphic, most browsers will ignore the background color and display the background graphic.)

Selection of background and text colors is done by clicking the ellipses (...) button next to the respective text box.  This will cause a Color Dialog Box to be displayed, from which you may choose any of the pre-defined colors included therein, or create one of your own.  Once you've chosen a color and clicked the OK button in the Color Dialog Box, the appropriate text box will be filled with the hexidecimal representation (RGB) of the selected color.  You may modify this text manually if you wish, but it is not recommended.

Selection of a background graphic is done by clicking the ellipses (...) button next to the Background Graphic textbox.  This will cause a File Dialog Box to be displayed, allowing you to choose a graphic file.

The General Info tab also allows you to specify a Scrolling Status Bar Message, which will appear to scroll across the bottom of your form when viewed with a JavaScript-capable browser, like Netscape Navigator(r) or MS Internet Explorer(r).  WebForms will generate the appropriate JavaScript code and include it in your form.

The rest of the tabs in the Forms Window are listed below in the order in which they appear.  To read about another tab, just click on its name below.

          Tabs:

Leading Text

Text Inserts

 	Text Fields

Comment Boxes

Radio Buttons

Check Boxes

List Boxes

Graphics

Links

Tables

Trailing Text

Feedback

Server Info

Notes

Completion

WebForms automatically places a 'Submit' button and a 'Reset' button at the bottom of each WebForms form.  Your user clicks the 'Submit' button to send you the information he or she has entered into the form.  The user can clear the form and start over by clicking the 'Reset' button.  You may include substitute names for these buttons by entering them in the General tab.  Should you leave these fields blank, the buttons will appear with their default names, 'Submit' and 'Reset' respectively.

The Bookmark button located in the Forms Window allows you to save your work without actually generating a form.  Using the Bookmark feature when modifying an existing form will cause all responses to that form to be erased.

Note: It is extremely important that you do not directly modify any form created with WebForms, even if you are knowledgeable in HTML.  Direct modification of a WebForms HTML form may render that form's responses unreadable by WebForms.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Forms List

The Forms List is displayed by clicking File | Forms | Open... or File | Respones | View... or File | Responses | Export... from the main menu.

The Forms List allows you to choose a form in order to perform a particular function.  Functions which involve the Forms List include Forms modification, reading Responses, Exporting, and Copy Form.

To choose a form from the Forms List you can either highlight the form you wish to use and then click the OK button, or you can simply double-click on the appropriate form.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Responses

The Responses Window is accessed by clicking File | Responses | View... from the main menu.

The Responses Window allows you to view responses that have been imported into WebForms.  Although responses to different forms will all have different structures (since each form is different), the Responses Window will adapt automatically to whatever structure your responses take.  (A response's structure is based upon the structure of the form to which it is responding.)

The default behavior of the Responses Window when it is first displayed is to show all responses to the form you selected.  You can control what appears in the list by clicking any one of the 'Old', 'New', or 'All' buttons.  Although each Form's responses have different structures, there will always be a field called '_Read_', a field called '_Date_', and a field called '_From_'.  The '_Read_' field contains the status of each response; whether or not it has been read or not.  The '_Date_' field will always contain the date that that particular response was actually imported into the WebForms database.  The '_From_' field will contain whatever was found in the From field of the message header.  (The '_From_' field will only contain this information for responses which were obtained via Direct Importing.)   If the form being responded to was a mailto form, this will most likely be the sender's e-mail address.  If the form was a CGI form, the '_From_' field will be populated by a WebForms CGI script tag.

The Data Control at the bottom of the Responses Window allows you to move through different forms in order to view each form's responses.  Clicking the OK button or moving off of a form using the Data Control will automatically change the '_Read_' indicator of each response to that form to 'True'.

Responses to Comment Boxes, Text Fields, and Check Boxes may include more than one line of text.  As illustrated above, clicking on any field of one of these types causes an ellipses (...) button to be displayed within that field.  Clicking the ellipses button causes a scrollable text box to open, containing the entire text of this response.  To close the text box, either click on the ellipses button again, or click on any other field.

If you wish to delete a response from a response table, simply click in the narrow margin to the left of that row and press the Delete button on your keyboard.  You may click and drag up or down across several rows to delete multiple responses.

You may also print your responses to a form.  Clicking the Printer Icon in the Responses Window causes the Field Selection Window to be displayed (see below).  You may then select the field(s) you wish to have included in your printout by highlighting a field name and clicking the add button (>>), thus moving it over to the Selected list.  The topmost field in the Selected list will appear as the leftmost field on your printout.  Upon clicking the OK button in the Field Selection Window,your report will be printed and the fields you chose will be stored so that you won't need to choose them again when next you print a response report for this form.

You printout will include only those responses corresponding to the status selected in the Responses Window; 'Old', 'New', or 'All'.

Note: Responses to both mailto forms and CGI forms are imported and read in the same exact fashion.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Exporting

 	The Export functionality can be accessed by clicking File | Responses | Export... from the Main Menu.

WebForms allows you to export your response data to other programs.  Your reasons for wishing to export WebForms response data may vary considerably, however there is one instance when it becomes absolutely necessary to purge response data; WebForms requires that you export a form's response data prior to making any modifications to that form.  Response data that is not exported will be permanently lost after the form to which the data belongs has been modified.

There are two possible formats into which you can export WebForms response data; MS-Access 2.0, or CSV.  (CSV stands for comma separated values.  CSV files are plain ASCII text files which can be imported by many popular commercial software programs.)

If you would like to export to a CSV file, WebForms will ask you for the name of the file you wish to create.  Once the export routine has been completed, you will find a file by the name you specified in the WebForms directory.  Upon examination, you will see that the file contains each of your responses to the table you specified.

If you prefer to export to an MS-Access 2.0 database, WebForms will create a database named WFRESP.MDB, and a table within that database named for the form to which these responses belong.

You may, after a period of time, wish to purge all responses to a particular form permanently.  You may do this by clicking the checkbox labeled 'Purge responses from original table'.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Importing (Indirect)

The Import functionality is accessed by clicking File | Responses | Import... from the main menu.

'Indirect Importing' in WebForms refers to the taking of the responses to WebForms forms into the WebForms database.  Responses to a form are automatcally sent to you via e-mail to the address you specified when creating that particular form.  Before an indirect import of a response can occur, the response must be saved as an ASCII text file on your PC's hard disk.  Methods for saving e-mail messages as text vary from browser to browser.  If you don't know how to save an e-mail message as text, consult your e-mail reading program's documentation.

Once your messages have been saved as text you can import them by clicking File | Responses | Import... from the WebForms main menu.  The screen shown above will be displayed unless you have setup Direct Importing.  The Indirect Importing Window in the Professional Edition allows you to import as many saved response files as you like, all at one time.  Just click on each file you wish to import and add it to the list by clicking on the arrow ( > ) button.  Clicking OK will initiate the import.

The default pattern that WebForms expects to see response files take is "*.txt".  You may change this pattern by entering a new pattern in the appropriate field and clicking the Refresh button.  Once a response file has been successfully imported, it is renamed with the extension ".old" and left in its original location.

WebForms Professional Edition is intelligent enough to deduce which form each message is responding to, thus you will not have to concern yourself over whether the responses are applied correctly.

Note: Responses to both mailto forms and CGI forms are imported and read in the same exact fashion.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Compact Database

The Compact Database function is accessed by clicking File | Compact Database... from the main menu.

WebForms, like many other programs, makes use of a database to store its associated data.  The database holds your forms designs as well as the responses that you import into WebForms.

Due to the nature of database design it is sometimes necessary, in order to maintain program speed and responsiveness, to store data in the most convenient spot in the database, rather than searching for the most cost-efficient in terms of disk space.

WebForms provides the Compact Database function as a method for reclaiming that extra disk space.  Depending upon the speed of your computer and the size of your database, the process may take anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes, after which you may realize a 25-30% reduction in the size of your database.

Note:  It is strongly recommended that you make a backup of your database file prior to attempting to compact it.  (The WebForms database file is named WEBFORMS.MDB.)

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Repair Database

The Repair Database function is accessed by clicking File | Repair Database... from the main menu.

As any experienced computer user can attest to, it is possible for data files to become corrupt.  Causes of data corruption can range anywhere from power outages or fluxes, to turning your PC off in the middle of a program, to exiting a program in ways other than those prescribed by the program's developers.  (Some very knowledgeable computer gurus even attribute data loss and corruption to gremlins.  Fortunately, we are not that knowledgeable.)

Should you experience problems with your WebForms data such as error messages suggesting that your data is somehow corrupt or worse, you may attempt to repair your database using WebForms' Repair Database function.  We make no guarantees, but depending on the extent of the damage it is often possible to repair a damaged database file, restoring it to its former perfect self.

Note: Before attempting to repair your database, we strongly recommend making a backup copy of it.  The WebForms database file is WEBFORMS.MDB.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


WebForms Tutorial

The WebForms Tutorial provides a brief yet informative overview of the WebForms program and how to use it.  Throughout the WebForms Help System it is assumed that you have at least a basic understanding of how the World Wide Web works, and that you are familiar with the terms used.  In fact, it is quite likely that you obtained WebForms by downloading it from our WWW home page.  We realize that this assumption may not hold true for everyone, so we have included in this tutorial a section on integrating your WebForms forms with the World Wide Web.

Section 1: Creating A Form

Section 2: Integration With The WWW

Section 3: Reading Responses

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


ToolBar

 	The Toolbar is located in the WebForms main menu.  It provides shortcuts to many WebForms functions.

The WebForms toolbar contains the following icon buttons:

        Clicking the New Form icon causes the Forms Window to be displayed in Add mode.  It is the same as clicking File | Forms | New... from the main menu.

        Clicking the Open Form icon causes the Forms Window to be displayed in Modify mode.  It is the same as clicking File | Forms | Open... from the main menu.

        Clicking the Copy Form icon allows you to choose a form from which to create another form.  It is the same as clicking File | Forms | Copy Form... from the main menu.  (This is a Professional Edition feature.)

        Clicking the Import icon causes the appropriate importing functionality to begin, based on whether you are setup for Direct Importing or Indirect Importing.  It is the same as clicking File | Responses | Import... from the main menu.

        Clicking the View Responses icon causes the Forms List to be displayed, allowing you to choose a form for which to view responses.  Once a form is chosen, the Responses Window is displayed.  It is the same as clicking File | Responses | View... from the main menu.

        Clicking the Web icon allows you to view the HTML code generated by WebForms for a particular form.  You may also call your browser to browse the form.  It is the same as clicking File | Forms | View HTML/Browse... from the main menu.  (This is a Professional Edition feature.)

        Clicking the Exit icon causes causes WebForms to shut down.  It is the same as clicking File | Exit from the main menu.

        Clicking the Help icon opens the WebForms Help System.  It is the same as clicking Help | Contents from the main menu.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Text Inserts

 	Text Inserts are created from within the Text Inserts tab which is located in the Forms Window.

Text Inserts allow you to place text strings (in addition to the Leading Text and Trailing Text) within your form.  You may place as many Text Inserts into a form as you like.  The order in which Text Inserts are created in the Text Inserts tab is irrelevant.  The order in which Text Inserts appear on your finished form is determined at Form Completion.  Pressing the 'down arrow' button on your keyboard saves your Text Insert and allows you to add another.

 	If you wish to delete a Text Insert from the grid, simply click in the narrow margin to the left of that row and press the Delete button on your keyboard.  You may click and drag up or down across several rows to delete multiple records.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Text Fields

 	Text Fields are created from within the Text Fields tab which is located in the Forms Window.

Text Fields are simply fields in which your users may enter text from their keyboard.  Typical examples of uses for text fields are Name, Address, Phone Number, or any other information you wish to receive from your users that would require the typing of text.

To create a Text Field in WebForms, simply enter the name of the Text Field along with the maximum number of characters, up to 255.  Unlike many other WebForms controls, a Text Field is not entered as part of a group.  You may enter all of your Text Fields in the Text Fields tab in any order you like.  The order in which they will actually appear on your finished form is decided at Form Completion.  Pressing the 'down arrow' button on your keyboard saves your Text Field and allows you to add another.

            In addition to a Text Field's name and size, you may optionally specify a Default Value for a Text Field.  If you do so, that Text Field will contain the Default Value already contain whatever value you specify when it's first loaded into your user's browser.  You can also specify Required fields, and provide Field Validation on a Text Field, in that you can specify a Data Type (Freestyle, Integer, or Decimal), and acceptable criteria for data entered into that Text Field by your users.

To indicate that a Text Field must be filled out prior to allowing successful submission by a user, simply type a "Y" (for Yes) in the Required column for that Text Field.

            A Data Type is specified simply by choosing one of the three available Data Types in the dropdown list box that appears when you click in the Data Type column.  'Freestyle' means that anything at all can be typed in this Text Field by your user.  Choosing 'Integer' will cause any form that contains anything other than a whole number (positive or negative) to be rejected upon submission.  (Your user will receive an appropriate error message.)  Choosing 'Decimal' in the Data Type column allows any number to be entered by your user into this Text Field, but will cause any non-numeric characters to be rejected.

            By using the Condition and Value options in tandem, you can limit allowable entries even further.  The Condition column also contains a dropdown list box when clicked.  The contents of this list box will depend on what you've chosen as your Data Type in the Data Type column.  If you've chosen 'Freestyle' as your Data Type, the Condition dropdown list box will contain the choices "Contains", "Starts With", and "Ends With".  You can use any of these choices in combination with a value in the Value column to restrict your users to entering only the data you want.  For example, if you want your user to enter the URL of their home page into a Text Field, you can choose "Starts With" as your condition, and then type the text string "http://" into the Value column.  Doing so will cause any entry in this field that does not start with "http://" to cause this form to be rejected when a submission is attempted.  "Ends With" works similarly in an obvious fashion.  The "Contains" condition allows you to mandate that a particular text string be contained anywhere in the entry for this Text Field.

            The 'Integer' and 'Decimal' Data Types work very similarly, although they present different conditions in the Condition column than does the 'Freestyle' Data Type.  The conditions for 'Integer' and 'Decimal' are ">" (greater than), "<" (less than), and "Between".   Choosing a condtion of ">" (greater than) combined with a value of 10 in the Value column indicates that your users will only be able to enter values greater than 10 when they fill out your form.  The "<" (less than) condition works the same way.  If you want to specify a valid range of numbers, use the "Between" condition.  For example, in order to allow your users to enter only values from 1 to 10 in a Text Field, you would choose the "Between" option in the Condition column, followed by an entry of "1;10" in the Value column.  (The semi-colon (";") acts as a separator between the bottom and top of your range.)

If you wish to delete a Text Field from the grid, simply click in the narrow margin to the left of that row and press the Delete button on your keyboard.  You may click and drag up or down across several rows to delete multiple records.

Note: A text field name may not contain any of the following characters:  *space*, apostrophe or single quote('), double quote ("), plus sign (+), or ampersand (&).  Text Field names are printed to the left of each Text Field on your finished form, followed by a colon (":"),so choose these names especially carefully.  You may cause a *space* character to appear within the Text Field name on your form by substituting an underscore (_) character.  For example, if you would like the text "Last Name" to appear to the left of your Text Field, you should name your Text Field "Last_Name".  Since Text Field names act as labels on your form, there is no need to create a Text Insert as a label for a Text Field unless the label is more than 30 characters.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Check Boxes

Check Boxes are created from the Check Boxes tab, which is located in the Forms Window.

Check boxes are created in groups, much like radio buttons.  The main difference (aside from their appearance), is that users can select more than one item from a check box group.  The picture above shows an example of a check box group being created.

To create a check box group containing check boxes, perform the following steps:

1) Enter the name of the group in the Check Box Group text box, located in the upper left corner of the Check Box tab.

2) Click the Add Group button.  This will cause the group name to be added to the Check Box Group list.

3) Click the group name in the Check Box Group list.  This highlights the group name and causes your cursor to move to the Check Box text box.

4) Enter the name of your new Check Box, then click the Add Item button.  This causes the new Check Box to be added to the Check Box Group which should still be highlighted on the left half of the Check Box tab.

5) Repeat Step 4 for each Check Box you wish to have included in the highlighted group.  (To create an additional Check Box Group, perform these same steps beginning with Step 1.)

Note: The order in which you position the Check Boxes within a particular group dictates the order in which those Check Boxes will appear within that group on your finished form.  However, the order in which the Check Box Groups themselves appear in the Check Box Groups list is irrelevant.  The order in which the Check Box Groups actually appear on the form is decided at Form Completion.  The text string "Multiple items may be selected." is included automatically at the bottom of each Check Box Group.

Note: A Check Box Group name may not contain any of the following characters:  *space*, apostrophe or single quote('), double quote ("), plus sign (+), or ampersand (&).  This will not affect the appearance of your form since Check Box Group names do not actually appear on the form.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Radio Buttons

Radio Buttons are created from the Radio Buttons tab, which is located in the Forms Window.

Radio Buttons are created in groups, much like Check Boxes.  The main difference (aside from their appearance), is that users can select only one item from a Radio Button Group.  The picture above shows an example of a Radio Button Group being created.  The picture below shows what these Radio Buttons will look like in the form.

To create a Radio Button Group containing Radio Buttons, perform the following steps:

1) Enter the name of the group in the Radio Buttons Group text box, located in the upper left corner of the Radio Buttons tab.

2) Click the Add Group button.  This will cause the group name to be added to the Radio Buttons Group list.

3) Click the group name in the Radio Buttons Group list.  This highlights the group name and causes your cursor to move to the Radio Button text box.

4) Enter the name of your new Radio Button, then click the Add Item button.  This causes the new Radio Button to be added to the Radio Button Group which should still be highlighted on the left half of the Radio Buttons tab.

5) Repeat Step 4 for each Radio Button you wish to have included in the highlighted group.  (To create an additional Radio Button Group, perform these same steps beginning with Step 1.)

Note: The order in which you position the Radio Buttons within a particular group dictates the order in which those Radio Buttons will appear within that group on your finished form.  However, the order in which the Radio Button Groups themselves appear in the Radio Button Groups list is irrelevant.  The order in which the Radio Button Groups actually appear on the form is decided at Form Completion.  The first Radio Button in each Radio Button Group will be displayed in your finished WebForms form as the default value of that Radio Button Group.  The figure below illustrates this.

Note: A Radio Button Group name may not contain any of the following characters:  *space*, apostrophe or single quote('), double quote ("), plus sign (+), or ampersand (&).  This will not affect the appearance of your form since Radio Button Group names do not actually appear on the form.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


List Boxes

List Boxes are created from the List Boxes tab, which is located in the Forms Window.

List boxes in WebForms are controls which present a list of items from which your users may choose only one.  The picture above shows an example of a List Box being created.

To create a List Box, perform the following steps:

1) Enter the name of the List Box in the List Box text box, located in the upper left corner of the List Box tab.

2) Click the Add List button.  This will cause the new List Box name to be added to the List Box list.

3) Click on the new List Box name in the List Box list.  This highlights the List Box name and causes your cursor to move to the List Box Item text box.

4) Enter the name of your new List Box Item, then click the Add Item button.  This causes the new List Box Item to be added to the List Box which should still be highlighted on the left half of the List Box tab.

5) Repeat Step 4 for each List Box Item you wish to have included in the highlighted List Box.  (To create an additional List Box, perform these same steps beginning with Step 1.)

Note: The order in which you position the List Box Items within a particular List Box dictates the order in which those List Box Items will appear within that List Box on your finished form.  However, the order in which the List Boxes themselves appear in the List Box list is irrelevant.  The order in which the List Boxes actually appear on the form is decided at Form Completion.

Note: A List Box name may not contain any of the following characters:  *space*, apostrophe or single quote('), double quote ("), plus sign (+), or ampersand (&).  This will not affect the appearance of your form since List Box names do not actually appear on the form.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Trailing Text

Trailing Text is entered via the Trailing Text tab in the Forms Window.

The Trailing Text tab allows you to enter a string of text which will appear at the bottom of your form, just above the 'Submit' and 'Reset' buttons.  It will appear below any Text Inserts or controls you place in your Form.

The figure above shows a good example of the type of information you might wish to include in your Trailing Text.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Form Completion

Completion of a Form is performed in the Completion tab, located in the Forms Window.

The Completion tab is your last stop on your way to completing the creation (or modification) of a form.

If you are creating a new form, the first thing you must do upon entering the Completion tab is to refresh your controls by clicking the Refresh Controls button.  This will cause a list of all the controls you've created to appear in the Controls List on the left hand side of the Completion tab in alphabetical order.  You must then select each control from the Controls List (on the left), one at a time, and move it over to the Sequence List on the right side ot the Completion tab.  Do this by clicking the arrow ( > ) button after highlighting a control.  The controls (including Text Inserts) will appear on your form in the exact order that you place them into the Sequence List.

You are not limited to adding controls to the end of the SequenceList.  You may move a control from the Controls List to the middle of the Sequence List by highlighting the control on the Sequence List above which you would like to insert your new control.  To clear all highlighted items in the Sequence List in order to resume adding controls to the end of the Sequence List, simply click the Refresh Controls button.  Any controls that do not appear in the Sequence List will not be included in your form.

Once you have completed your Sequence List, click the Complete button to tell WebForms to begin creating your form.  WebForms then does several tasks:

1) WebForms creates several tables in the WebForms database which will hold all of the information about your form, including controls names, sequences, etc.

2) WebForms will then ask you to choose a name for the actual HTML file to be created according to the instructions you entered into the Forms Window.  (The default extension is *.HTM.)  Once you've indicated the file name, WebForms creates the actual HTML file.

3) WebForms then creates a Response Table within the WebForms database which will be used to hold responses to this particular form only.

When WebForms has completed these tasks it notifies you with an appropriate message.  You can then upload your form to your WWW server and link it to your home page.

If you are modifying an existing form, take the same steps as above.

Note: It is extremely important to note that the modification of an existing form causes all stored responses to that form to be permanently deleted from the WebForms database.  You may export your response data to an Access 2.0 database or a CSV file prior to modifying the form, but it is not possible to re-integrate that old data back into the WebForms database.  For this reason, you should test out your form prior to uploading it to your server to make sure that it is exactly as you wish, thus minimizing the likelihood of future modification.

Note: It is extremely important that you do not directly modify any form created with WebForms, even if you are knowledgeable in HTML.  Direct modification of a WebForms HTML form will render that form's responses unreadable by WebForms.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Leading Text

Leading Text is entered through the Leading Text tab in the Forms Window.

The Leading Text tab allows you to enter a string of text which will appear beneath your Form's heading.  It will appear appear above any Text Inserts or controls you place in your Form.

The figure above shows a good example of the type of information you might wish to include in your Leading Text.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Tutorial - Creating A Form

Welcome to the WebForms Tutorial - Creating A Form section.  In this section we will take you through the creation of a WebForms form, step by step, via hypertext links to all relevant topics.

General Info

Leading Text

Text Inserts

 	Text Fields

Comment Boxes

Radio Buttons

Check Boxes

List Boxes

Graphics

Links

Tables

Trailing Text

Feedback

Server Info

Notes

Completion

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Tutorial - Integration With the WWW

Once you have created and tested your WebForms form, it is time to put it up on your server and link it to your home page (or link your home page to it, more accurately.)

It would be impossible for us to cover each WWW browser and each server platform in depth, so we have included general procedures for you to follow.  For help with each procedure, contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider), network administrator, or browser software vendor.

Procedures:

    Using your communications software, upload the WebForms form you've created to your WWW server.  If your server requires it, be sure to change the file's extension from .htm to .html, and remember that UNIX is case-sensitive. You should also make sure that you assign the correct rights or permissions to the HTML form file so as to enable users to read the file.  For help with this information, contact your ISP or network administrator.  If your form is a CGI form, remember also to upload your Perl scripts into the path you designate in the Script Path field of the Server Info tab when creating the form.

    Using a text or HTML editor, insert a hypertext link in your home page to your WebForms form.  The syntax for creating a hypertextlink is as follows:  <A HREF "{URL}"> {linked text} </A> .  For example, the following code creates a link from a string of text saying "Click here to place your order." in the current HTML document to a form named orders.html:  <A HREF="http://www.q-d.com/qdorder.htm"> Click here to place your order. </A> .

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Tutorial - Reading Responses

This section of the tutorial deals with receiving, importing, and reading the response you receive to a WebForms form.  Responses to a WebForms form are sent directly to the e-mail address specified in the General Info tab when that form was created.

Performance of the following steps in the order presented below is necessary to read responses.  (Hypertext links are supplied to relevant topics.)

    Import your responses using WebForms' importing functionalities; Direct Importing and Indirect Importing.

    View your responses via the Responses Window.

Note: Responses to both mailto forms and CGI forms are imported and read in the same exact fashion.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Release Notes

Important Notices:

•      There are a multitude of browsers out there today on the Web.  Although WebForms now supports both CGI forms and mailto forms, it should be noted that while most of these browsers are perfectly capable of handling any type of form, some do not support mailto forms properly*.  (All known browsers work well with CGI forms.)  For this reason, each WebForms mailto form automatically includes a short paragraph underneath its header notifying your users of this situation.  This short paragraph also includes a link to your form's e-mail address as a secondary method of responding to your form.  You may remove this paragraph from the form by directly deleting it from the HTML file itself after it has been created.  However, to avoid creating confusion for your users, we recommend leaving it in.  (This paragraph does not appear if you choose the CGI option.)

      With the advent of support for CGI forms within WebForms (starting with version 2.5), we recommend the use of CGI forms, as long as your server allows it.  (Check with your ISP to be sure.)  The use of CGI forms eliminates any concerns regarding browser compatibility, and allows for some extra features as well.  Best of all, WebForms allows you to create CGI forms and their corresponding Perl scripts without having to know anything at all about CGI or Perl.

      If your server is not equipped for CGI, WebForms is still your best bet by far for creating mailto forms, and for parsing, downloading, and storing your responses to mailto forms, as well as to CGI forms.

* NOTE: Beginning with version 2.7 of WebForms, we now support the new Microsoft Internet Explorer mailto form format for Direct Importing. It is important to note however, that mailto forms are only supported by versions 4.0 and later of MSIE.  Older versions of MSIE still do not support mailto forms.  As users of the MSIE browser gradually replace their older versions with 4.0 or later, this will become less and less of an issue.

•      If you are upgrading from a previous version of WebForms, please read the Installation of Upgrade topic.  THIS IS IMPORTANT!!

•      Beginning with version 2.0, we are including IPPORT.VBX which allows us to communicate with your mail server for Direct Importing.  The IPPORT.VBX file and the IPPORT.LIC file must be stored together in the same directory, or WebForms will not perform correctly.

•      Please read about our new Upgrade Policy for obtaining future releases of WebForms.

2.7a - (11/25/97) :

           Fixes:

•      Fixed bug which caused "need to upgrade database" message to show inappropriately in shareware version.

WebForms 2.7: (released 11/22/97)

           Enhancements:

•      Added support for Microsoft Internet Explorer mailto forms (MSIE 4.0 or later required).  For a complete explanation of the "MSIE mailto form situation", please see the WebForms FAQ included in this help file.

Fixes:

WebForms 2.6: (released 8/13/97)

           Enhancements:

•      Added Field Validation feature, allowing you to specify Data Types and acceptable values for Text Fields.

•      Added Required Fields feature, allowing you to indicate particular Text Fields and/or Comment Boxes as required input

•      Made the WebForms database portable, thereby enabling you to access your forms responses from home, laptop, and office.

Fixes:

Other:

•      Discontinued WebForms Standard Edition.  See Upgrade Policy topic for more information.

2.5g - (2/14/97) :

           Fixes:

•      Fixed bug which caused "Type Mismatch" error on some systems when program first loaded.

•      Changed security procedure so that attempts to avoid registration procedure by changing system date will result in deletion of WEBFORMS.EXE only, and not related DLL's.

2.5e - (2/5/97) :

           Fixes:

•      Fixed another glitch in registration process.

2.5c - (12/23/96) :

           Fixes:

•      Fixed another glitch in registration process.

2.5b - (12/11/96) :

           Fixes:

•      Added backup reminder upon exiting program.

•      Fixed another glitch in registration process.

2.5a - (10/20/96) :

           Fixes:

•      Removed COMMDLG.DLL from package.  Installation will rely on the version of COMMDLG.DLL which currently resides in the user's \windows\system directory.

•      Fixed glitch in registration process.

WebForms 2.5: (released 8/13/96)

           Enhancements:

•      Added Perl script generation and CGI option when creating forms.

•      Added custom confirmation page option (CGI forms only)

•      Added automatic redirection upon submission option (CGI forms only)

•      Added capability to assign default values to Text Fields.

•      Added Height and Width attributes to Graphics tab.

           Fixes:

•      Fixed bug which causes response fields containing the ampersand ("&") character to be truncated at the spot of that character.

•      Fixed bug which caused "Couldn't Paste" errors during Direct Importing of a response containing a "From:" field greater in length than 70 characters.

•      Fixed bug in Preferences Window which forced you to choose a Mail Host and User Name even if Direct Importing was not checked.

•      Fixed tab order on Preferences Window.

2.1b - (5/27/96) :

           Fixes:

•      Fixed bug that occasionally caused Type Mismatch error during Direct Importing.

•      Fixed bug which caused "Couldn't Paste" errors to occur during Direct Importing at or around the 170th message.

•      Fixed bug that prevented choices made in Appearance Tab of Preferences Window from being implemented in forms.

2.1a - (2/27/96) :

           Fixes:

•      Fixed bug that caused 'Out of Memory' error upon loading under Windows 3.x.

WebForms 2.1: (released 2/25/96)

           Enhancements:

•      Added Scrolling Text Bar Message capability.

•      Added Confirmation on Submission capability.

•      Added automatic storage of selected fields when printing responses.

•      Added Appearance Setup capability allowing for more flexiblity in the way controls appear on forms.  (Professional Edition only)

•      Added Notes feature used for storing internal data pertaining to each form.

•      Added ability to switch between TOP n 0 and TOP n 1 commands to accomodate "quirky" mail servers.  (Refers to POP3 protocol.  If you don't know what this means, don't worry about it.)

•      Added ability to copy text from WebForms Help System to clip board.

           Fixes:

•      Fixed printing bug which caused reports of more than one page to have problems with certain system configurations.

•      Fixed bug in 2.0d which prevented exporting of responses.

2.0d - (2/19/96):

           Enhancements:

•      Increased speed of Direct Imports

           Fixes:

•      Fixed bug which allowed creation of checkboxes and radio buttons, but not deletion of same.

•      Fixed bug which caused cursor to occasionally remain in busy state after Direct Imports.

 2.0c - (12/4/95):

            Fixes:

•      Fixed bug which caused "Invalid use of null" error when printing responses with blank _From_ fields (as happens with Indirect Importing).

•      Fix bug which causes program to incorrectly display an error message during imports of responses to forms which contain a table.

•      Fix bug in Copy Form routine which caused "Invalid Field Type" error when copying forms containing a table.

 2.0b - (11/5/95):

            Fixes:

•      Fixed bug which caused Indirect Import not to function properly in unregistered version of WebForms.

 2.0a - (10/30/95):

            Enhancements:

•      Added the ability to enable/disable Direct Importing via the Import Setup Window.

            Fixes:

•      Fixed bug that caused responses generated by AOL browsers to be ignored.  (I swear we didn't do this on purpose!)

•      Fixed bug that would cause GPF and/or Application Errors experienced by users of Trumpet Winsock immediately after a successful Direct Import.

WebForms  2.0: (released 10/29/95)

            Enhancements:

    Implemented Direct Import feature, allowing importing directly from your mail server.  This feature requires a WINSOCK.DLL and a POP3 mail server, and is available with the Professional Edition only.

    Added table support.

    Added 'Cut', 'Copy', 'Paste', and 'Undo' menu items.

    Added printing capability for unlimited number of fields.

    Added '_From_' field to response records to indicate name and/or e-mail address of the person responding to your form.  (Only works with Direct Import, which is available only with the Professional Edition.)

    Added Help buttons to all windows.

            Fixes:

    Fixed bug in Link tab which prevented certain characters from being used within the Link Text column.

 1.5c - (9/17/95):

            Fixes:

    Fixed bug which prevented importing of responses for the tenth form on.

 1.5b - (9/9/95):

            Enhancements:

    Allowed completion or bookmarking of forms containing no controls.

            Fixes:

    Fixed bug which would not allow deleting records in Response Window.

    Fixed "Error 9:Subscript out of range" error which occured when attempting to complete or bookmark a form for which controls had not yet been created.

    Fixed Copy Form bug which would occasionally cause certain controls not to be copied over to the new form, especially if there were a large number of controls.

 1.5a - (8/30/95):

            Enhancements:

    Made HTML Viewer load much faster than before.

            Fixes:

    Fixed bug which would cause controls that were not included in the Sequence List of the Completion tab to disappear from the database.

    Fixed bug which would sometimes cause check boxes, radio buttons, and list box items to be created in incorrect sequences within their groups after being edited.

    Fixed bug which caused system crash when clicking OK button in empty Response Window.

    Fixed bug which mistakenly allowed the period (.) character to be part of a control name.  When a field name contained a period, the response table for that form could not be created.

    Removed delete button from Response Window to conform with other system grids.

WebForms 1.5: (released 8/18/95)

            Enhancements:

    Added the following new features:

Background graphic capability

Background color capability

Text color capability

Copy Form feature (Save As...)

HTML code viewer

Browser calling capability (allows you to call your browser from within WebForms to view your finished form)

    Enabled use of File Dialog box for choosing graphics files in Graphics Tab.

    Disallowed accidental loading of multiple instances of WebForms.

    Added descriptive labeling and improved instructions regarding Forms Completion tab procedures.

            Fixes:

    Fixed bug which caused "Data12" and similar errors to occur inappropriately if all controls created were not included in Sequence List on Completion Tab.

    Fixed "Couldn't paste" error.

    Fixed bug which caused radio button response columns in response table viewer to sometimes be too narrow to fit full response.

 1.1e - (8/10/95):

            Fixes:

    Fixed "Commit or Rollback without Begin Trans" error which occurred when bookmarking a form which contained a Text Insert.  The occurence of this bug would subsequently cause the proliferation of other bugs throughout the database resulting in various other error messages.

 1.1d - (8/8/95):

            Fixes:

    Fixed bug in 1.1c which caused fields to appear with incorrect sizes and in alphabetical order in Response Table, rather than by order of appearance.

1.1c - (8/7/95):

            Fixes:

    Fixed bug which caused WebForms to improperly report an error when importing responses to forms containing a graphic or a link.

    Fixed wording in disclaimer placed at the top of each form.

    Fixed Compact Database and Repair Database functions which were apparently knocked out inadvertently in conversion from 1.1a to 1.1b.

    Made error logging feature more reliable.

    Disallowed illegal characters in Graphic names and Link names.

    Fixed 'No Current Record' error.

    Disallowed multiple controls with same name in one form.  This was causing response tables not to be regenerated with forms, resulting in eventual "Can't find Response Table_x" error.

1.1b - (7/30/95):

            Enhancements:

    Added error logging feature, allowing WebForms to record all error messages to file ERROR.LOG.  This will prove invaluable for future troubleshooting.  This feature can be activated/deactivated by clicking Options|Log Errors from the main menu.

            Fixes:

    Fixed bug which would not allow deletion of a CheckBox Group.

    Fixed tab order in General tab on Forms Window.

1.1a - (7/24/95):

            Fixes:

    Fixed "error 94" which would sometimes occur when attempting to export responses in which fields were left blank by the user.	(Got it right this time!)

    Added explanation of how to insert fields into the middle of the Sequence List (on Completion tab within Forms Window) to Form Completion topic in Help System.

WebForms 1.1 (released 7/24/95)

            Enhancements:

    Added response printing feature.

    Added Bookmark feature, allowing form data to be saved prior to completion without generating a form.

    Added Comment Boxes which allow multi-line text areas in forms.

    Added ability to delete forms.

    Denied ability to change a form's title once it has been saved, thus avoiding indexing errors.

    Changed format of all grids in WebForms, including Responses, Text Inserts, Text Fields, Comment Boxes, Graphics, and Links.  New grid format allows simpler entries and makes deletion of entries possible.

    Added ability to assign custom text to 'Submit' and 'Reset' buttons.

    Added controls for inserting Graphics and Hypertext Links.

    Added field for contact e-mail address.  (Contact e-mail address and response e-mail address may now differ.)

    Added ability to append exports from responses table to previously exported responses.

    Added ability to insert controls into middle of sequence list.

Fixes:

    Fixed indexing error which occasionally resulted when modifying existing forms, causing controls from one form to show up in another.

    Fixed "error 94" which would sometimes occur when attempting to export responses in which fields were left blank by the user.

    Fixed "error in Data 12" which would also sometimes occur when attempting to save a form in which a text field was deleted.

    Fixed bug in responses window which caused responses from other forms to show when clicking New, Old, or All option buttons.

1.0h - (6/15/95):

            Enhancements:

    Provided better explanations of Text Insert and Text Field tab navigation within the tabs themselves.

    Changed CSV export format to be more compatible with other programs' importing expectations, including our own WinBrowse program.

            Fixes:

    Fixed bug in Compact Database function which caused erroneous error message "Can't find file" to be displayed.

    Fixed bug which caused WebForms to miss the response to the very first field on a form that was responded to using the Mozilla browser.

    Fixed bug which caused WebForms to miss checkbox fields in which user didn't check any boxes in responses made using Mozilla browser.  (All Mozilla compatiblity problems are now believed to be taken care of.)

1.0g - (6/12/95):

            Fixes:

    Fixed bug which caused error message "Invalid data type in cmdGen_click" when including a list box in a form.

    Fixed bug that would cause Radio Button Groups that had been deleted to reappear.

    Fixed bug that caused Radio Buttons to sometimes not appear in the order in which they were designated.

    Fixed bug that caused Text Fields to be missed at times when importing responses.  Text Field names now have character restrictions similar (but not identical) to List Boxes, Radio Button Groups, and CheckBox Groups.  See the help topic Text Fields for details.

1.0f - (6/10/95):

            Enhancements:

    Made the grid in the response field somewhat more dynamic.  Up until now, all columns were 50 characters wide, regardless of data.  As of 1.0f, responses to text fields will appear in memo form (as have checkbox responses since the beginning), in order to accomodate the users' unlimited space availability when responding to text fields.  (In plain English, you will now be able to read the entire response whereas before you couldn't if it was more than 50 or so characters long.)  Responses to List Boxes, and Radio Button Groups will be 30 characters wide rather than 50.  Further customization of this grid will take place in version 1.1 of WebForms.

    Added direct access to this Release Notes topic via Help | Release Notes... from the main menu.

            Fixes:

    Fixed bug that could potentially not allow two fields of the same name in different forms.

    Fixed bug that caused assigning values to incorrect fields due to similar field names.

    Fixed bug that allowed the entering of a duplicate form name.

1.0e - (6/8/95):

            Enhancements:

    Modified import routines in both Standard and Professional Editions to rename each response file that has been successfully imported, so as not to cause confusion when importing.  Each file will be renamed "filename.OLD" and left in its original location.

            Fixes:

    Fixed bug which occurred in Mozilla-sent responses which would not allow importing of more than one checked Check Box per Check Box Group.

    Cleaned Mozilla response values (removed those "+" signs).

    Fixed bug which would occur when trying to load a form who's Form Title contained an apostrophe (single quote) or double quote.  These characters will no longer be accepted by the system as part of a Form Title.

    Fixed bug which would occur whenever a List Box name, Radio Button Group name, or CheckBox Group name contained an apostrophe (single quote), a double quote ("), an ampersand (&), a plus sign (+), or a space.  These characters will no longer be accepted by the system as part of any of these group names.  The significance of this is minimal since these three names do not actually appear on the finished form.  The names for the actual Radio Button, Check Box or List Box Item itself can still contain any of these characters.

1.0d - (6/8/95):

            Fixes:

    Added support for responses from Mozilla.

1.0c - (6/8/95):

           Fixes:

    Fixed bug in Professional Edition's import routine which mistakenly caused error message asking user to select a file prior to attempting an import even though they may already have.

    Fixed bug in Professional Edition's import routine which allowed the same file to be selected for importing more than once.

1.0b - (6/7/95):

           Fixes:

    Fixed bug that resulted in error message "System Error" when attempting to import responses.  This bug occurred if any Text Field names, List Box names, Radio Button Group names, or Check Box Group names exceeded 20 characters.  That limit has been extended to 30 characters.  (Text Inserts are not affected by this limitation.)

1.0a - (6/6/95):

           Fixes:

    Fixed bug that would not allow adding radio buttons, check boxes, or list box items.

WebForms 1.0 (released 6/5/95)

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Comment Boxes

Comment Boxes are created from within the Comment Boxes tab, located in the Forms Window.

A Comment Box is used to allow users to respond to your form at some length.  When creating a Comment Box, you must specify its name, along with its dimensions.  For example, to create a Comment Box called "Suggestions", you would enter the word "Suggestions" in the first column of the grid, and enter the number of columns and rows in the other two columns respectively.  Columns refers to character length, Rows refers to lines of text.

You can also indicate that a Comment Box be a Required Field by simply type a "Y" (for Yes) in the Required column for that Comment Box.  Doing so will cause the form submission to be rejected if this field is left blank by your user.  (The user will receive an appropriate error message and an opportunity to re-submit after making the entry.)

You may enter all of your Comment Boxes in the Comment Boxes tab in any order you like.  The order in which they will actually appear on your finished form is decided at Form Completion.  Pressing the 'down arrow' button on your keyboard saves your Comment Box and allows you to add another.

If you wish to delete a Comment Box from the grid, simply click in the narrow margin to the left of that row and press the Delete button on your keyboard.  You may click and drag up or down across several rows to delete multiple records.

Note: A Comment Box name may not contain any of the following characters:  *space*, apostrophe or single quote('), double quote ("), plus sign (+), or ampersand (&).  If you wish to include a space in a Comment Box name, for example to create a name consisting of more than one word, you may use the underscore ( _ ) character.  WebForms will interpret this character as a space and create your form accordingly.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Graphics

Graphics can be included in a form via the Graphics tab, located in the Forms Window.

Graphics are included in a form simply by entering the path and filename of the graphics file.  You may enter this information manually, or by clicking the File Dialog button, which will cause a File Dialog Box to be displayed.  You may also indicate how you would like your graphic aligned, relative to the line of text in which it appears.  Valid values for the Alignment field include "Bottom", "Top", and "Middle".

You may enter all of your Graphics in the Graphics tab in any order you like.  The order in which they will actually appear on your finished form is decided at Form Completion.  Pressing the 'down arrow' button on your keyboard saves your Graphic and allows you to add another.

If you wish to delete a Graphic from the grid, simply click in the narrow margin to the left of that row and press the Delete button on your keyboard.  You may click and drag up or down across several rows to delete multiple records.

Note: Due to HTML and WWW limitations, only the .gif and .jpg graphics formats are currently supported.  WebForms will automatically be able to handle new formats as they are implemented.

Note: WebForms identifies a Graphic's name by its first 30 characters.  You may not include two Graphic files having the identical first 30 characters in the same form.  You may be able to use certain 'gimmicks' in order to circumvent this limitaion, such as using an absolute path name for one instance of a graphic file and a relative path name for another, or simply making several copies of the same graphics file using different names for each.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Links

Hypertext Links can be created from the Links tab, located within the Forms Window.

Hypertext Links, also known as 'jumps' and 'hot spots', are the lifeblood of the World Wide Web.  With a hypertext link you can click on a text string and literally be sent to another server around the world in seconds.

WebForms makes it easy to create links in your forms.  All you do is insert the URL you wish to link to in the Link URL field of the links grid, and in the Linked Text field insert the text you wish your users to have to click in order to follow this particular link.

You may enter all of your Links in the Links tab in any order you like.  The order in which they will actually appear on your finished form is decided at Form Completion.  Pressing the 'down arrow' button on your keyboard saves your Link and allows you to add another.

If you wish to delete a Link from the grid, simply click in the narrow margin to the left of that row and press the Delete button on your keyboard.  You may click and drag up or down across several rows to delete multiple records.

Note: WebForms identifies a Link URL by its first 30 characters.  You may not include two links having the identical first 30 characters in the same form.  Depending on the URL you are using, you may be able to use relative path names, port numbers, or several other 'gimmicks' which will effectively circumvent this limitation, landing your user in the same place as a previously designated URL without having to use the exact same characters.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Error Log

The Error Log can be toggled on and off by clicking Options|Error Log from the main menu.  This menu item will contain a checkmark if the Error Log is active.

The Error Log is stored in a file called ERROR.LOG.  When the Error Log is active, all system errors are recorded in this file.  Should you experience a problem with WebForms, it is a good idea to activate the Error Log and try to re-create the problem prior to calling for support.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Browser Setup

The Browser Setup feature is accessed by clicking Options|Browser Setup... from the main menu.

The Browser Setup feature allows you to tell WebForms the location of your Web browser program.  WebForms uses this information to enable you to call your browser from within WebForms in order to view the forms you have created.  This is done by clicking the Browse button from the View HTML Window.

Note: Browser Setup is a WebForms Professional Edition feature.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


View HTML Window

The View HTML Window can be accessed by clicking File|Forms|View HTML... from the main menu.

The View HTML Window allows you to view the HTML code generated by WebForms.  Although your HTML code may not be modified, viewing the code generated by WebForms can prove to be a valuable learning tool.  If you have already indicated the browser you use via the Browser Setup feature, clicking the Browse button will run your browser and launch the form appearing in the View HTML Window.

Note: The View HTML Window is a WebForms Professional Edition feature.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Copy Form

The Copy Form function is accessed by clicking File|Forms|Copy Form... from the main menu.

The Copy Form feature allows you to copy all of the data from an existing form to a new form of a different name.  This feature is extremely useful for creating multiples of identical forms for which you would like to receive separate responses.  For example, suppose you wish to collect information from your Web site visitors, but you wish the responses to be separated into different response tables based upon which of several surrounding states your user resides in.  Your might create your original form, calling it "Responses - New Jersey".  You could then create identical forms, using the Copy Form feature, called "Responses - New York", "Responses - Pennsylvania", and "Responses - Connecticut".  When importing responses from these forms, WebForms would then create a different response table for each form.

Utilization of this feature is simple.  Just click File|Forms|Copy Form... from the main menu.  This will cause the Forms List to be displayed.  After you choose the form you wish to copy, you will then be asked to enter the name for the new form.  Enter the new name, and that's it!

The basic concept of the Copy Form feature is similar to that of the standard Windows 'Save As...' function.

Note: The Copy Form feature is a WebForms Professional Edition feature.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Importing (Direct)

Direct importing is accessed by clicking File | Responses | Import... from the main menu.

'Direct Importing' in WebForms refers to WebForms' capability to download responses directly from your POP3 mail server.  To set WebForms up for Direct Importing, all you need to do is enter the necessary information into the WebForms database via the Import Setup window.

After doing so, any time you attempt to import forms responses, the Direct Importing Window will be displayed.  To initiate your import, click the Begin Import button.  The Direct Import Window will keep you informed as to the progress of the import.  Once the import has been completed, the Direct Import Window informs you of how many responses were imported, which form each response was in response to, and how many other e-mail messages you still have (if any) in your mailbox.

You may then view and/or print your responses from the Response Window.

The Include Top Response Line checkbox should be left unchecked unless you are specifically told to check it by a Q&D Software Development technical support representative.

Note: Direct Importing is only available with WebForms Professional Edition.  Direct Importing requires that a WINSOCK be present on your system.

Note: Direct Importing requires a POP3 mail server.  Direct Importing will not work if you receive forms responses via a mailbox that is part of a commercial on-line service.

Note: Responses to both mailto forms and CGI forms are imported and read in the same exact fashion.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Preferences

The Preferences Window is accessed by clicking Options | Preferences... from the main menu.

The Preferences Window contains three tabs.

The Import Setup tab (above) is used to indicate your e-mail information to WebForms for the purposes of Direct Importing.  The Import Setup tab requires that you enter your POP3 mail host and your user name.  You may enter your password as well, but if you do not, you will be prompted for it each time you attempt a Direct Import.

Once you enter the pertinent information, you must check the Direct Import checkbox.  If you should ever wish to disable Direct Importing and return to Indirect Importing, you may do so by going to the Import Setup tab and unchecking the Direct Importing checkbox.

The Include Top Response Line checkbox should be left unchecked unless you are specifically told to check it by a Q&D Software Development technical support representative.

The CGI Info tab (above) is used to indicate the location (on your UNIX server) of the perl interpreter and the sendmail program, as well as the appropriate location to store the Perl scripts which WebForms will generate for you should you decide to create a CGI form.  Settings in the CGI Info tab are global, and can be overwritten on a form by form basis via the Server Info tab in the Forms Window.  For more information on these settings and what they mean, please see the Server Info topic.  Note: The CGI Info settings are irrelevant if you will only be creating mailto forms.

The Appearance Setup tab (above) is used to alter the general appearance of your forms.  There are three checkbox options in the Appearance Setup tab:

Include Dots After Text Field Names:  Checking this box will cause dots to appear after all of your text field names leading to the text fields themselves, creating a Table of Contents effect.

Line Break After Each CheckBox:  Checking this box will cause members of a CheckBox Group to be listed vertically.  Leaving this checkbox blank causes checkboxes within a CheckBox Group to be listed horizontally.

Line Break After Each Radio Button:  Checking this box will cause members of a Radio Button Group to be listed vertically.  Leaving this checkbox blank causes radio buttons within a Radio Button Group to be listed horizontally.

Note: The settings in the Appearance Setup tab are global settings.  They will apply to all forms that you create.

Note: Direct Importing and Import Setup, and Appearance Setup are only available with WebForms Professional Edition.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Tables

Tables can be created via the Tables tab in the Forms Window.

Creating a table in WebForms is a simple process.  There are however a couple of limitations to table creation in WebForms.  You can have only one table per form, and that table may not have more than ten (10) columns of data.  (The number of rows you can have is virtually unlimited.)  You are also limited as to what you may include within a table.   For example, text is certainly allowed, as are hypertext links.  Links must be manually entered into the Table grid.  You may not accept user input from within a table; no Text Fields, Comment Boxes, or other controls expecting user input are allowed.

To create a table you must first enter a caption for your table.  The caption will appear above your table when viewed through a browser.  You can choose to have the table centered by checking the Center checkbox.  You can include borders by clicking the Borders checkbox.  (Creating a table with no borders is useful as a method of displaying columns of data.)

If you wish your table to include column headers, enter these headers in the first row of the grid.  Column headers will appear in boldface type when your form is viewed through a browser.  If you do not wish to include column headers in your table, you must leave the first row of the grid blank.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Notes

The Notes tab is used to store information pertinent to a particular form.

The Notes tab is a useful tool which can be used to store any data pertaining to a particular form.  The data you enter into the Notes tab will not appear anywhere on your form.

Typical uses for the Notes tab might be to store data regarding the location of the form's actual HTML document on your hard drive as well as on your server.  You might also wish to keep track of revisions you've made to your form via the Notes tab.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Installation of Upgrade

•      The following steps must be performed IN THIS ORDER after installing the WebForms 2.7 upgrade.  If you are upgrading and do not perform these steps, you WILL experience problems.  (If you are not upgrading from a previous release these steps do not apply.)

      Step 1: Perform an Import, either Direct or Indirect, and read all current new messages.  If you wish to retain them after reading, export them; they will be deleted automatically in Step 2.

      Step 2: Regenerate ALL of your existing forms.  When you are ready to complete each form, click the Refresh Controls button prior to clicking the Completion button.

      Step 3: Upload all newly modified forms to your Web server, making sure that there are no new responses in your mailbox which were received via the old form.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


WebForms FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

•	Q:  What's going on with Microsoft Internet Explorer and mailto forms?  Does MSIE support mailto forms or not, and how does this affect WebForms?

A: Prior to version 4.0 of MS-Internet Explorer, it did not support mailto forms at all.  If a version of MSIE prior to 4.0 is used to submit a response to a mailto form (any mailto form -- not just one created by WebForms), the submitter's e-mail program opens up to a blank message and no form response is sent.

      Responding to the demands of many (including us), Microsoft finally decided to include support for mailto forms beginning with Internet Explorer 4.0.  There was a catch however.  The format taken by responses sent via MSIE 4.0 is slightly different from that used by Netscape.  Slight as these differences are, they necessitated a new release of WebForms to enable Direct Importing of these responses, hence the release of WebForms 2.7.

      The format difference we speak of is not visible after a response attachment is downloaded to your machine as a text file, which is why Indirect Importing of these MSIE 4.0 responses did work in previous versions of WebForms.  You can see the differences (if you care to) by viewing the raw response data on your mail server.  This raw response data is what WebForms reads when doing a Direct Import, which is why version 2.7 of WebForms was necessary.

•	Q: If I use my regular e-mail program to check my mail I can see that there are messages and forms responses in my mailbox, but when I then check with WebForms, WebForms says there are no messages.  Why is this happenning?

A: This is most likely happenning because your regular e-mail program is set to delete messages from the server once it has downloaded them, thereby leaving nothing there for WebForms to find.  (What you are actually seeing in your e-mail program's Inbox are copies of the messages that it has downloaded to your hard drive.)  These are two possible solutions, in the order of preference:

1) Go into your e-mail program's settings and set it to leave messages on the server as they are downloaded.

2) Always check your mail with WebForms first.

•	Q: Certain users complain of not being able to submit responses to my forms, yet most users have no problem.  They say that when they click the Submit button their browser just opens up their e-mail program, or nothing happens at all.  What causes this?

A: You are using a mailto form and your user is using a browser that does not work with mailto forms, although more than 95% of browsers in use today do.  Possible solutions, in order of preference:

1) If your ISP allows it, use CGI forms rather than mailto forms.

•	Q: I occassionally receive more than one copy of a response.  Why does this happen and how can it be avoided?

A: This usually happens because your visitor is not being properly notified that his or her response has indeed been submitted, so he or she clicks the Submit button multiple times waiting for something to happen.  Possible solutions, in order of preference, include:

1) If your ISP allows it, use CGI forms.  Then you may design a response page which will be created "on-the-fly" by the WebForms-generated CGI script and displayed in your visitor's browser, or you can specify the URL of an existing page to which your visitor will be automatically sent after pressing the Submit button.  Either of these methods can be implemented from within the Feedback tab.

2) Using a Mailto form, you can specify a confirmation message which will appear to your visitor in a message box after clicking the Submit button.  This method can also be implemented from within the Feedback tab.  Note: This feature utilizes JavaScript and requires a JavaScript-capable browser.  Users of browsers not so equipped will not be able to see this message box.

•	Q: I've uploaded the HMTL file that WebForms created to my server, but when I try to view it through my browser, the browser says that it can not find my file.  Why?

A: The answer to this is most likely that you have not placed the HTML file into the path specified in the page that links to your form.  Move the file into the correct directory on your server, or change the link on the calling page to reflect the correct path.

•	Q: I've uploaded the HMTL file that WebForms created to my server, but when I try to view it through my browser, the browser says that I am forbidden access to that file.  Why?

A: Your permissions for this file on your UNIX server are not set correctly.  Dial into your UNIX shell and go to the directory into which you've installed the HTML file.  Type the command:  "chmod 645 <filename>" (without the quotes), where <filename> is the name of your HTML file.  If you need help with this, contact your ISP or system administrator.

•	Q: I'm using CGI forms, and when I click my Submit button I get an error message that says, "Server Error".  How come?

A: This usually means that there is an error in your CGI script.  This can happen as a result of manually editing the script after it was generated by WebForms, especially if you edit the script from your DOS/Windows machine.  If you absolutely must edit your script manually, do so from your server's UNIX shell with whatever editor is available to you there, after uploading the form to your server.

      Other possible causes for this error include having designated an incorrect Perl Path, Sendmail Path, or Script Path in WebForms when creating the form.  For more info, read the Server Info topic.

•	Q: I'm using CGI forms, and my browser gives me an error message saying that access to my CGI script file is forbidden.  What do I do?

A: This error means that the permissions are not set up correctly for your script file.  Dial into your UNIX shell and go to the directory into which you've installed the CGI script file.  Type the command:  "chmod 705 <filename>" (without the quotes), where <filename> is the name of your CGI script file.  If you need help with this, contact your ISP or system administrator.

•	Q: I'm trying to do a Direct Import of my responses, but I keep getting an error message that says, "Error 26005 [11004] - Valid name, no data record."  What's going on?

A: This is usually caused by having entered an incorrect Mail Host name or User Name.  Your Mail Host name should consist of only the POP3 server name (most likely the second part of your e-mail address after the "@" sign), and the User Name should only contain the first half of your e-mail address (before the "@" sign).  Note: If you are using a virtual domain name, check with your ISP for the correct Mail Host settings.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Feedback

You can specify the type and content of feedback your users will encounter after submitting a form response via the Feedback tab in the Forms Window.

The Feedback Tab allows you to provide feedback to your web site visitors once they have submitted a response to your form.  The methods available to you for providing feedback will be dependant upon the type of form you are creating; CGI or mailto.  (This is determined by clicking the appropriate option in the General Info tab.)

If you are creating a mailto form, you are limited to a simple confirmation message.   You can enter this message into the Confirmation Message field in the Feedback tab.  Users of JavaScript-capable browsers (including Netscape Navigator and MS Internet Explorer 3.0) will encounter a message box containing the text you enter whenever they click your Submit button.

If you are creating a CGI form, you have two feedback options.  You may either create a confirmation page by filling in the Header and Body fields in the Feedback tab, or you may specify an existing web page to which your users will automatically be sent after clicking your Submit button.

Should you choose to create a confirmation page, you can enter any text or HTML tags (links, fonts, etc.) into the Body field, however these tags must be typed manually.  The code for the confirmation page will end up in the resulting Perl script upon completion of this form, and will be generated and sent to your users browser "on-the-fly", each time someone clicks your Submit button.

Note:  Do not include <HTML>,<HEAD>,<TITLE>, or <BODY> tags in the Body field.  These will be generated automatically.  Including them again will result in a confirmation page that may not work at all.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Server Info

The Server Info tab is where you must indicate your server paths when creating a CGI form.

Note:  The information in the Server Info tab is taken from the "global" settings in the CGI Info tab in the Preferences Window.  Any modifications made to the Server Info tab in the Forms Window directly (shown above) will only apply to that particular form.  The "global" settings in the CGI Info tab in the Preferences Window will continue to apply to any other forms you may create.

In order for CGI forms and Perl scripts to work properly, they must be configured accurately.  The information requested in the Server Info tab is extremely important for the creation of CGI forms.  (It is irrelevant when creating a mailto form.)  The most well thought-out CGI form will not work at all if this tab is not filled out correctly.  For those of you who may be unfamiliar with UNIX, a UNIX path is similar in meaning to a DOS path.  For the purposes of this discussion, the only difference is that a UNIX path separator is represented by a forward slash ("/") as opposed to the backslash ("\") used in DOS.  To change directories on your UNIX server, use the "cd" command followed by a space and a valid path, just like in DOS.  For a list of files in a directory, use the "ls -l" command.  To return to your own "home" directory at any time, type the "cd" command on a line by itself.  If you get lost, you can find out what your current directory is at any time by just typing the "pwd" command.  (Note that all commands in UNIX must be typed in lower case, unlike DOS which will accept upper or lower case.)

The first field, called the Perl Path field, must contain the path to the Perl interpreter (called "perl") on your UNIX server.  The default value "/usr/bin" will work in most cases.  If this is not the location of the perl interpreter on your server, you can find out the correct location by looking around your server's UNIX shell, or by asking your ISP or system administrator.  You can test whether your Perl path is appropriate by uploading the script file (wf_1.cgi, for example) to your server, and then typing this filename at your UNIX shell prompt while in that directory.  If the script runs without error, then your Perl path is fine.  If you get an error message that says "Command not found", then your Perl path is incorrect.

The next field, called the Sendmail Path field. must contain the path to the "sendmail" program on your UNIX server.  WebForms takes your CGI form responses and redirects them to your mailbox using your server's sendmail program, thus allowing you to import all of your responses, whether they be to a mailto form or a CGI form, all at one time.  The default path of "/usr/lib" will work in most cases.  If this is not the location of the sendmail program on your server, you can find out the correct location by looking around your server's UNIX shell, or by asking your ISP or system administrator.  You can test whether your Sendmail path is correct by uploading the script file (wf_1.cgi, for example) to your server, and then typing this filename at your UNIX shell prompt while in that directory.  If the script runs without error, then your Sendmail path is fine.  If you get an error message that says "Can't exec sendmail, no such file or directory", then your Sendmail path is incorrect.

The last field, called the Script Path field, must contain the name of the path into which you will place the Perl script that WebForms generates for you.  Some ISP's will allow you to place a CGI script anywhere, including the directory into which you usually put your web pages.  (If you are allowed to put your script files and web pages (.htm files) in the same directory, then you can leave the Script Path field blank.)  Others have specific guidelines as to where they would like you to place your scripts; perhaps a directory called "cgi" or "cgi-bin".  If your Perl path and Sendmail path are both correct, your script may appear to run correctly from your UNIX shell even if your Script path is incorrect.  The only way to test it for sure is to try to access the script with your browser, by submitting a response to your form.

Note: We at Q&D Software Development have no way of knowing how your server is set up.  We can not advise you as to the correct entries for the Server Info tab, nor can we call your ISP.  This information MUST come from your ISP, or System Administrator, since they are the ones who determine this information when they set up your account.  If your ISP needs assistance or clarification, please have them contact us directly.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


Upgrade Policy

Q&D Software Development's policy for upgrading WebForms has changed, starting with version 2.6.  In the past, we offered free upgrades to all registered users.  This policy is no longer feasible for us.  We realize that, having made past promises to our registered users of free upgrades for life, that this new policy of charging for upgrades would be in direct opposition to promises made to those users.  For this reason alone, we have instituted the schedule outlined below.  Your exact upgrade fee will be determined by the version you originally registered and your registration level (Standard or Professional).  To ascertain your fee for upgrading to version 2.7 from an earlier version, please refer to the chart below.  If you have never registered any version of WebForms before, you are not eligible to receive an upgrade discount and must purchase the complete program.

Please note that upgrades will be delivered via e-mail only, and are available only via our web site at http://www.q-d.com.  We can not deliver upgrades by floppy disk orany other media, and they are not available through any of our other registration venues.

	Originally registered version 2.1b or prior	Originally registered version 2.5 or later
Currently using WebForms Professional Edition	No charge!!	$8.95
Currently using old WebForms Standard Edition	$18.00	$26.95

As you can see, we are keeping our promise to those of you who were good enough to register WebForms Professional Edition in the past.  Yes, we do know who you are, and we thank you for your support.

*Note: The Standard Edition has been discontinued.  Users of the old WebForms Standard Edition who wish to upgrade to version 2.7 must upgrade to the Professional Edition as well, hence the higher registration fee for WebForms Standard Edtion users.

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


CGI/Mailto Comparison Chart

The following table illustrates the basic differences between CGI forms and mailto forms as they exist in WebForms.

	CGI	Mailto
All components fully generated by WebForms	Yes	Yes
Stores responses in MS-Access database on local hard drive for easy viewing, printing, and/or exporting	Yes	Yes
Provides submission confirmation	Yes.  Either custom confirmation page or automatic redirection to existing URL.	Yes.  Via message box (visible only with JavaScript-capable browsers)
Works without CGI or Perl scripts	No	Yes
Approximate percentage of browser compatibility	100%	65%-75%
Field Validation	Yes. (Uses JavaScript)	Yes. (Uses JavaScript)

WebForms - (C)1995,96,97 Q&D Software Development


C

CGI form

CGI forms

H

home page

HTML

hypertext

I

ISP

M

mailto form

mailto forms

S

scrolling status bar messages

submission confirmation messages

U

UNIX

URL

W

WWW


CGI form

CGI forms allow additional benefits to those allowed by mailto forms.  In WebForms, you can create a CGI form that will send confirmation pages to your users after they've submitted a response, or you can specify an existing page to which your users will be sent once they've submitted their response.  In addition to an HTML file, WebForms also automatically generates a Perl script when a CGI form is created, which must also be uploaded to your server.  WebForms CGI forms require that your ISP or System Administrator allows for CGI capabilities, and has the Perl program on the server.


CGI forms

CGI forms allow additional benefits to those allowed by mailto forms.  In WebForms, you can create a CGI form that will send confirmation pages to your users after they've submitted a response, or you can specify an existing page to which your users will be sent once they've submitted their response.  In addition to an HTML file, WebForms also automatically generates a Perl script when a CGI form is created, which must also be uploaded to your server.  WebForms CGI forms require that your ISP or System Administrator allows for CGI capabilities, and has the Perl program on the server.


home page

A typical home page is an HTML document that serves as a point at which other WWW users can find out information about you or your company.


HTML

HTML (Hyper-Text Markup Language) is the language used to create virtually all WWW pages.


hypertext

Hypertext is "clickable" text which allows you to jump from one document to another.  If you are reading this definition, you just clicked a hypertext link from within the WebForms Help System.


ISP

An ISP (Internet Service Provider) is an organization which provides dial up access to the Internet, usually for a monthly or hourly fee.


mailto form

A mailto form is a form which does not require any CGI scripts, nor does it require that your server provide you with CGI capabilities.


mailto forms

A mailto form is a form which does not require any CGI scripts, nor does it require that your server provide you with CGI capabilities.


scrolling status bar messages

A scrolling status bar message appears as scrolling "marguee" type text at the bottom of your form.


submission confirmation messages

Submission confirmation message text appears in a message box after a visitor to your form clicks the form's Submit button.  The message box also will include an "OK" button and a "Cancel" button.


UNIX

UNIX is a computer operating system capable of processing large volumes of information simultaneously.  Most Internet servers are UNIX-based.


URL

A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is simply a string of text containing instructions as to the type of service requested and, depending on the type of service, the address of a document or program on the Internet.


WWW

The WWW (World Wide Web)  is a multimedia-capable network which is navigated via hypertext links between pages.  Linked pages can be located on the same computer or on different computers on opposite ends of the world.