Form Reform Attributes

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Save forms to:
  • Express objects
  • User attributes
  • Page attributes

Form Reform Attributes provides Form Reform handlers to save form data to Express objects and user and page attributes, and to add and remove users from groups.

Form Handlers included

For any form

  • A form handler Save to Express for saving form data to an Express object.
  • A form handler Save to Page Textarea Attribute to save serialised form data to a selected textarea attribute of the current page.

For forms submitted by logged in users:

  • A form handler Save to User for saving form data to attributes of the current user.
  • A form handler Save to User Textarea Attribute to save serialised form data to a selected textarea attribute of the current user.
  • A form handler Merge from User Textarea Attribute to retrieve and merge data previously saved to a textarea attribute with currently submitted form data.
  • A form handler User Groups to add and remove the user from user groups.

Form Input Blocks included

Whilst the flexibility of Form Reform allows pretty much any kind of input to be used to populate an attribute, options attributes can be a little bit fiddly. To make that easier, we have some form input block types constructed specially for use with options attributes.

  • Options Attribute Checkbox List Input.
  • Options Attribute Radioset Input.
  • Options Attribute Select Input.

These form input blocks automatically populate their options from any options attribute in a format that is compatible with the Form Reform Save to Attributes handlers. Block edit options allow configuration for:

  • A subset of the options
  • Sequence of options
  • Option labels

You don't have to use these blocks. They just provide a shortcut to some of the most frequent uses of options attributes.

Save to Express

If you work within its limitations, Express can be a convenient way of building simple databases without any programming. Express allows forms to be configured for entering data on the front end of a site, so why do you need Form Reform? Express forms are:

  • notoriously difficult to style with a custom template and php code.
  • unflexible about how form submissions are handled.

The Save to Express handler for Form Reform can save you from both of these problems. You can create front end forms for your Express data using the easy form design flexibility of Form Reform input blocks while saving the form data to Express. For form processing you can take advantage of the massive flexibility of the Form Reform pipeline.

The Save to Express handler enables an Express object to be selected and then presents a table of attributes of the express entity for a mapping form values into each of the express entity attributes.

Limitation

Form Reform knows nothing about relationships between Express objects. Hence Save to Express cannot be used to manage relationships between Express objects.

Mapping data from Form Reform to Express

Form Reform fills values of attributes of a selected express object by listing the Express attributes/fields then specifying how they will be filled using {{place_holders}} for form data.

The screenshot shows this for the example contact form. In practice, Save to Express is more likely to be used for custom express objects, but we all know what the contact object looks like.

This also shows the optional Update previous entry matching criteria enabled. This option shows the Update Match column and the User Identity row. Each checkbox enabled will then search to update a previous entry that matches the Value to Set. Take care when using the update option, especially when no user is logged in. 

Save to Page Textarea Attribute

The Save to Page Textarea Attribute form handler uses any textarea attribute of the current page as a store to write form data to.

Save to User

The Save to User form handler maps form fields to attributes of the current user with a similar configuration dialogue to the Save to Express handler configuration above.

Save to User Textarea Attribute

The Save to User Textarea Attribute form handler uses any textarea attribute of the current user as a store to write form data to.

What is the difference between the handlers Save to User and Save to User Textarea Attribute?

We have two handlers for saving to user attributes. Both require a logged in user, so these handlers should not be used for forms a visitor/guest can submit.

Save to User Textarea Attribute

Save to User Textarea Attribute is the simpler concept. This is very similar to Save to Session and Save to Cookie, except it saves the entire submission as serialized JSON into the configured textarea attribute.

Many form submissions can be saved sequentially to the same text area attribute. The handler has similar options to  Save to Session and Save to Cookie for managing how repeated submissions are appended and old submissions are cleared.

We recommend you should configure a different textarea attribute for each form if you use this form handler.

 

Save to User

Save to User is similar to Save to Express. This handler presents a table of user attributes and you can then map form values into each of the user attributes.

A logged in user only has one set of user attributes, so this handler is always an update of existing values.

If you don't want an attribute to be modified by the Save to User form handler, leave the corresponding row empty and check to Ignore Empty.

Take care here, or you could end up accidentally clearing the wrong attributes after form submission!

Providing Values for Select and Topic Attributes

In the Value to Set matrix, saving to text and number attributes is easy. Just provide a text or numeric value within their range and that is pretty much it. But what about select attributes, internally they store options as numeric values, so what values do you actually configure in Form Reform save to Attributes?

Well, you don't have to worry about what the internal Concrete CMS core values are. Form Reform save to Attributes interfaces to the text representation importer that Concrete CMS uses when exporting and importing sites.

For a select or topic attribute, you can simply provide the text you see in the attribute labels. For example, if you were saving to a contact form, your could provide 'Great website' either as text or through a {{place_holder}} and that option would be saved with the Express object. 

Providing Values for Boolean (Checkbox) Attributes

As noted above, Form Reform Save to Attributes uses the core content importer to set the value of attributes. For boolean or checkbox attributes, the values provided by the Value to Set map can be:

  • "1" (number or text), "true" (text), "on" (text) or "yes" (text) to set the attribute to TRUE
  • "0" (number or text), "false" (text), "off" (text) or "no"  (text) to set the attribute to FALSE

Any other value, including the php false-ish values of null and empty string, will be rejected. This is important behavior, because the form handler cannot know if an empty string actually means false, or you just forgot to set it, or you intend it to be ignored. Hence you need to be explicit about clearing a boolean or checkbox attribute.

Why is this a separate package?

In theory, the handlers provided by Form Reform Save to Attributes could have been part of the main Form Reform package. However, Form Reform is already big, so making this a separate addon helps prevent Form Reform from growing bigger. The roadmap has more than enough ideas that will need to be part of the main Form Reform package and necessitate growth.

Form Reform Attributes, Express and Users

jl_form_reform_save_to_attributes - v9.1.0

Save submitted forms to Express objects and user attributes. Add and remove users from groups.

ConcreteCMS Marketplace v9.1.0

Block Types Form Handler Plugins
  • Merge From User Textarea Attribute
  • Remove From User Textarea Attribute
  • Save to Current Page Textarea Attribute
  • Save to Current User
  • Save to Current User Textarea Attribute
  • Save to Express
  • User Groups
  • Validate User

Form Reform

jl_form_reform - v9.6.8 - resources v9.4.21

Reform the way forms are built. Build a form out of blocks. Take control of how form submissions are processed and how the submitted data is stored. Easy to extend. Easy to reconfigure. Tangible data. Easy to add your own integrations.

ConcreteCMS Marketplace v9.6.8

Block Types Single Pages
  • Form Reform /dashboard/​system/​form_reform Reform the way forms are built. Build a form out of blocks. Take control of how form submissions are processed and how the submitted data is stored. Easy to extend. Easy to reconfigure. Tangible data. Easy to add your own integrations.
  • Form Handler Plugins /dashboard/​system/​form_reform/​plugin_list Plugins for Form Handlers.
  • Form Reform Blocks /dashboard/​system/​form_reform/​form_reform_blocks Blocks for Form Reform.
  • Form Reform Global Settings /dashboard/​system/​form_reform/​global_settings Edit global settings and defaults for Form Reform Submission.
  • Form Reform /dashboard/​reports/​form_reform Reform the way forms are built. Build a form out of blocks. Take control of how form submissions are processed and how the submitted data is stored. Easy to extend. Easy to reconfigure. Tangible data. Easy to add your own integrations.
  • Form Submissions /dashboard/​reports/​form_reform/​form_reform_default Default storage for Form Reform submissions.
  • Advanced Configuration /dashboard/​system/​form_reform/​advanced_config Advanced Configuration for Form Reform including adapting styles for non-Bootstrap 5 themes.
Form Handler Plugins
  • Address Geocode
  • Clear Data Category
  • Clear Errors
  • Clear Quarantine Files
  • Comment
  • Condition Else
  • Condition Else If
  • Condition End
  • Condition If
  • End
  • Extend Form Data
  • Extend From List
  • Extend From Page
  • Extend From Table
  • Extend With Text Item
  • Fail
  • Fire Event
  • Generate ID Code
  • Generate QR Code
  • Import Quarantine Files
  • Iterate Data
  • Iterate Data End
  • Iterate Repeatable Group
  • Iterate Repeatable Group End
  • Log Errors
  • Log Handler Results
  • Log Pipeline
  • Log Submission
  • Log Submission Data
  • Magic Tabs Jump
  • Merge From Cookie Store
  • Merge From Default Store
  • Merge From Session Store
  • Message
  • Next Form State
  • None
  • On Error
  • On Success
  • Query Default Store
  • Redirect
  • Remove From Default Store
  • Save to CSV
  • Save to Cookie
  • Save to Default
  • Save to File
  • Save to Session
  • Send Email
  • Set Error
  • Set Error Conditional
  • Sort Form Data
  • Spam Detect
  • Transform Error
  • Validate ID Code
  • Validate Input Fields
  • Wait

Form Reform Display

jl_form_reform_display - v9.4.2

Provides blocks and dashboard utilities to List, display, summarize, generate reports and analyze form submissions from Form Reform. Additionally supports integration with Universal Content Puller.

ConcreteCMS Marketplace v9.4.2

Block Types Single Pages
  • Form Report Generator /dashboard/​reports/​form_reform/​form_reform_report Report generator for default Form Reform submissions.
  • Analysis Plugin List /dashboard/​system/​form_reform/​analysis_plugin_list Plugins for Form Reform Display analysis.
Content Source Plugins
  • Form Reform Analysis
  • Form Reform Default Store
  • Form Reform Report
Image Selectors Plugins
  • Form Reform Report Dynamic
Form Handler Plugins
  • Import Average Analysis
  • Import Average for Group by Label Analysis
  • Import Distinct Values Analysis
  • Import Frequency Analysis
  • Import Frequency Analysis Matrix
  • Import Frequency Analysis Numeric
  • Import Report
Analysis Plugins
  • Average
  • Average for Group by Label
  • Distinct Values
  • Frequency Analysis
  • Frequency Analysis Matrix
  • Frequency Analysis Numeric
  • Heading Insert
  • None

Form Reform UTM

jl_form_reform_utm - v9.0.3

Not just Form Reform and not just UTM! Capture and hold incoming UTM (or other) tags and make the tag values available to Form Reform and/or Conditional Redirect as {{place_holders}}. You don't need Form Reform to use this.

ConcreteCMS Marketplace v9.0.3

Single Pages
  • UTM configuration /dashboard/​system/​form_reform/​utm Redirects to UTM Configuration in SEO settings.
  • UTM configuration /dashboard/​system/​seo/​utm Capture and hold incoming UTM (or other) tags and make the tag values available to Form Reform as {{place_holders}}. Also integrates with Conditional Redirect. You don't need Form Reform to use this!

Form Reform Attributes, Express and Users

jl_form_reform_save_to_attributes - v9.1.0

Save submitted forms to Express objects and user attributes. Add and remove users from groups.

ConcreteCMS Marketplace v9.1.0

Block Types Form Handler Plugins
  • Merge From User Textarea Attribute
  • Remove From User Textarea Attribute
  • Save to Current Page Textarea Attribute
  • Save to Current User
  • Save to Current User Textarea Attribute
  • Save to Express
  • User Groups
  • Validate User

Form Reform Image Picker

jl_form_reform_image_picker - v9.0.6

Form Reform Image Picker provides an image picking input block for Form Reform. The Image Picker Input is preconfigured to connect to most Omni Gallery gallery and slider display widgets, the core gallery block, and thumbnail showing templates for the core page list block. Advanced settings allow the Image Picker Input to be configured to pick images from other galleries and sliders.

ConcreteCMS Marketplace v9.0.6

Block Types Form Handler Plugins
  • Extend From File Properties

Form Reform Data Picker

jl_form_reform_data_picker - v9.0.10

Form Reform Data Picker provides data picking input blocks for Form Reform. Create pickers and selectors from tables or JSON data sources including HTML tables, Calendars, Page Lists, Universal Content Puller and previously submitted form results.

ConcreteCMS Marketplace v9.0.10

Block Types Form Handler Plugins
  • Delete From Default Store
  • Read From Default Store
  • Update Default Store

Form Reform Dynamics

jl_form_reform_dynamics - v0.2.2

Form handlers for querying Microsoft Dynamics, forwarding and updating form data to Microsoft Dynamics.

Form Handler Plugins
  • Forward to Dynamics
  • Get From Dynamics
  • Update to Dynamics

Form Reform Macros

jl_form_reform_macro - v9.0.0

Extends Form Reform with form handler macros. Provides a new dashboard page at System & Settings > Form Reform > Form Reform Macros to manage macros, and form handlers to run macros.

ConcreteCMS Marketplace v9.0.0

Single Pages
  • Form Reform Macros /dashboard/​system/​form_reform/​macro Extends Form Reform with form handler macros. Provides a new dashboard page at System & Settings > Form Reform > Form Reform Macros to manage macros, and form handlers to run macros.
Form Handler Plugins
  • Macro

Form Reform Developer

jl_form_reform_developer - v9.1.4

A growing suite of resources to assist those developing blocks, handlers and more complex forms for Form Reform.

ConcreteCMS Marketplace v9.1.4

Block Types Single Pages
  • Plugin Dialogue Explorer /dashboard/​system/​form_reform/​plugin_dialogue_explorer A reference copy of all plugin dialogues. They won't save and may only partially work. Just here for browsing.
  • Block Dialogue Explorer /dashboard/​system/​form_reform/​block_dialogue_explorer A reference copy of all form input block dialogues. They won't save and may only partially work. Just here for browsing.
  • Find My Forms /dashboard/​system/​form_reform/​find_my_forms Locates Form Reform forms and the pages they are on.
Form Handler Plugins
  • Dump Added Static Handler Categories
  • Dump Form Data
  • Dump Post Data
  • Dump Query Data
  • Dump Static Data Values
  • Log Added Static Handler Categories
  • Log Post Data
  • Log Query Data
  • Log Static Data Values
  • Post Data Review
  • Validate Form Structure

Additional Pages

Reform the way you add new input controls

If you need a specialized template or a custom input element, you can design new templates  or new block types for form elements as you would any block type.

Blocks are easy for third party addition or extension. Block templates and are the first thing any Concrete CMS developer learns to code. They are one of the easiest things to code. The underlying mechanisms are well established and reliable.

Reform what you can do with form data

Form handlers are built about the same extensible plugin system as many of my other addons (Universal Content Puller, Omni Gallery, Extreme Clean ...).

The whole system is aimed at easy extension within Form Reform, by third party addons, by agencies and by site building developers.

Handlers can be easily added to do whatever you want with the form data.

Reform where you can save form data

Saving form data with Form Reform is simply a handler in the processing pipeline. You can save to multiple locations or just one location.

If you need to save data elsewhere, such as to a dedicated table, a table provided through another addon, to another database, send it to an API, forward it to another server, or anywhere you can imagine, you can adapt or develop a form handler to do so.

The complexity of the code depends on where you are saving or sending the data, but wrapping that into a form handler plugin for Form Reform is straight forward.

The Form Reform handler plugin system is designed for easy extension.

Why not Express forms?

Express is the built in object data system built in to Concrete CMS. Form Reform is way more powerful for forms. Express supports basic object relationships, but is not robust.

Form Reform

Reform the way forms are built. Build a form out of blocks. Take control of how form submissions are processed and how the submitted data is stored. Easy to extend. Easy to reconfigure. Tangible data. Easy to add your own integrations.

Form Reform Display

Provides blocks and dashboard utilities to List, display, summarize, generate reports and analyze form submissions from Form Reform. Additionally supports integration with Universal Content Puller.

Form Reform UTM

Not just Form Reform and not just UTM! Capture and hold incoming UTM (or other) tags and make the tag values available to Form Reform and/or Conditional Redirect as {{place_holders}}. You don't need Form Reform to use this.

Form Reform Dynamics

Form handlers for querying Microsoft Dynamics, forwarding and updating form data to Microsoft Dynamics.

Snapshot

A suite of advanced image capture and upload tools. Enhanced drag and drop file uploading. Make screengrabs from within Concrete CMS. Capture images directly from device webcams. Edit images before uploading.

Form Reform Attributes, Express and Users

Save submitted forms to Express objects and user attributes. Add and remove users from groups.

Form Reform Image Picker

Form Reform Image Picker provides an image picking input block for Form Reform. The Image Picker Input is preconfigured to connect to most Omni Gallery gallery and slider display widgets, the core gallery block, and thumbnail showing templates for the core page list block. Advanced settings allow the Image Picker Input to be configured to pick images from other galleries and sliders.

Form Reform Data Picker

Form Reform Data Picker provides data picking input blocks for Form Reform. Create pickers and selectors from tables or JSON data sources including HTML tables, Calendars, Page Lists, Universal Content Puller and previously submitted form results.

Form Reform Macros

Extends Form Reform with form handler macros. Provides a new dashboard page at System & Settings > Form Reform > Form Reform Macros to manage macros, and form handlers to run macros.

Form Reform Developer

A growing suite of resources to assist those developing blocks, handlers and more complex forms for Form Reform.

Learn with a simple form

While you may have plans to implement some much more complex forms using Form Reform, we strongly recommend you start with a simple form such as our contact form example in order to review the basic principles of using Form Reform before you move onto anything bigger.

  1. Start by submitting the form at Getting Started - Your First Form a few times, even making some deliberate mistakes.
  2. Watch our Getting Started with Form Reform video to see how the form is built.
  3. Read through the rest of Getting Started - Your First Form for more details of how this form is built.
  4. Create a test page on your site to build your own version of Getting Started - Your First Form and experiment.
  5. Develop your test page with some of the concepts introduced by our further examples and experiment with some of the other form inputs.