Posted by Richard Lynch on 09/29/04 11:08

NSK wrote:
> I want to create a single php file which will be able to display multiple
> html
> forms.
>
> Like this: Form1 -> Form2 -> Form3.
>
> After the user completes and submits Form1, the script will process it and
> display a different form. etc...
>
> I am new to php, I would need some detailed instructions, or point me to
> an
> opensource php script which already does that so that I can analyse it.

One crucial question to ask yourself:

Is this something the user will fill out ONCE in their life (like a
survey) or will the have to come back and update some of the content once
in a while (like a user profile).

If it's a one-time thing, then what you describe is fine.

If it's *NOT* (and it usually isn't) you're better off keeping each form
separate with some kind of navigation (like folder tabs) and letting the
user choose which forms to update when.

You can track the "last_update" on each form and notate the ones that are
out of date in the interface (make the out-dated tabs RED or something) or
even prompt the user at login to update their XYZ content.

Think about how this data and the forms will be used long-term, and how it
will be maintained, not just how to get the information in the first time.

Even if it's a one-time deal, keeping the forms separately provides some
benefits. If their browser crashes or whatever you can more easily direct
them to the form where they left off if they are all separate.

Nothing annoys a user more than filling out 90% of the screens and getting
logged out after they get distracted by lunch, bathroom break, the boss
asking them to actually do some work, the browser crashing, etc and then
finding out all their entries are *GONE*

Be nice to users -- Plan for that kind of [bleep] to happen.

--
Like Music?
http://l-i-e.com/artists.htm

[Back to original message]