Accessible CSS Forms... (Full Version)

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Nicole -> Accessible CSS Forms... (6/18/2006 6:14:21)

In keeping with the fully accessible new site I'm hoping to create for myself, I've started to look into creating an accessible contact form and am of the understanding that the forms Frontpage creates aren't accessible, and don't validate.

I've used a link Jaybee has provided in the Useful Link sticky on this forum to create an accessible table based form:

Accessible Form Builder

...but obviously my contact details/email address and validating the fields haven't been taken into account. In effect I've only created the text and input fields, but obviously I need to set some required fields and tell it where to send the completed form.

Don't laugh, but up until now I've not needed to understand terms like .asp php, server-side, client-side etc, so in this respect I'm a real novice.

What are my options?

p.s. I'm creating one form for my new site, and another for a client. Mine will be on a .htm page, the client's will be an .asp page.

Nicole



Tailslide -> RE: Accessible CSS Forms... (6/18/2006 6:30:03)

Easiest thing is just to add the fields you need in then add in some Javascript client-side validation. Then ensure you have some sort of server-side backup (PHP or ASP). Are you on a windows server or a *nix server?

Far as JS validation goes - here's a lovely script that I use on my site: http://juicystudio.com/article/dom-screen-readers.php which produces really user-friendly error messages. It's limited to only a few fields but then that's what most people do anyway for simple contact forms.

Here's a page with examples of JS validation for each and every type of form field: http://www.shiningstar.net/articles/articles/javascript/javascriptvalidations.asp?ID=ROLLA Just find the field type you're after in the source code and copy what they've done.

I personally just use FormMail.nms which is the more secure version of the old faithfull FormMail script. It's Perl (not as I previously stated PHP! Doh!) , easy to customise and just slots in to whatever form fields you've built manually. It will handle the server-side validation for you so that if JS is off then you get the server-side validation. It will run on a windows server but there'll be a bit of tweaking to get it to do so.

Edit: And this link is the absolutely most useful link I've found regarding building accessibile forms: http://www.websemantics.co.uk/tutorials/accessible_forms/ except that I've started wrapping the label tag around both the label and the form input to make it more explicit and easier to understand.

Also - it pays to learn how to do this in both a *nix environment and a ASP environment as you don't know which your client will be using (probably *nix more often than not).



Nicole -> RE: Accessible CSS Forms... (6/18/2006 6:44:52)

Thanks Tail, will look into those! That last link looks fabulous!

Nicole

Oh, I'm on a windows server, not sure about my client, could look that up I suppose.



Tailslide -> RE: Accessible CSS Forms... (6/18/2006 6:53:30)

I just added above that formMail.nms does run on windows servers - with a small amount of tweaking (different paths to stuff etc). That's if you end up with any issues figuring out the ASP validation. It is definitely NOT the same as the old Matt's FormMail script which was very insecure.



womble -> RE: Accessible CSS Forms... (6/18/2006 7:58:43)

I use PHP Dynaform on a number of sites. It's easy to use and the security's not bad, but validation's really limited to requiring a field to be completed, but can be sufficient for small forms if all you're wanting is to make fields required.

Forms to Go, as recommended by Jaybee a while back, is the one I tend to use these days. It'll produce scripts in PHP, ASP and Perl and the validation options (server side) on it aren't bad. I use the HiSoftware Accessible Form Creator to create the form, then import it into FTG to do the scripting bit.



Nicole -> RE: Accessible CSS Forms... (6/18/2006 8:09:39)

I could search online forever and not come up with such useful sites and programs. Thanks Womble!




Nicole -> RE: Accessible CSS Forms... (6/19/2006 2:13:44)

Womble,

Before I download the 30 day trial of Forms To Go, what information will I need from my client? Obviously their email address they'd like to use to receive the data, but I note on their screenshots I might need smtp info too, so considering it might take a few days to get this info, Ill download the trial version only when I have the info from my client.

Nicole



Tailslide -> RE: Accessible CSS Forms... (6/19/2006 2:47:06)

You must be able to add that stuff in manually afterwards.



Nicole -> RE: Accessible CSS Forms... (6/22/2006 5:38:06)

So I've gone ahead and created a form on my site using HiSoftware's Accessible Form Builder and then creating the script in Forms To Go", the php version wouldn't work on my test site as it has it's limitations in what you can and can't do, but it's uploaded to my current site albeit with limited styling as I didn't want to upload the whole new site:

www.nixdesign.com.au/test/contact.htm

But with the limitations of my test site I decided to use Forms To Go to write the script in .asp and I "think" it's working only that I have to register my copy of Forms To Go for the .asp version to work? I didn't know this was the case as it says you can do most things with the trial version that you also can with the paid version. Here's the test site:

http://www.users.on.net/~nicoleoz/contact.htm

But when submitting the form you seem to get some message about registering the product.

Hmmmm.



jaybee -> RE: Accessible CSS Forms... (6/22/2006 6:25:21)

quote:

Forms To Go is shareware. You can try it for free before you buy it. If you like the application and find it useful, you must purchase it. You will receive a serial number that unlocks many powerful features. This is only available on the registered version


In other words, if you want to actually use it to send messages then you have to register.



Mike Cherim -> RE: Accessible CSS Forms... (6/29/2006 9:38:47)

Here's one that has a lot of features for accessibility, but it is going to be upgraded soon. http://green-beast.com/blog/?page_id=71

It is a PHP form (safer than JS as it's not dependant on users having JS), but would be easy to implement. Change the page from *.html to *.php and set the incoming links to match. Voila, should be easy.

Mike



spitfire -> RE: Accessible CSS Forms... (6/29/2006 17:42:41)

Not tested. But there is also the accessible form builder from Accessify.com

Edit: oops you've already mentioned that one [sm=icon_redface.gif]. I'll just go and crawl into a corner.



womble -> RE: Accessible CSS Forms... (6/29/2006 19:36:56)

Oooh, they got it fixed again! Last time I tried to use it, it was broke.



spitfire -> RE: Accessible CSS Forms... (6/29/2006 19:52:19)

yep! IE7 apparently caused a "headless chicken act" which disrupted life as we know it Cap'n.



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