Floris
22nd August 2004, 10:45 AM
Build your site: Friendly Forms
Don't you hate it when a form is accepted without proper checks?
Don't you hate it when an error message comes up on a different page?
Don't you hate it when you are instructed to go "back" to fill a required field?
Don't you hate it when you have to guess what is a "required" field?
Go through this list and build your site the way it should be! (Well, at least the forms) Thank you gthelp.com for publishing your article on our web site.
Author: gthelp.com
Web site: http://www.gthelp.com/ (http://www.gthelp.com/)
This is just a short list of what people go through on a daily basis. You have accepted this as a norm. You have become immune to these errors.
This article is about creating a user-friendly form. This is about the form interface. We will not be talking about coding practices in this article.
Don't you hate it when a form is accepted without proper checks?I see this a lot. The form is thanking you for submitting your information. In some instances, the form will provide you with a "Thank You" and the information you submitted. This is good but it's too late. It was already sent with the wrong information! How about the forms that do not provide you with your "submitted" information? How sure are you that the information entered is accurate?
A form's input should be clearly defined. ie. 03/03/2003, 20 characters only, xxx-xxx-xxxx
A form's input should be checked on "Submit".
Submitted information should be rendered to individual or emailed.
Don't you hate it when an error message comes up on a different page?
Aaaarrrggghh! Don't you hate it when this happens. You submit the form and are notified that you have an error. The worst thing that can happen (and it does) is that you have to guess where the error is located.
What's wrong with having the error appear on the same page?
Don't you hate it when you are instructed to go "back" to fill a required field?What's so bad about this?
This is giving you one more step to complete your task. Just think of how much time you could have saved if you knew firsthand what was 'required'!
Errors should appear on same page of form.
Errors should be defined. (ie. "Password only consists of 0-9; a-z; 10) characters long"
Errors should be visible. (ie. Bold red color, error icon)
The best form of error checking is a combination of server-side and JavaScript (alert). (Server-side in case visitor is browsing with JavaScript disabled.)
Don't you hate it when you have to guess what is a "required" field?
Not to long ago I was at a site that gave me a "required field" error.
What "required field? There was no mention of "required field".
Nevertheless, I went back and filled every input box just to save some time. Aaaarrrggghh! Now I'm getting an "address field is to long" error. There are two address fields and I have no clue as to which one. http://www.gthelp.com/images/smilies/frown.gif
A simple asterisk *, color, or icon could have saved me the aggravation. I hope that by reading this article you will remember the do's and don'ts of an unfriendly form.
Remember a form must be clearly defined.
Error checking should be done before sending information.
Errors should be presented on same page of form.
Errors should be clear and specific. Tell the visitor what to do, do not make them guess.
A friend who had nothing to do but to fill out forms inspired this short article.http://www.gthelp.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif
For a free, private, and professional web site critique (http://www.gthelp.com/forumdisplay.php?f=15) submit your web site into SiteReview 101 (http://www.gthelp.com/forumdisplay.php?f=15). SiteReview 101 can help you find errors that you may have overlooked. This service is especially useful for people who paid for "web design" services. Find out if you got what you paid for - you have nothing to lose but everything to gain!
http://www.vbulletin.nl/ scored a 4 out of 5!
© Copyright 2004 gthelp.com & http://www.vBulletin.nl/ (http://www.vbulletin.nl/)
Original Article Thread: http://www.gthelp.com/showthread.php?t=2999 (http://www.gthelp.com/showthread.php?t=2999)
vBulletin.nl Article Thread: http://www.vBulletin-Fans.com/showthread.php?t=6195 (http://www.vBulletin-Fans.com/showthread.php?t=6195)
This article can be reproduced in its original form--no modifications allowed. gthelp.com would appreciate an email or private message with URL of where it will be posted.
You can discuss this article here (http://www.vBulletin-Fans.com/showthread.php?t=6196).
Floris & Staff
Don't you hate it when a form is accepted without proper checks?
Don't you hate it when an error message comes up on a different page?
Don't you hate it when you are instructed to go "back" to fill a required field?
Don't you hate it when you have to guess what is a "required" field?
Go through this list and build your site the way it should be! (Well, at least the forms) Thank you gthelp.com for publishing your article on our web site.
Author: gthelp.com
Web site: http://www.gthelp.com/ (http://www.gthelp.com/)
This is just a short list of what people go through on a daily basis. You have accepted this as a norm. You have become immune to these errors.
This article is about creating a user-friendly form. This is about the form interface. We will not be talking about coding practices in this article.
Don't you hate it when a form is accepted without proper checks?I see this a lot. The form is thanking you for submitting your information. In some instances, the form will provide you with a "Thank You" and the information you submitted. This is good but it's too late. It was already sent with the wrong information! How about the forms that do not provide you with your "submitted" information? How sure are you that the information entered is accurate?
A form's input should be clearly defined. ie. 03/03/2003, 20 characters only, xxx-xxx-xxxx
A form's input should be checked on "Submit".
Submitted information should be rendered to individual or emailed.
Don't you hate it when an error message comes up on a different page?
Aaaarrrggghh! Don't you hate it when this happens. You submit the form and are notified that you have an error. The worst thing that can happen (and it does) is that you have to guess where the error is located.
What's wrong with having the error appear on the same page?
Don't you hate it when you are instructed to go "back" to fill a required field?What's so bad about this?
This is giving you one more step to complete your task. Just think of how much time you could have saved if you knew firsthand what was 'required'!
Errors should appear on same page of form.
Errors should be defined. (ie. "Password only consists of 0-9; a-z; 10) characters long"
Errors should be visible. (ie. Bold red color, error icon)
The best form of error checking is a combination of server-side and JavaScript (alert). (Server-side in case visitor is browsing with JavaScript disabled.)
Don't you hate it when you have to guess what is a "required" field?
Not to long ago I was at a site that gave me a "required field" error.
What "required field? There was no mention of "required field".
Nevertheless, I went back and filled every input box just to save some time. Aaaarrrggghh! Now I'm getting an "address field is to long" error. There are two address fields and I have no clue as to which one. http://www.gthelp.com/images/smilies/frown.gif
A simple asterisk *, color, or icon could have saved me the aggravation. I hope that by reading this article you will remember the do's and don'ts of an unfriendly form.
Remember a form must be clearly defined.
Error checking should be done before sending information.
Errors should be presented on same page of form.
Errors should be clear and specific. Tell the visitor what to do, do not make them guess.
A friend who had nothing to do but to fill out forms inspired this short article.http://www.gthelp.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif
For a free, private, and professional web site critique (http://www.gthelp.com/forumdisplay.php?f=15) submit your web site into SiteReview 101 (http://www.gthelp.com/forumdisplay.php?f=15). SiteReview 101 can help you find errors that you may have overlooked. This service is especially useful for people who paid for "web design" services. Find out if you got what you paid for - you have nothing to lose but everything to gain!
http://www.vbulletin.nl/ scored a 4 out of 5!
© Copyright 2004 gthelp.com & http://www.vBulletin.nl/ (http://www.vbulletin.nl/)
Original Article Thread: http://www.gthelp.com/showthread.php?t=2999 (http://www.gthelp.com/showthread.php?t=2999)
vBulletin.nl Article Thread: http://www.vBulletin-Fans.com/showthread.php?t=6195 (http://www.vBulletin-Fans.com/showthread.php?t=6195)
This article can be reproduced in its original form--no modifications allowed. gthelp.com would appreciate an email or private message with URL of where it will be posted.
You can discuss this article here (http://www.vBulletin-Fans.com/showthread.php?t=6196).
Floris & Staff