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Walk through to create a user feed back form |
  
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Walk through to create a user feed back form |
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This walk through demonstrates the process of creating a simple user feedback form template with an approval workflow. The workflow consist of 4 states
New: State to indicate the starting point in the workflow.
Submitted: State to indicate the user feedback form has been submitted.
Accepted: State to indicate the user feedback has been accepted.
Rejected: State to indicate the user feedback form has been rejected.
Creating the user feedback form template.
The user feedback form template contains a number of label fields as well as 2 text fields for data entry and a drop down list field to store a static lookup list.
• Login as a user with access to create form templates
• Go to the Form Template Manager module and click on the "New Template" link button
• In the Form Template Details screen enter/provide the following details
• "User Feedback" for the Name field
• "A sample user feedback form" for the Description field
• Selects the "Parent" as the form template Type
• Click on the "Update" link button to create the form template
• A successful message should be displayed indicating the form template has been created successfully. Notice that the form template is now locked by you. In order to edit the form layout, you will need to have exclusive lock access to the form template
• Once the form template has been created, click on the "Form Designer" link button to start designing the form layout
• In the Form Template Designer screen, verify that the template name you are editing is "User Feedback" form template and there are 4 cells (2 rows x 2 columns) in the empty form layout
• Move the mouse to cell position (row 1 x column 1) until an empty blue box is displayed around the mouse pointer, right mouse click anywhere inside the blue box to trigger a context menu
• Once the context menu is displayed, click on "Add new item in cell" menu item to add a new form field to the selected cell
• A new window, named Edit Element, should appear.
• Select Label from the Type field. Once this is selected additional options are displayed
• Enter the following details for the General tab
• "lblName" for Name field
• "Name:" for Value field
• Enter the following details for Layout tab
• "SubHead" for the Class field
• Click on the "Button" to apply changes. This will update changes to the database and the field should now display in the Form Template Designer window
• From the Form Template Designer window, create a Label field for the cell position (row 2 x column 1) with the following details
• General tab: "lblPriority" for the Name field
• General tab: "Priority:" for the Value field
• Layout tab: "SubHead" for the Class field
• From the Form Template Designer window, create a Label field for cell position (row 3 x column 1) with the following details
• General tab: "lblSubject" for the Name field
• General tab: "Subject:" for the Value field
• Layout tab: "SubHead" for the Class field
• From the Form Template Designer window, create a Label field for cell position (row 4 x column 1) with the following details
• General tab: "lblDescription" for the Name field
• General tab: "Description:" for the Value field
• Layout tab: "SubHead" for the Class field
• From the Form Template Designer window, create a Label field for cell position (row 1 x column 2) with the following details
• General tab: "lblFullname" for the Name field
• General tab: "Full Name:" for the Value field
• General tab: "Full Name" for the ReportFieldName field (this field is used for reporting purposes)
• General tab: "Current User Full Name" for the DefaultValue field (the default value overrides the Value field)
• Layout tab: "SubHead" for the Class field
• From the Form Template Designer window, create a Select List field for cell position (row 2 x column 2) with the following details
• General tab: "dropPriority" for the Name field
• General tab: Checked for SearchField field
• General tab: "Priority" for the ReportFieldName field
• General tab: "Low", "Normal", "High" (each on a new line) for the Option field
• Validation tab: Checked for the Mandatory field
• Validation tab: "Required" for the Error Message field
• From the Form Template Designer window, create a Textfield field for cell position (row 3 x column 2) with the following details
• General tab: "txtSubject" for the Name field
• General tab: Checked for SearchField field
• General tab: "FreeText" for the Datatype field
• General tab: "Subject" for the ReportFieldName field
• Validation tab: Checked for the Mandatory field
• Validation tab: "Required" for the Error Message field
• From the Form Template Designer window, create a Textarea field for cell position (row 4 x column 2) with the following details
• General tab: "txtDescription" for the Name field
• General tab: Checked for SearchField field
• General tab: "FreeText" for the Datatype field
• General tab: "Subject" for the ReportFieldName field
• Layout tab: "200px" for the Width field
• Layout tab: "100px" for the Height field
• Now that you have finished creating your form layout, click on the "Return" link button to return to Form Template Details screen
• To preview what you form will look like when it is used by the Data Collection Manager, click on the "Preview" link button
• Once you finished previewing, click on the "Return" link button to return to Form Template Details screen
• The next step is to create form custom roles (group of DNN portal roles) security access for your form template
• From the Form Template Details screen, click on the "Access Roles" link button
• By default we only need two type of custom form roles for the user feedback form, Form Users and Form Approvers. Form Users are groups of DNN roles with access to create a feedback form. Form Approvers are groups of DNN roles with access to Accept and Reject the feedback form.
• From the Edit Form Template Role Mappings screen, click on the "Edit Roles" link button to create new custom form roles
• To create Form Users form custom role, enter the following details
• "Form Users" for the Role Name field
• "Users with access to create and submit feedback form" for the Description field
• Click on the "Update" link button to apply changes
• To create Form Approvers form custom role, enter the following details
• "Form Approvers" for the Role Name field
• "Users with access to approve/reject feedback form" for the Description field
• Click on the "Update" link button to apply changes
• Click on the "Return" link button to return to the Edit Form Template Role Mapping screen
• Now provide a mapping between the created custom form roles and the available DNN portal roles. The list of available DNN portal roles are based on the granted read/edit access for the Form Template Manager module
• The mapping is as follows:
• DNN Unauthenticated User ==> Form Users
• DNN Registered Users ==> Form Users
• DNN Super Users ==> Form Approvers
• DNN Super Users ==> Form Users
• DNN Administrators ==> Form Approvers
• DNN Administrators ==> Form User
• Once mapping is completed we are now ready to create Form States. Click on the "Return" link button to return to Form Template Details screen
• Click on the "Form States" link button to start creating the 4 form states (New, Submitted, Rejected, Accepted)
• To create a New form state, enter the following details
• "New" for State Name field
• "State describing the starting point of the workflow" for the Description field
• "Yes" for the Start State field
• "No" for the End State field
• Click on "Update" link button to apply changes and create the state
• To create a Submitted form state, enter the following details
• "Submitted" for the Name field
• "State describing the next state when data is submitted" for the Description field
• "No" for the Start State field
• "No" for the End State field
• Click on the "Update" link button to apply changes and create the state
• To create a Accepted form state, enter the following details
• "Accepted" for the Name field
• "State describing when the form is accepted" for the Description field
• "No" for the Start State field
• "Yes" for the End State field (this is one of the two end states in the workflow)
• Click on the "Update" link button to apply changes and create the state
• To create a Rejected form state, enter the following details
• "Rejected" for the Name field
• "State describing when the form is rejected" for the Description field
• "No" for the Start State field
• "Yes" for the End State field (this is one of the two end states in the workflow)
• Click on the "Update" link button to apply changes and create the state
• Now we need to go through each state and assign security using custom form roles
• Click on the "Edit" link button next to the New state
• Selects "Form Users" from the State Role field and make sure the following security settings are checked
• Read Main Form and Write Main Form (this is to allow Form Users to read and submit form data)
• Selects "Form Approvers" from the State Role field and make sure the following security settings are checked
• Read Main Form and Write Main Form (this is to allow Form Approvers to read and submit form data)
• Click on the "Edit" link button next to the Submitted state
• Selects "Form Approvers" from the State Role field and make sure the following security settings are checked
• Read Main Form and Write Main Form (this is to allow Form Approvers to read and submit form data)
• Click on the "Edit" link button next to the Accepted state
• Selects "Form Approvers" from the State Role field and make sure the following security settings are checked
• Read Main Form
• Click on the "Edit" link button next to the Rejected state
• Selects "Form Approvers" from the State Role field and make sure the following security settings are checked
• Read Main Form
• What we have done here is to only allow Form Users to submit data and Form Approvers to approve or reject. Note that the owner of the form will always have implicit read access to the form if he/she is the owner (person submitted the form originally)
• Click on the "Return" link button to return to the Form Template Details screen
• The next step in the process is to create a workflow using the states created. The state flow diagram is as follows. Starting from New a form can be submitted to go to the Submitted state. Once in a Submitted state a form can be accepted to go to the Accepted state or rejected to go to the Rejected state. Both Accepted and Rejected states are final states in the workflow. To create a workflow, click on the "Workflow" link button to open the Edit Form Template Workflow screen
• Create a workflow step from New to Submitted as follows
• "New" for the From State field
• "Submit" for the On Condition field
• "Checked" for the Include Form Data in Email field
• “Submitted” for the To state field
• “No” for the Email From Users field (not to send emails to Users with access to the From state)
• “Yes” for the Email To Users field (send email notifications to users in Form Approvers custom form role)
• “State changes from New to Submitted” for the Description field
• “Thank you for the feedback. Our representative will get back to you as soon as possible” for the Custom Message field
• Leave the rest of the fields as empty unless required and click on "Update" link button to apply changes and create a new workflow step
• Create a workflow step from Submitted to Accepted as follows
• "Submitted" for the From State field
• "Accept" for the On Condition field
• "Checked" for the Include Form Data in Email field
• “Accepted” for the To state field
• “No” for the Email From Users field
• “No” for the Email To Users field
• “State changes from Submitted to Accepted” for the Description field
• “User feedback has been accepted” for the Custom Message field
• Leave the rest of the fields as empty unless required and click on "Update" link button to apply changes and create a new workflow step
• Create a workflow step from Submitted to Rejected as follows
• "Submitted" for the From State field
• "Reject" for the On Condition field
• "Checked" for the Include Form Data in Email field
• “Rejected” for the To state field
• “No” for the Email From Users field
• “No” for the Email To Users field
• “State changes from Submitted to Rejected” for the Description field
• “User feedback has been Rejected” for the Custom Message field
• Leave the rest of the fields as empty unless required and click on "Update" link button to apply changes and create a new workflow step
• Now that we have created the complete form template with workflow the last step is to validate the form template to see if it is a valid form template before sending it for approval for publishing
• Return to the Form Template Details screen and click on the "Validate" link button to validate the form template.
• If there are error messages return from validation, address it appropriately
• If the form template is a valid form template, you can now unlock your form template from exclusive rights to editing then click on the "Change State" to get the form template published for usage.
• To unlock the form template simply click on the "Unlock" link button. Unlock your form template will enable the change state link button.
• To change the state of your form template, click on the "Change State" link button to go to the "Edit Form Template Status" screen
• In the Edit Form Template Status screen select "Pending Approval ..." for the Change State To field
• Add an optional comments in the Comments field. This comment field is logged in the history of changes for the form template.
• Click on "Update" link button to send the form template for approval before it can be published for data collection.
TIP:
You will need to log on as a Form Approver template designer role to approve and publish form template.
Using with Data Collection Manager module
Once a form template has been published and ready for use. Simply add your form template to a Data Collection Manager module to have the form displayed in your portal ready to have users submit feedback.
• Log on as a user with access to edit module settings for the Data Collection Manager module.
• In the Data Collection Manager module, select the "Edit Options" item from the module's menu. You will be taken to Edit Data Entry option screen.
• From the list of Available Published Template, select "User Feedback" template and click on the "Update" link button to apply the changes.
• Click on the "Return" link button to return to the main screen of the Data Collection Manager module
• Your user feedback form is now ready to be used in your portal
Using with Form Workflow Manager module
Once a form template has been published and ready for use. Simply add your form template to a Form Workflow Manager module to have the users process form data via the workflow.
• Log on as a user with access to edit module settings for the Form Workflow Manager module.
• In the Form Workflow Manager module, select the "Edit Options" item from the module's menu. You will be taken to Edit Data Entry option screen.
• From the list of Available Published Template, select "User Feedback" template and click on the "Update" link button to apply the changes.
• Click on the "Return" link button to return to the main screen of the Form Workflow Manager module
• The workflow processing component of your form template is now ready to be used.