6.3. Getting Started - Creating a Default Form

Add a form folder

To get started building a custom form using PloneFormGen, you must first create a Form Folder. A form folder is a lot like a normal Plone folder - you use it to organize and hold other types of content.

Click Add Item (or Add to Folder) and choose Form Folder from the drop-down menu

Provide a Title and Description for the form. You can also change the wording of the Submit button or turn off the cancel button if you wish. Ignore Action Adapter and Thanks Page for the time being and just click on Save at the bottom.

Adding Text to the Form

By default, a form starts with E-Mail Address, Subject and Comments.

Before you learn how to add new fields, or change existing ones, let's look at how you can add some simple text above and below the form.

You may want to include instructions to your site visitor about how to fill out your form, or what the purpose of the form is supposed to be. You can add that descriptive text as follows:

1. Edit the Form Folder by clicking on Edit in the taskbar.
2. Next, click on the Decoration link at the top of the page, between default and overrides.
3. Now you'll see two Body Text areas called Prologue and Epilogue. What you put in the Prolog will appear before the form, and what goes into the Epilogue appears after the submit button. Use the text editor to format your content, include links, and even pictures. Push Save when you're all done.

Next: Grouping Fields Into Fieldsets Previous: Adding Fields