Internet Forms and Database Bob Kisel Amgraf, Inc.

Internet Forms and Database Types of Databases Available for Internet Forms The Basics of Iform Database Creation The Basics of Iform Database Interaction

Types of Databases Available MySQL Open Source Database (either Unix or Win32 versions) Oracle (Unix or Win32 also) SQL Server 2000 Access 2000 (Possible but I would not recommend it.)

Access Methods We provide and recommend Perl DBI CGI scripting to interface to the database manager used. Native interface code can written that is invoked by the script interface.

Database Operations Submit Form Data to Database Load Reference Data Into Select Boxes Load Previous Form Data Load One or More Fields Based on Data Input Save Form Data Without Doing Submit

Submit Form Data All Non-Disabled Input Fields are passed to the CGI script. (Be careful of fields disabled based on other criteria, if they need to go with submitted data, enable in beforesubmit function.) All Input Fields are Subscripted, make certain script allows for this.

Load Reference Data Typically to Load Data into Select Lists Setup Criteria Invoke _initSelection JavaScript Function Arguments: (Script Path, Criteria, Display_Mode, Select List Object)

Load Reference Data Script Path: Relative or Absolute Path to Server Script on Same Server Where Page was Served From. Typically we Like to Put Them All in a “Query” Directory Since They May be Useful to Other HTML Pages and also so that if one is Similar to Another, we Copy and Edit it.

Load Reference Data Criteria is a String of Keyword=Value Pairs Separated by the “&” Character. ALL Values should passed to JavaScript “escape” function singly if there is any chance of containing Non-alphanumeric characters.

Load Reference Data Server Script Looks for Given Keywords Builds the Actual SQL Command Formats the Return Data as Index=Value JavaScript then Loads Data into Select List in Order Returned. Note: Index is a Unique Value for List. It may be a Number or Key from Database.

Load Reference Data Display Mode is: 1 – Leave a blank line at top of Select List 0 – No Blank Line at Top of List -1 – If Only One Line Returned, No Blank, else Add a Blank Line to Top

Load Previous Form Data Typically a Server Script is Required to Dynamically Modify the HTML Data for the Page. This is Done by Inserting Code into the “initialize” function of the HTML Page. This code will set the value of one or more fields.

Load Previous Form Data In the case of most forms the values of all the fields are set in the initialize function. In other cases only a Key value is set and the code in the initialize function then initializes all of the “dependent” fields based on this. You need to pick the method that works best for your system design.

Load Dependent Fields Allows you to load one or more fields based on a criteria string passed to a server CGI script. The formulation of criteria identical to loading reference data. _InitDependentFields Function (Script Path, Criteria, Object Array, Key Array, Object Count)

Load Dependent Fields Object Array and Key Array are sequenced the same. Object array is pointers to input fields to be filled in. Key array are strings that are matched to the script return data keys to identify which field gets which value.

Load Dependent Fields This is easy to setup in the JavaScript code, just difficult to type all the values in without mistake. (Not bad if only setting up to about 5 fields, bad if it is the entire form.) If you setup up your form to use an Input database, code is generated to load the field arrays for each table, but you must insert code to invoke _InitDependentFields function.

Load Dependent Fields This prevents problems with typing while allowing you to control precisely when the server script is called to load the data. Typically this is done in initialize function but may be invoked again if some selection is made to reflect a new criteria. The goal is to load data only when needed.

Save Form Data There are cases when you want to be able to save the data filled in the form without actually leaving the form. Case 1 – The form needs to be saved multiple times, varying 1 or 2 fields and you don’t want to go into and out of the form multiple times.

Save Form Data Case 2 – You open a sub-form to expand the technique for data collection, and the results of the sub-form need to be captured. Typically when the sub-form is done, it must close its own window to return control to original form, not via the “submit”.

Some of my Favorite Examples MO State Highway Patrol. Bank Form Ordering.