Forms 2.0 - Overview

caution

This page is preliminary and subject to change as Forms 2.0 continues to be developed.

Forms 2.0 is the next generation of Plant an App's form-building tools. It replaces the original Form module (also known by its module type name, avt.Action Form) with a new, streamlined Form Builder built around a live drag-and-drop Canvas.

Forms 2.0 is a separate module from the classic Form module - on the "Add Module" panel, look for a module simply named Form (the classic module appears as avt.Action Form). Going forward, Forms 2.0 is the recommended choice for new forms, and existing avt.Action Form forms can be migrated into it (see below).

What's new

• A simpler, more modern Form Builder - instead of four separate configuration tabs, the new Form Builder offers a more modern and intuitive experience organized around just two: Build, where you add and arrange fields, and Settings, where form-level behavior and events are configured. See the Form Builder page for a tour of the builder itself.
• A visual Canvas - fields are added and arranged directly on a drag-and-drop Canvas that previews your form at Narrow, Medium, Wide, or Full Width, so you can check responsive layout without leaving the builder. See the Canvas page for details.
• Layout Containers - a field type that groups other fields together for layout purposes, arranging them vertically, horizontally, or in a free-form grid, with control over alignment, spacing, and padding. Containers can be nested to build multi-column and panel-style layouts.
• Repeater Fields - a new field type that lets users add, and remove repeating groups of fields (for example, multiple addresses or line items) within a single form.
• Localization - form labels, hints, and other on-screen text can be translated into any of the site's languages, so the same form automatically displays in the visitor's language.
• Autosave / Drafts - as a user fills out a form, their in-progress answers are automatically saved as a draft, with a visible autosave status indicator, so partially completed forms aren't lost.

The Build and Settings pages in this section cover each of these areas in more detail.

Migrating from the classic Form module

Because Forms 2.0 is intended to eventually replace the classic avt.Action Form module, the classic Form Builder's Fields tab has a Migration Plan button. It shows you exactly what will be migrated - form settings, events, and fields, each flagged as Migrated, Migrated with warning, Transformed, or Skipped - before you commit to anything. Confirming the plan (Start Migration) adds a new Forms 2.0 Form module to the page, already configured to match the original, so you don't have to rebuild a form from scratch to move it to Forms 2.0.

note

If you're maintaining a large number of existing avt.Action Form forms, plan your migration form by form - see the Settings page for what carries over automatically versus what to double check after migrating.