Extension:CIForms
 Release status: stable |
|
|---|---|
| Implementation | Parser function, Hook, Special page |
| Description | Forms with auto-validation, multiple choice questions and cloze tests |
| Author(s) | (thomas-topway-ittalk) |
| Latest version | 1.2.1 (2022-02-20) |
| MediaWiki | >= 1.35.0 |
| License | GNU General Public License 2.0 or later |
| Download | |
| Help | Help:Extension:CIForms |
| Example | CIForms_examples |
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| Translate the CIForms extension if it is available at translatewiki.net | |
CIForms is a complete solution to quickly create input forms to immediately retrieve data from visitors, and they include a wide range of features, like native validation, nested sections, multiple choice questions with arbitrary inputs within lines and supporting all standard list style types, cloze tests, Google recaptcha, select & combobox, textarea with maxlength, submission groups (used to restrict the access to forms' submissions), and much more!
Forms submissions are both optionally sent as a pdf document to the provided email address(es), and stored in a dedicated table which can be accessed by permitted users through a Special Page. (from which each submission can be individually downloaded as a pdf document as well)
InstallationEdit
- Download and place the file(s) in a directory called
CIFormsin yourextensions/folder. - Run
composer updateinside the folderextensions/CIForms(this will install the dependencies phpmailer and dompdf required to send the pdf with form results to a given email address, or to download the form results as pdf) - Add the following code at the bottom of your LocalSettings.php
wfLoadExtension( 'CIForms' );
- Run
php maintenance/update.php(this will install the required tables) 
Done – Navigate to Special:Version on your wiki to verify that the extension is successfully installed.
ExamplesEdit
Basic, one columnEdit
This is the simplest form (type "inputs" by default, one column)
The square brackets represent an input, the square brackets optionally contain the input type, the asterisk indicates a mandatory field
{{#CI form: title = Contact form
| type = inputs
| first and last name [] *
| email [email] *
| your message [textarea] *
}}
which produces the following
PlaceholdersEdit
Form with placeholders. The square brackets contain the placeholder and optionally the input type after the equal symbol:
{{#CI form: title = Contact form
| [first and last name] *
| [email=email] *
| [phone=tel]
| [your message=textarea] *
}}
which produces the following:
Two columnsEdit
Inputs responsive (two columns), the square brackets contain the input type, the form rows can contain html (the label of the email input is bold)
{{#CI form: title = Contact form
| type = inputs responsive
| submit = abc@test.com
| first name [] *
| last name [] *
| <b>email</b> [email] *
| phone [tel]
| your message [textarea] *
}}
Multiple choiceEdit
Multiple choice with arbitrary text inputs between answers (on the last line in the example).
By default the input will be rendered as radio buttons (only one answer allowed).
In order to display checkboxes allowing multiple answers just set the parameter max answers to a value greater than 1.
{{#CI form: title = Why are you applying to this job ?
| type = multiple choice
| I send bulk applications, even if I will be selected I'm not sure to confirm
| I ran out of money, I have to find whatever job quickly
| I want to learn something new
| The job fits my background and I'm very skilled, I look forward to join your team!
| Let me explain []
}}
SelectEdit
Select with placeholder and hardcoded options. Options contain commas ? Just escape them!
{{#CI form: title = Select your preferred IT course
| type = inputs
| [Please chose one=select=PHP and Mysql, Node.js\, Vue.js\, React, Mediawiki and Gerrit ] *
}}
Select with comboboxEdit
Select populated by wikitext (if the select contains more than 20 options CIForms will automatically display it as a select2 combobox)
{{#CI form: title = Country and city
| type = inputs
| country [select={{#replace:{{Template:Countries}}|*|,}}] *
| city [] *
}}
Nested sectionsEdit
Form with nested sections. The multiple choice accepts up to 3 answers ("max answers=3") The textarea has a maxlength attribute ("[textarea=1000]")
{{#CI form: title = Job application
| submission groups = sysop
|
{{#CI form section: type = inputs
| name [] *
| email [] *
}}
|
{{#CI form section: type = inputs
| title = What about your motivation ?
| type = multiple choice
| I send bulk application, even if I will be selected I'm not sure to confirm
| I ran out of money, I have to find whatever job quickly
| I want to learn something new
| The job fits my background and I'm very skilled, I look forward to join your team!
| Let me explain []
}}
{{#CI form section: type = multiple choice
| title = If you will be selected (on the basis of the answer above), how will you undertake your work ? (up to 3 answers allowed)
| type = multiple choice
| max answers=3
| I will work scrupulously
| I will work meticulously
| I will pretend to work
| I will delegate all my work to my sister
| I will work seriously
}}
{{#CI form section: type = inputs
|title = Please describe yourself (1000 characters max)
| [textarea=1000] *
}}
}}
Cloze testEdit
Cloze tests are mainly used to administer quizzes and tests.
Square brackets represent an input, a square bracket with text inside represents a suggestion. The asterisk represents an example sentence. Each row can contain an arbitrary number of inputs.
{{#CI form: type = cloze test
| title = Put the verbs between parentheses in the proper tense
| * I (to be) [have been] proud to win the match
| I (to do) [] a wonderful work
| I (to drink) [] too much at the last party
| I (to eat) [] 3 pizzas and 4 portions of french fries, and now I don't perform really well in intimate situations
| (to make) We are such stuff as dreams are [] on; and our little life ...
}}
Cloze test with suggestionsEdit
The list of suggestions is automatically shuffled and the inline suggestion is automatically canceled from the list. (line-through)
{{#CI form: type = cloze test
| title = Put the right word in each sentence
| suggestions = pencils, cats, dogs, car, house, pizzas
| * There are three [pencils] on my table
| My [] is pretty fast
| My [] barks a lot but welcomes thieves equipped with sausages
| I love [] because they say "meeeooow"
| I'm able to eat 4 [] at any time
| My [] has 3 swimming pools and a bowling lane, are you envious ?
}}
... and more! check here for more examples!!
Special Page/OutputEdit
CIForms stores all the submissions in a table and all the available forms can be viewed and navigated through a special page, and even downloaded as pdf. Additionally, form results can be sent to a provided email address, as explained below.
This is a screenshot of the special page Submissions, with the list of form's submissions, grouped by title and the page where the form is placed, throughout the Wiki:
This is the list of submissions to a given form.
The list can be navigated, and if the relevant dependencies are installed (see above, #Installation), the form data can be immediately downloaded as pdf.
Pdf outputEdit
This is an example pdf output of the form above "Job application", either received by email if the parameter submit is used (see section below for more detail) or clicking the download button in the submissions table.
ConfigurationEdit
Note that in order to be able to send email to the provided email address (usually the system administrator) on form submissions, $wgEnableEmail must be enabled, and PHPMailer must be installed as per #Installation istructions.
Insert the following code after wfLoadExtension( 'CIForms' ); in LocalSettings.php (this facilitates setting the global variables listed below)
define( 'CIFORMS_VALUE_IF_NULL', 0 );
define( 'CIFORMS_VALUE_OVERRIDE', 1 );
define( 'CIFORMS_VALUE_APPEND', 2 )
The constants above indicate the "merging strategy" of the global variable in relation to the corresponding parameter set within the form. CIFORMS_VALUE_IF_NULL means that the global variable will be used only if the corresponding local variable (placed in the form descriptor) is null, CIFORMS_VALUE_OVERRIDE means the global variable will override the local, and CIFORMS_VALUE_APPEND means that the two will be merged together.
Global parameters
| variable | description | required |
|---|---|---|
| $wgCIFormsSenderEmail | The sender in the "From" field when sending the form submission to the provided email address(es) | |
| $wgCIFormsSenderName | Sender name of the "From" field mentioned above | |
| $wgCIFormsSubmitEmail | default email address(es) to which send form submissions (can be null) | |
| $wgCIFormsSubmitEmailGlobalMode | CIFORMS_VALUE_IF_NULL or CIFORMS_VALUE_OVERRIDE or CIFORMS_VALUE_APPEND | |
| $wgCIFormsSubmissionGroups | default groups or users who can access form submissions (comma separated) | |
| wgCIFormsSubmissionGroupsGlobalMode | CIFORMS_VALUE_IF_NULL or CIFORMS_VALUE_OVERRIDE or CIFORMS_VALUE_APPEND | |
| $wgCIFormsSuccessMessage | default success message on form submission | |
| $wgCIFormsSuccessMessageGlobalMode | CIFORMS_VALUE_IF_NULL or CIFORMS_VALUE_OVERRIDE or CIFORMS_VALUE_APPEND | |
| $wgCIFormsErrorMessage | default error message on form submission | |
| $wgCIFormsErrorMessageGlobalMode | CIFORMS_VALUE_IF_NULL or CIFORMS_VALUE_OVERRIDE or CIFORMS_VALUE_APPEND | |
| $wgCIFormsGoogleRecaptchaSiteKey | GoogleRecaptchaSiteKey to secure validation with Google Recaptcha | Optional |
| $wgCIFormsGoogleRecaptchaSecret | GoogleRecaptchaSecret to secure validation with Google Recaptcha | Optional |
Global to local parameters
| global | local |
|---|---|
| $wgCIFormsSubmitEmail | submit |
| $wgCIFormsSubmissionGroups | submission groups |
| $wgCIFormsSuccessMessage | success message |
| $wgCIFormsErrorMessage | error message |
To prevent sending email notifications of form submissions throughout all the Wiki, set $wgCIFormsSubmitEmail to null and $wgCIFormsSubmitEmailGlobalMode to CIFORMS_VALUE_OVERRIDE! |
ParametersEdit
The following parameters can be used in the parser function {{#CI form: }} or {{#CI form section: }}
| attribute | values | description | {{#CI form: }} |
{{#CI form section: }}
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | inputs, inputs responsive, multiple choice, or cloze test | sets the form type. Default is "inputs" | v | x |
| submission groups | list with groups and usernames | overrides the global variable $wgCIFormsSubmissionGroups in the given form | v | x |
| submit | list of email | overrides the global variable $wgCIFormsSubmitEmail in the given form | v | x |
| title | any string, can contain html and wikitext | the title of the form or form section | v | v |
| list-type | "none", "ordered", "unordered", "letters", "number", or whatever value listed here | the list style of multiple choice questions or cloze test | v | v |
| suggestions | comma separated list of words | suggestions for cloze tests, as shown in the examples above | v | v |
| max answers | number | maximum number of answers in multiple choice questions | v | v |
| css class | string | additional css class applied to the form (for alternate styling or skin) | v | x |
| success message | string | overrides the global variable $wgCIFormsSuccessMessage for a given form | v | x |
| error message | string | overrides the global variable $wgCIFormsErrorMessage for a given form | v | x |
Support & bugsEdit
Please report the error messages in the Talk page of the extension. Updates will be posted on the main MediaWiki mailing list mediawiki-l so we advice you to subscribe to the list to stay tuned with them.