Forms 2.0 - Better forms without code

[Anonymous]

[Please add your comments below to help build a strong case]

Since the FORMS 2.0 idea from Glen Lipka has long been lost, it's time to bring it back and get it on the agenda.  It only been raised as an issue for 3 years and more than 2 versions of this community.  Even one of recent ideas from the community for the Amazing Race Idea was for form improvements: Form Widgets!.

Basically Forms need to be come way easier without manipulation through code.  There are a lot of small improvements that could be made to the form functionality that would be a great benefit to clients without access to a web developer skill set.  

At one time or another, I have had marketers request most of the following list of form improvements:

• support for HTML5 form elements
• allow pre-population on a field by field basis as a form designer attribute
• allow text fields to optionally concatenate the new value with the existing data
• field masking for phone, sin number etc.
• add real-time (onblur) validation, validation test conditions and  contextual error msgs
  • email regex,
  • min and max for numbers etc. 
  • phone with or without extention
  • domain name for spam exclusion - i.e. mickmouse@example.com a@a.com
  • alpha-only for names/text fields
  • Automatic formating for proper case including whitespace trimming
• better positioning of the field label and error msg
• more form layouts in terms of 2-3 columns layouts as well as fields that can span the columns
• more control over the submit button:
  • its style/image
  • dynamic button text both before and after click text to make the form reusable on more that one landing page within the landing page editor
  • enable/disable submit based upon required fields/validation
• provide more advanced type of controls:
  • date pickers,
  • sliders (range),
  • dropdowns (combobox) with icons, option groups etc.
  • better support for checkboxes/radio with multi-select 
• dependant selections or skip logic i.e. country/state and surveys
• geo-ip support for country/state
• automatic detection and support for iframes to get parent parameters, adjust the form's target = _top etc.
• better (dynamic) follow up options - new windows, dynamic redirect based upon other form fields, parameters or cookies
• Allow fields from SFDC objects other than contact and lead

Forms have been one of the least attended to areas of Marketo; it has literally been years since any significant improvements have been made while the competition has not been standing still waiting.

Below is a small list for just from this version of community:

• Multi Select in the Values Drop Down

• Better design of Forms!
• Form Widgets!
• Better Usability for forms
• Prefill country and state fields
• An easier way to set up 2 column forms

• Can certain form fields span columns?

• Check Boxes on Forms
• Conditional Logic for Forms

• Customizing Submit Button

• Links In Form Labels

•  

  Forms - Need A Multiple Select Check Box Option

• Forms - Need A Multiple Select Check Box Option

[Anonymous]

The summit recap is posted here:

Summit 2013: Advanced Forms - The Ins and Outs

and if you just want the slides

Advanced Forms.pdf

Cheers,
Eric

[Anonymous]

Very good to see this getting traction at last. Thank you!

[Brice_Dunwoodie]

Thanks, Eric!

Was there any discussion from the product team about the progress and timing of your much lauded (by the community) Forms 2.0 idea? I just reviewed the slides and don't see any indication of that kind of info.

best regards,
Brice

[Anonymous]

At summit, Glen and Cheryl had roadmap discussions and/or presentations where the indicated that Forms 2.0 is schedule for the second half of the year.  

Being from the product management camp myself, I would caution that:

• Marketo's safe harbour statements apply and priorities can change between now and then.
• not all the feature requests described in this idea will become part of the product.

Cheers,
Eric

[Anonymous]

We are currently working towards the delivery of the Forms 2.0 project in the second half of the year.  When we have a better idea of the delivery month, I will post. 

[Anonymous]

Excellent, can't wait.  Please prioritize this to the top!

[Anonymous]

@ Eric Hollebone: I've used the documentation you created here to create a multi select check box: http://test.hollebone.ca/marketo-form-convert-multi-picklist-to-checkboxes-with-jquery/, however, I am not able to submit the form. Any ideas what's wrong? Here's the link to the page: http://go.appsense.com/MarciaTest_webinarpage1.html.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

[Rafael_Santoni1]

Michelle F. - I think your question would have been better if entered in a separate thread. However, here's a quick reply from me.

I looked at the code on the rendered page, and you seem to have a duplicate of the field you are using for the checkboxes. On one part it is the multi-select box, but it is hidden, so you can't see that it is giving the error of needs to be answered.

Here's a screen-grab that I created after using Firebug to display the hidden field so you see what I mean.



Since the field is hidden, it can't be answered, so the validation is not allowing the form to be submitted.

I hope that helps.

Good luck!

Rafael

[Anonymous]

@Rafael: Thanks for the explanation on why the form is not submitting! Will try that out and cross my fingers it will work!

[Anonymous]

Yah!  - Working on it now.... cool. The FORM 2.0 dream is coming to life.

Cheers,
Eric