I am a newbie and have a joomla site running 1.5. I am at a total loss as to what I need to use the form I created.
1) where should I put all the files that I unzip?
2) what do I need to create in order to see the form? i.e. content page? link?
Can someone give me the step by step?
Thanks so much. - Looks like a great tool.
G
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Unzip the file in the same directory as your joomla configuration.php file lives in. It will create a directory called phpform. Inside that directory is a README file. Read it. You will use your browser to open a file called index.php which will help you setup your form.
After successfully getting your form to work (without Joomla) copy the url from the address bar in your browser (the url to your form1.html).
In Joomla, set this up as a link using the url you copied from above.
Just make sure everything is working correctly outside of joomla prior to introducing the link into joomla. Make whatever config changes you need to in joomla, ie. public or registered users, etc.
Make sense?
Dave
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In theory it makes sense. Previous to sending this request for help, I unzipped to my desktop and did not get any read-me files. Can I just transfer the files to the right directory instead of unzipping on the server?
I also got folders with different names:TMP, Persistent, Form 69923, Images, Calendar, Files.
Thanks for the quick response.
G
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Yes you may move the files over manually. You will have to move all the directories and files over. You need to look through your directories because there should be a README file in there somewhere. It has all the instructions for gettiing the form to work on your site.
Do you see a file called index.php? It should be in the same directory.
If you still have problems, post again and I will try to help, but not until tomorrow as I am leaving for the day.
Dave
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I'm sorry to bother you with something that sounds so basic. I simply don't have those files in the directory that I unzipped to. I actually created another for to test it and came up with the same folders as I mentioned above - without a index.php file.
Also, I clicked on the form.html file and it opened up the form. When I put in data it came back and said the date is a required field and must be entered - when it really was. Nothing helped.
So I don't have the files I need and it doesn't let me populate the fields.
Any ideas?
gary
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Gary, no problem. Ok forget the README file, that was from an older version of the product.
I created and downloaded a new form. When I unzipped it, I found I have a tmp folder, under it is a folder called persistent and under it a folder called form#### where #### is the number of the form you created on the website. For simplicity, we will just call this folder "form1111".
Everything needed for your form is located in the form1111 folder. Copy this folder and everything under it to your web root directory. You should know where this is. The same directory that joomla lives in. On my test system, web root is /var/www/html so I copy the form1111 folder over and now I have this /var/www/html/form1111. Make sense so far?
I should mention I use centos linux and apache. If you are using windoze, I can't be much help except to say "lose windoze". :)
Next you need to make sure that the form1111 folder and the directory tree below it is owned the by the web user. In my case apache. Your's may be different. So on linux cd to web root and run the chown command for the form directory.
# chown -R apache:apache form1111
Ok so far?
cd into form1111 and double check that you have a file called install.php. If not, you have a problem with either how you downloaded your form, or how you unzipped it.
If install.php exists open your browser and navigate to your website. If your domain is xyz.com then put this into your address bar:
www.xyz.com/form1111/install.php and press enter.
It should open up the install program which will guide you through setting up your form.
Hope this helps.
Dave
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Okay Dave,
We're getting closer - I think. I really appreciate this.
I did everything except for the change owner because I saw the directory was 755 permissions and I am using a hosting service so I wasn't sure how to do it from their control panel. I'll tell you the problem and tell me if its related to this.
I went to my install.php file in my browser and it just brought up the top line of the form i.e. the name I gave it and nothing else. None of the questions appeared.
Think its the chmod?
Thanks
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Hmm. I changed the ownership on all the directories and files to root:root and was still able to run the script. So I am guessing that does not really matter. 755 should be okay. Just out of curiousity, what is the owner, group, and perms on the joomla php files? for instance, configuration.php. Maybe you could change the owner and group to be the same on all of your form files and directories.
Are you keeping the entered form contents in a database or a file? I have never kept the form contents in a file, always a database, so I don't know where phpformgen tries to create the file. It could still be permissions.
As a last effort, you could try chmod 777 all the files and directories in the form.
chmod -R 777 form1111 or whatever your directory name is.
See if any of those help you.
Dave
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I am keeping them in a file. I will see if the permissions do anything but it seems more likely that the install is not finding the questions I created. I'll let you know.
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Dave,
I would be happy to also just put the info into the database if that would make the whole thing work.
Is that something you can show me? I would do it from the control panel on my host.
Take care
Gary
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Gary,
so changing the perms to 777 did not help? do you have any log files you can look at? preferably the php log file or possibly the http error log file? Maybe that will give a clue as to why the page is not loading. Also, can you try loading the page from a different pc? Or use a different browser.
Now if you wish to write form data to a database, you need to make sure you have mysql installed. you will need to know the username and password of the database administrator. to test, go to a command prompt and type in at prompt:
# mysql -u username -p <press enter> you will be asked for the password, enter it press enter, mysql should open and you will have a mysql> prompt. you can type in quit and press enter to get out. Now you know your username and password are correct, remember them because you will be asked later when creating your form.
now create a new form in phpformgen page. I would suggest to just make a test form with 2 or 3 fields. You will have the option to save the data to a file or a database. Select database and complete the questions the generator asks.
Save and download the zip file, load it onto your server, run the install.php script as before. The install.php script will create the database, table, and fields for you (as long as you have the correct username and password).
I am not real familiar with writing the data to a file since I have never done that before. I know that the file that gets written to would have to have the correct perms on it. Have you searched the forum to see if anyone else is having issues when writing to a file? Maybe musawir or tnteveret1 can weigh in on this.
I would bet it is something really simple that we are just missing. phpformgenerator really is a good product. I have used it numerous times. Like everything else, getting it to work the first time can be frustrating, but once you get it figured out, the next forms go easy. Don't give up.
Let me know what happens, maybe we can figure something else out.
Dave
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I'm going to create the table i.e. jos_test.
but once I am in Joomla backend, what do I create to grab the information from the table?
i.e. a module that brings it up? or can I have it sent to me by email? etc?
what is the process afterwards?
Thanks Dave - this is a big help.
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Gary,
Yes, you can select to have the form send an email to you with the form data along with the data being written to the database. You just select that option when you create your form on the phpformgen site.
As for getting the info out of the database, you can use phpmyadmin to view the records, probably in your hosting site's control panel.
Or, you could write your own php script to extract the desired info. :)
Dave
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What does this mean?
I've tried everything - localhost, host name, all different passwords, nothing works.
Warning: mysql_connect() [function.mysql-connect]: Access denied for user 'yadtomec_admin'@'box489.bluehost.com' (using password: YES) in /home7/yadtomec/public_html/form70785/install.php on line 201
Warning: mysql_select_db() [function.mysql-select-db]: Access denied for user 'yadtomec'@'localhost' (using password: NO) in /home7/yadtomec/public_html/form70785/install.php on line 202
Warning: mysql_select_db() [function.mysql-select-db]: A link to the server could not be established in /home7/yadtomec/public_html/form70785/install.php on line 202
Warning: mysql_query() [function.mysql-query]: Access denied for user 'yadtomec'@'localhost' (using password: NO) in /home7/yadtomec/public_html/form70785/install.php on line 204
Warning: mysql_query() [function.mysql-query]: A link to the server could not be established in /home7/yadtomec/public_html/form70785/install.php on line 204
Error! Table not be created.
I've tried everything - localhost, host name, all different passwords, nothing works.
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If you go to a command prompt on your hosted server, cd to the webroot directory (where joomla lives). You will have a file called configuration.php. more the file
# more configuration.php
look for a line that contains "Config_password=" this is your database password.
Now you can try to connect to mysql from the command line trying different usernames.
mysql -u <username> -p <cr>
it will ask you for a password and you will enter the one you found in the configuration.php file.
then <cr>
type quit <cr> to exit mysql
i would try root, admin, and probably the username that you use to login to your site.
If this does not work, contact your host provider and ask them how to set / change your database password.
They should be able to help you with your database stuff. As soon as you get the username/password stuff figured out, you will be on your way.
Dave
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Using phpMyAdmin (or equivalent on your web host account) you can create a new database and tables, add usernames and passwords. You can then create scripts for modifying data. The scripts will contain example db read/write with valid username and password info. You can then use this info within you instal script to access the MySQL and create the new tables for your form. I have also seen that just creating the base table name and asigning the username and password you chose when ctreating your form can rsolve this particular issue. I'm no MySQL expert so I don't know why this happens but the solution works.
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Gary,
I was looking back through my notes and came across something that may help. Apparently, I had to have register_globals = On in my php.ini file. You will need to check with your hosting company to see how to do this.
Since I have my own server, I just edited /etc/php.ini and changed the register_globals myself.
Did you have any success following tnteveret1 post?
Dave
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Gary, no problem. Ok forget the README file, that was from an older version of the product.
I created and downloaded a new form. When I unzipped it, I found I have a tmp folder, under it is a folder called persistent and under it a folder called form#### where #### is the number of the form you created on the website. For simplicity, we will just call this folder "form1111".
Everything needed for your form is located in the form1111 folder. Copy this folder and everything under it to your web root directory. You should know where this is. The same directory that joomla lives in. On my test system, web root is /var/www/html so I copy the form1111 folder over and now I have this /var/www/html/form1111. Make sense so far?
I should mention I use centos linux and apache. If you are using windoze, I can't be much help except to say "lose windoze". :)
Next you need to make sure that the form1111 folder and the directory tree below it is owned the by the web user. In my case apache. Your's may be different. So on linux cd to web root and run the chown command for the form directory.
# chown -R apache:apache form1111
Ok so far?
cd into form1111 and double check that you have a file called install.php. If not, you have a problem with either how you downloaded your form, or how you unzipped it.
If install.php exists open your browser and navigate to your website. If your domain is xyz.com then put this into your address bar:
www.xyz.com/form1111/install.php and press enter.
It should open up the install program which will guide you through setting up your form.
Hope this helps.
Dave
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I am a newbie and have a joomla site running 1.5. I am at a total loss as to what I need to use the form I created.
1) where should I put all the files that I unzip?
2) what do I need to create in order to see the form? i.e. content page? link?
Can someone give me the step by step?
Thanks so much. - Looks like a great tool.
G
Unzip the file in the same directory as your joomla configuration.php file lives in. It will create a directory called phpform. Inside that directory is a README file. Read it. You will use your browser to open a file called index.php which will help you setup your form.
After successfully getting your form to work (without Joomla) copy the url from the address bar in your browser (the url to your form1.html).
In Joomla, set this up as a link using the url you copied from above.
Just make sure everything is working correctly outside of joomla prior to introducing the link into joomla. Make whatever config changes you need to in joomla, ie. public or registered users, etc.
Make sense?
Dave
In theory it makes sense. Previous to sending this request for help, I unzipped to my desktop and did not get any read-me files. Can I just transfer the files to the right directory instead of unzipping on the server?
I also got folders with different names:TMP, Persistent, Form 69923, Images, Calendar, Files.
Thanks for the quick response.
G
Yes you may move the files over manually. You will have to move all the directories and files over. You need to look through your directories because there should be a README file in there somewhere. It has all the instructions for gettiing the form to work on your site.
Do you see a file called index.php? It should be in the same directory.
If you still have problems, post again and I will try to help, but not until tomorrow as I am leaving for the day.
Dave
I'm sorry to bother you with something that sounds so basic. I simply don't have those files in the directory that I unzipped to. I actually created another for to test it and came up with the same folders as I mentioned above - without a index.php file.
Also, I clicked on the form.html file and it opened up the form. When I put in data it came back and said the date is a required field and must be entered - when it really was. Nothing helped.
So I don't have the files I need and it doesn't let me populate the fields.
Any ideas?
gary
Gary, no problem. Ok forget the README file, that was from an older version of the product.
I created and downloaded a new form. When I unzipped it, I found I have a tmp folder, under it is a folder called persistent and under it a folder called form#### where #### is the number of the form you created on the website. For simplicity, we will just call this folder "form1111".
Everything needed for your form is located in the form1111 folder. Copy this folder and everything under it to your web root directory. You should know where this is. The same directory that joomla lives in. On my test system, web root is /var/www/html so I copy the form1111 folder over and now I have this /var/www/html/form1111. Make sense so far?
I should mention I use centos linux and apache. If you are using windoze, I can't be much help except to say "lose windoze". :)
Next you need to make sure that the form1111 folder and the directory tree below it is owned the by the web user. In my case apache. Your's may be different. So on linux cd to web root and run the chown command for the form directory.
# chown -R apache:apache form1111
Ok so far?
cd into form1111 and double check that you have a file called install.php. If not, you have a problem with either how you downloaded your form, or how you unzipped it.
If install.php exists open your browser and navigate to your website. If your domain is xyz.com then put this into your address bar:
www.xyz.com/form1111/install.php and press enter.
It should open up the install program which will guide you through setting up your form.
Hope this helps.
Dave
Okay Dave,
We're getting closer - I think. I really appreciate this.
I did everything except for the change owner because I saw the directory was 755 permissions and I am using a hosting service so I wasn't sure how to do it from their control panel. I'll tell you the problem and tell me if its related to this.
I went to my install.php file in my browser and it just brought up the top line of the form i.e. the name I gave it and nothing else. None of the questions appeared.
Think its the chmod?
Thanks
Hmm. I changed the ownership on all the directories and files to root:root and was still able to run the script. So I am guessing that does not really matter. 755 should be okay. Just out of curiousity, what is the owner, group, and perms on the joomla php files? for instance, configuration.php. Maybe you could change the owner and group to be the same on all of your form files and directories.
Are you keeping the entered form contents in a database or a file? I have never kept the form contents in a file, always a database, so I don't know where phpformgen tries to create the file. It could still be permissions.
As a last effort, you could try chmod 777 all the files and directories in the form.
chmod -R 777 form1111 or whatever your directory name is.
See if any of those help you.
Dave
I am keeping them in a file. I will see if the permissions do anything but it seems more likely that the install is not finding the questions I created. I'll let you know.
Dave,
I would be happy to also just put the info into the database if that would make the whole thing work.
Is that something you can show me? I would do it from the control panel on my host.
Take care
Gary
Gary,
so changing the perms to 777 did not help? do you have any log files you can look at? preferably the php log file or possibly the http error log file? Maybe that will give a clue as to why the page is not loading. Also, can you try loading the page from a different pc? Or use a different browser.
Now if you wish to write form data to a database, you need to make sure you have mysql installed. you will need to know the username and password of the database administrator. to test, go to a command prompt and type in at prompt:
# mysql -u username -p <press enter> you will be asked for the password, enter it press enter, mysql should open and you will have a mysql> prompt. you can type in quit and press enter to get out. Now you know your username and password are correct, remember them because you will be asked later when creating your form.
now create a new form in phpformgen page. I would suggest to just make a test form with 2 or 3 fields. You will have the option to save the data to a file or a database. Select database and complete the questions the generator asks.
Save and download the zip file, load it onto your server, run the install.php script as before. The install.php script will create the database, table, and fields for you (as long as you have the correct username and password).
I am not real familiar with writing the data to a file since I have never done that before. I know that the file that gets written to would have to have the correct perms on it. Have you searched the forum to see if anyone else is having issues when writing to a file? Maybe musawir or tnteveret1 can weigh in on this.
I would bet it is something really simple that we are just missing. phpformgenerator really is a good product. I have used it numerous times. Like everything else, getting it to work the first time can be frustrating, but once you get it figured out, the next forms go easy. Don't give up.
Let me know what happens, maybe we can figure something else out.
Dave
I'm going to create the table i.e. jos_test.
but once I am in Joomla backend, what do I create to grab the information from the table?
i.e. a module that brings it up? or can I have it sent to me by email? etc?
what is the process afterwards?
Thanks Dave - this is a big help.
Gary,
Yes, you can select to have the form send an email to you with the form data along with the data being written to the database. You just select that option when you create your form on the phpformgen site.
As for getting the info out of the database, you can use phpmyadmin to view the records, probably in your hosting site's control panel.
Or, you could write your own php script to extract the desired info. :)
Dave
What does this mean?
I've tried everything - localhost, host name, all different passwords, nothing works.
Warning: mysql_connect() [function.mysql-connect]: Access denied for user 'yadtomec_admin'@'box489.bluehost.com' (using password: YES) in /home7/yadtomec/public_html/form70785/install.php on line 201
Warning: mysql_select_db() [function.mysql-select-db]: Access denied for user 'yadtomec'@'localhost' (using password: NO) in /home7/yadtomec/public_html/form70785/install.php on line 202
Warning: mysql_select_db() [function.mysql-select-db]: A link to the server could not be established in /home7/yadtomec/public_html/form70785/install.php on line 202
Warning: mysql_query() [function.mysql-query]: Access denied for user 'yadtomec'@'localhost' (using password: NO) in /home7/yadtomec/public_html/form70785/install.php on line 204
Warning: mysql_query() [function.mysql-query]: A link to the server could not be established in /home7/yadtomec/public_html/form70785/install.php on line 204
Error! Table not be created.
I've tried everything - localhost, host name, all different passwords, nothing works.
If you go to a command prompt on your hosted server, cd to the webroot directory (where joomla lives). You will have a file called configuration.php. more the file
# more configuration.php
look for a line that contains "Config_password=" this is your database password.
Now you can try to connect to mysql from the command line trying different usernames.
mysql -u <username> -p <cr>
it will ask you for a password and you will enter the one you found in the configuration.php file.
then <cr>
type quit <cr> to exit mysql
i would try root, admin, and probably the username that you use to login to your site.
If this does not work, contact your host provider and ask them how to set / change your database password.
They should be able to help you with your database stuff. As soon as you get the username/password stuff figured out, you will be on your way.
Dave
Using phpMyAdmin (or equivalent on your web host account) you can create a new database and tables, add usernames and passwords. You can then create scripts for modifying data. The scripts will contain example db read/write with valid username and password info. You can then use this info within you instal script to access the MySQL and create the new tables for your form. I have also seen that just creating the base table name and asigning the username and password you chose when ctreating your form can rsolve this particular issue. I'm no MySQL expert so I don't know why this happens but the solution works.
Gary,
I was looking back through my notes and came across something that may help. Apparently, I had to have register_globals = On in my php.ini file. You will need to check with your hosting company to see how to do this.
Since I have my own server, I just edited /etc/php.ini and changed the register_globals myself.
Did you have any success following tnteveret1 post?
Dave
Gary, no problem. Ok forget the README file, that was from an older version of the product.
I created and downloaded a new form. When I unzipped it, I found I have a tmp folder, under it is a folder called persistent and under it a folder called form#### where #### is the number of the form you created on the website. For simplicity, we will just call this folder "form1111".
Everything needed for your form is located in the form1111 folder. Copy this folder and everything under it to your web root directory. You should know where this is. The same directory that joomla lives in. On my test system, web root is /var/www/html so I copy the form1111 folder over and now I have this /var/www/html/form1111. Make sense so far?
I should mention I use centos linux and apache. If you are using windoze, I can't be much help except to say "lose windoze". :)
Next you need to make sure that the form1111 folder and the directory tree below it is owned the by the web user. In my case apache. Your's may be different. So on linux cd to web root and run the chown command for the form directory.
# chown -R apache:apache form1111
Ok so far?
cd into form1111 and double check that you have a file called install.php. If not, you have a problem with either how you downloaded your form, or how you unzipped it.
If install.php exists open your browser and navigate to your website. If your domain is xyz.com then put this into your address bar:
www.xyz.com/form1111/install.php and press enter.
It should open up the install program which will guide you through setting up your form.
Hope this helps.
Dave