Extension talk:Page Forms

Field not populating with property values
Hello, I am having some troubles getting the enumeration fields to populate with the allowed values defined in the property. The funny thing is that it used to work and then one stopped, so I manually set the 'values=' parameter to bypass it and now several are not behaving correctly, but not all. Most are working just fine. I'm getting bunch of empty listboxes and checkboxes that don't show up. The form is very large with 84 fields and lots of show on select stuff in it. Could this be a memory thing? Maybe a setting somewhere? Perhaps my properties became corrupted somehow; I've made no edits on most of them since creation. Any tips, hints, answers or guidance in this issue would be greatly appreciated. --Masonmclead 00:44, 21 January 2011 (UTC)


 * My only real recommendation is to try to replicate this problem on a public wiki, like http://scratchpad.referata.com - that would make it much easier for me or other people to diagnose. Yaron Koren 01:15, 21 January 2011 (UTC)
 * Thanks Yaron for the quick reply. I updated to the newest version of forms, 2.0.9, and everything began working again.  I think I was using 2.0.6 previously.  So, whatever bug I hit in there is now fixed it seems.  Thanks for the great code.  --Masonmclead 16:27, 21 January 2011 (UTC)

#if problem
I'm trying to use the #if variable but when I put this code

It will show/hide the title but not the content?

--Redeye 22:48, 1 January 2011 (UTC)


 * I don't understand the question, but this doesn't sound like a Semantic Forms issue. Yaron Koren 19:36, 2 January 2011 (UTC)

Populating red-linked namespace pages automatically
Is there a way to use the "Creates pages with form", for populating red-linked pages automatically, based on namespace links?--174.50.85.207 14:14, 2 January 2011 (UTC)


 * No - it has to be via a property. Yaron Koren 19:36, 2 January 2011 (UTC)

#Info and Forms - SF 2.0.7
Mike here. Hi again and first of all: Happy new Year to you all.

I'm slowly but steadily getting mad about this {{#info display issue within my forms. Here's the short description again:


 * Using | {{#info: Some explanation }} within my forms results in the text "some explanation" getting rendered when editing with form. No "(?)" bubble icon appears in the form as required, which is completely messing up my table layout.
 * Display of #info bubbles in normal template output is ok.
 * Switching back to SF 2.0.4 resolves the display issue, but ...
 * ...then FCK Editor seems to mess up my saved page output when the #info tags get interpreted correctly ("preload"-text overwrites my content after saving)
 * disabling FCK Editor (Version 1.0.1) in my LocalSettings has no effect on the info-tags rendering.

I tried to reproduce the problem on http://scratchpad.referata.com but the form (User) i created there works well. OK, so I compared the Special:Version page there with my Wiki's Semantic-Addons versions and they seem identical. The only difference i can spot is "SMW 1.5.4 RC1" over there and "1.5.4" in my Wiki but i got the recent official version on the SMW download page. I also tried to delete and rewrite the extensions in my wiki folder with the "semantic-bundle" versions of SMW and SF - but it had no effect at all.

Do i need to delete / purge something else to make sure i use the up-to-date versions of my extensions?

I'm at the point of completely giving up {{#info tags within my forms. Is there any other other solution to get a user help into my forms? Maybe something like this? (Mike)


 * I have no idea. If you send me the HTML source of the form where the problem occurs, I might be able to help. Yaron Koren 15:36, 3 January 2011 (UTC)


 * We encountered similar problems with the #info (display help information for users on fields). Sometimes (and it was not clear in which cases) the text would be rendered within the form field itself and would make editing and adventure, it seemed that when the server was to slow to render or work through the javascript the balloon is not rendered as supposed to be but as I said it is not really clear when this problem appears. Except within the forms (we are using Semantic Forms (Version 2.0.7)	(r79039)), #info works just fine. You might have a look at ....referata.com, Form Reference, Field Reference which does not show the icon but shows the whole information.--MWJames 22:31, 3 January 2011 (UTC)


 * Thank you! Finally someone with the same problem. I just made some tests to check which Version of SF shows me the problem:
 * SF 2.0.7 - BAD
 * SF 2.0.6 - BAD
 * SF 2.0.4 - NO problems!
 * The weird thing is that either FCK Editor or the "Data repair and upgrade" functionality seem to add to the equation somehow. FCK acts normally within my forms as i write this but i could swear it will start acting up again as soon as it finds #info tags or the Data Repair gets involved somehow. I think i experienced a change in functionality after the repair has been started.
 * @Yaron: I'll E-Mail the Form Wikitext as well as the rendered HTML Output to you. Happens in all my forms involving #info though.
 * @MWJames: Do you happen to use FCK Editor within your Semantic Forms? If yes, which version do you use? (Mike)

How do I edit Special:UploadWindow page?
Mine Special:UploadWindow and http://discoursedb.org/wiki/Special:UploadWindow have different looking upload pages, how do I edit my upload page so it looks the same, my page doesn't have File description and Upload options boxes.

FYI I don't see Upload window link under Other special pages


 * What versions of MW and SF are you using? Yaron Koren 13:43, 5 January 2011 (UTC)


 * MW Ver. 1.15.3 and SF Ver. 2.0.7


 * I think it's a MediaWiki version issue - if you upgrade to MW 1.16, you should see more stuff there on the page. Yaron Koren 15:09, 6 January 2011 (UTC)

Why is the first # is not converted into number? Bug?
It seems that this site have the same problem http://discoursedb.org/wiki/12


 * See here. Yaron Koren 15:10, 6 January 2011 (UTC)

Using forms to create partially 'transcludable' templates
Like most of us here, I may be learning things the hard way. I've created a special Form to create and edit templates. This Form was initially based on three separate templates, one of which was meant to produce formatted text without being transcluded when the output template (for lack of a better term) is used on pages. In other words, the template produced by this form was meant to be (1) read as such (by going to Template:…, etc.) and (2) only in part transcluded when used on some page elsewhere. Is this at all possible? I wasn't able to find anything helpful in the archived discussions and the only solution I could come up with was to remove the template from the Form and to manually insert it in the output template between and. Cavila 19:53, 6 January 2011 (UTC)
 * P.S. I merged the other two working templates as I could not get rid of a space in the output template (and for reasons unknown to me, some fields got automatically transferred to the wrong template after a few edits to the output template, but that’s a different story). Cavila 19:53, 6 January 2011 (UTC)

Follow-up

 * It’s not a perfect solution, but the template which is not-for-transclusion may be added to the free-text field and placed between noinclude tags. Similarly, categories which are not-for-transclusion may be added here.
 * However, I also noticed that using the form adds an enter command between the template and the free text. That's fine when creating pages in the main namespace, not when using custom-made forms to create templates, because every instance of such a template which is transcluded onto a different page will also be followed by an enter key. (I can get rid of it by hand, however cumbersome, but every time the form is used to edit the template, it's back again.) Cavila 11:32, 7 January 2011 (UTC)

Follow-up 2

 * No response? Oh well, I'm looking into other options. If forms cannot fully control the behaviours of templates with regard to transclusion, then maybe I should start considering the inline queries from SMW to get more streamlined results. In fact, inline queries appear to have a number of considerable advantages over transclusion by template. Regards, Cavila 17:12, 7 January 2011 (UTC)


 * I'm still not entirely sure what you're trying to do, but it does sound like Semantic Forms isn't the right tool for the task. Yaron Koren 19:30, 7 January 2011 (UTC)


 * Thanks for your reply. Admittedly, my summary may have been a little sketchy and it probably does not help much either that I've been variously referring to two different kinds of templates (first, a set of templates for which a form is created and then the template which is created through the form, here called output template, but you did understand that part, right?). In a nutshell, I tried to have annotations in my 'output template' and here only, that is, not in the page which uses the . I couldn’t find a way to specify this in the form, except manually by putting relevant information in a free text area. Otherwise, the forms are fine and I'm happy to continue using them. Kudos for the all the hard work you've done and the support you have regularly offered to people like myself! It's the way of reproducing content elsewhere, or selected elements thereof, that can probably be done in a more systematic, flexible and versatile way through a combination of SMW functions than through simple transclusion as done with (output) templates. Cavila 20:36, 7 January 2011 (UTC)

Multiple inputs
Hello, Is the listbox the only option for having multiple values entered in a form where a property has a list of allowed values? Thanks, Aj2479--208.127.139.94 21:42, 6 January 2011 (UTC)


 * No - you can do either listbox or checkboxes. Yaron Koren 22:09, 6 January 2011 (UTC)
 * AH! Thanks! Checkboxes with an -ex.

--208.127.139.94 00:45, 7 January 2011 (UTC)

How do I add Page tab to the form?
I have a page that can be edited trough two different forms. One of the forms is set as Page has default form::form-name the second form is being linked through the url in the template. The Form that is being linked through the url in the template points to the Form that don't have Page, Discussion, Edith with form, Edit, History tabs, instead it have Special page tab. Is there a way i can add at least a Page tab to that form?


 * No. Yaron Koren 14:23, 7 January 2011 (UTC)

Is there a way to hide text fields?
I have a form created in the SF, that have four text fields, I want the last two text fields in the form to be hidden unless the user enables those fields by ticking a check box or by clicking add that text field or what ever options of enabling those text boxes is available. Is it possible in SF and how?


 * Yes - see "show on select". Yaron Koren 14:24, 7 January 2011 (UTC)


 * I noticed that after I ticked the box and didn't enter anything into the text field and saved it, when I go back to edit the check box stays checked even though the text field is empty. Is there a way for a check box to get un-checked if user didn't enter anything into the text field?


 * No, unfortunately. Yaron Koren 02:58, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Show on select
This is a nifty feature! I'm trying to use it to create a heirachy of drop-downs, i.e. setting the first drop-down causes the second drop-down to be displayed. This is to manage drop-downs that contain hundreds of items. However, when the value of the second drop-down has been set, and then the form is re-edited, the drop-down is not populated with the value that was previously set. The correct drop-down is displayed, it's just that the value is not there. If the form is then saved, the value is blanked out. - Borofkin 00:01, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Here's the form code: ! Assigned to: - Borofkin 00:06, 11 January 2011 (UTC)
 * Further testing: it seems that the second drop-down (is assigned to) is not saved at all. - Borofkin 00:52, 11 January 2011 (UTC)


 * Hi - what you're trying to do is a nice hack in theory, but yes, it doesn't work - I think that kind of functionality will have to wait until the "values dependent on" feature is implemented (see the 2nd item here). Yaron Koren 03:28, 11 January 2011 (UTC)
 * Thanks Yaron. To whom should I make a donation? - Borofkin 04:22, 11 January 2011 (UTC)


 * To me, I guess... although anyone else is free to write the code as well. Someone was planning to fund it about a month ago, but it looks like that won't be happening. I am planning to add this feature in myself at some point, regardless, but I don't know when that will be. Yaron Koren 05:00, 11 January 2011 (UTC)
 * I was actually thinking of a small donation that you could use to go out and have a good meal. I can't afford to fund it. :-) - Borofkin 05:52, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Oh - it seemed like an odd time to talk about making a donation: right after you discover that there's a bug in the code. :) Still, that's definitely appreciated. I accept donations via PayPal, at my usual email address. Yaron Koren 17:36, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Embedded RunQuery problem
Yaron,

We have an answer for the "bug" related to Especial:RunQuery. https://bugzilla.wikimedia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=26450

Can you help me solving this issue?

Regards, Edgard


 * I saw the answer - I'll look into it when I have time. Yaron Koren 18:18, 11 January 2011 (UTC)


 * It's fixed now in SVN. Yaron Koren 16:59, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Free Text Width
I can control rows and cols for free text input, but I don't see a way to specify full width of the browser window? I have such a setting for general wiki user preferences, so I think it makes sense as a form control option. Maybe "cols=*" or "cols=full"? Maybe this makes sense for other text fields that take cols? - Dmulter 19:55, 11 January 2011 (UTC)


 * You can do it by setting the "class=" parameter, and then setting the width in the CSS for that class. It might not be an ideal approach, but it should work. Yaron Koren 20:02, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Input Boxes for Each Part of a Record

 * The property
 * The template
 * The form

Instead of having one input box I would like to have 5 boxes. They would have the labels "Start Date", "End Date", "Percentage (Don't include the percent sign)", "Numerator", "Denominator". Is this possible? Timothy Clemans 20:59, 18 January 2011 (UTC)


 * Sure - I don't see why not. I always recommend using the Semantic Internal Objects extension instead of Records, but either one should work. Yaron Koren 00:25, 19 January 2011 (UTC)

Editor tabs
I know you cant have WYSIWYG editors on form fields so how do I call the normal text box into the form? Rather than using. -- Redeye 10:43, 19 January 2011 (UTC)


 * That's the only way. Yaron Koren 13:59, 19 January 2011 (UTC)

Ok, well lets hope there will be an update for SF soon so we can use WYSIWYG editors. -- Redeye 07:24, 20 January 2011 (UTC)


 * You can already have the FCKeditor on the free-text input - though maybe you're talking about other form inputs. Yaron Koren 13:23, 20 January 2011 (UTC)

True but sadly I have a bug with FCK so just waiting for some support from them on that. -- Redeye 20:49, 20 January 2011 (UTC)

Help
  

Thats the code, how do I make that work in a form? I want it to link to the pages name by either using the or some other mystical method i dont know about.

--Redeye 21:00, 20 January 2011 (UTC)


 * Whatever code you use to get that working in a normal page should work in a form as well. Yaron Koren 21:10, 20 January 2011 (UTC)

Adding pages of a specific namespace and colons
Hi Yaron,

if a user types a colon in the title the form generates a page but in the main namespace. Example using the form Location.
 * entering 'Lochem' will create 'Location:Lochem'
 * entering 'Lochem formerly: Locheim' will create 'Lochem formerly: Locheim'

no error or warning.

Can you have a look?

Tia Jos, The Netherlands --81.58.150.73 10:03, 21 January 2011 (UTC)


 * Hi - I think that bug was fixed in version 2.0.8 of SF - are you using 2.0.8 or later? If not, I would upgrade. Yaron Koren 22:11, 21 January 2011 (UTC)

Trying to add Page tab to the form
For some reason i can't call the title in the form page using this code Title::newFromText( $wgOut->getPageTitle ) Are there other variables in SF that can help out on outputting the title of the article?

Here is the URL: index.php/Special:FormEdit/Definition/Funny_story I am trying to call the name in bold. This code: Title::newFromText( $wgOut->getPageTitle ) outputs this url: index.php/Edit Definition: Funny_story

Here is so far what I got $wgHooks['SkinTemplateContentActions'][] = 'myChangeTabs';

function myChangeTabs(&$content_actions){ global $wgOut, $wgArticle, $wgScriptPath; $nsTitle = Title::newFromText( $wgOut->getPageTitle ); $content_actions['new_unique_name'] = Array(                # 'class' => 'selected',                 'text' => "Page",                 'href' => "$wgScriptPath/index.php/$nsTitle",                 ); return true;


 * Hi - are you trying to modify SF, or create a new extension? And for what purpose? Yaron Koren 00:38, 23 January 2011 (UTC)


 * I was thinking to add this code to SkinTemplate.php but I guess I could make it as a separate extension. Purpose is to achieve what the other person asked before http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension_talk:Semantic_Forms#How_do_I_add_Page_tab_to_the_form.3F


 * I don't think that's a good idea - first, special pages in MediaWiki are always shown with a single tab; and second, if you include another tab for the user page, and the user clicks on it, they can't get back to the special page. You're of course free to create this code, but I'm not going to help you with it. Yaron Koren 02:53, 24 January 2011 (UTC)

Redlinks Vanished
MW 1.16/Semantic Forms v2.0.5

Oddity here. All the redlinks which used to populate by link have vanished from my site in the forms aspect. Updated via the Special:SMWAdmin and nothing. I don't have a lot of data; however, I really don't want to have to get into reinstalling things.

Tried to make it print out easy to read and can't figure out how, sorry in advance! :( This is the "Property" form. To create a page with this form, enter the page name below; if a page with that name already exists, you will be sent to a form to edit that page.



This is the "Property" template. It should be called in the following format:

}} That's the form and template. Haven't changed anything. Just woke up one morning and went to populate some stuff and poof! This is a link to a page that is the example. This is a link to the form. This is a link to the template. The Client ID used to be red so I could go fill it out.

Thanx for looking and recommending anything! --Coffeehound 01:17, 23 January 2011 (UTC)


 * Hi - this isn't actually an SF question, since it has nothing to do with forms. But I'm surprised that the page ever showed red links (or links of any kind), since the template simply lists each field, without putting a property call or link around it - that's the issue. (Also, on an unrelated note, I find your website favico of a rotating Earth really distracting - even now, it's hard for me to focus on anything else.) Yaron Koren 03:00, 24 January 2011 (UTC)

Input type Categories
I tried using the input type "categories", but immediately ran into a slight problem. Many of my categories have commas in their names, but it looks like these commas end up being interpreted as separators. I then replaced the comma in the template with a semi-colon, but that did not work. Any solutions? Cavila 17:24, 23 January 2011 (UTC)


 * Did you try setting the "delimiter=" parameter? Yaron Koren 03:01, 24 January 2011 (UTC)

Preview without AJAX
Is it possible to preview without AJAX but to keep the user on the edit page with the forms? I removed the wikiPreview div, but when clicking Show Preview, it takes the user to the edit page without the forms. Schnable 04:57, 24 January 2011 (UTC)


 * Unfortunately, no - it would be nice to someday have a simple, non-Ajax-based solution for it, but that can't be done yet. Yaron Koren 13:55, 24 January 2011 (UTC)