SUMMARY: ILL forms

[Jean-Marc Edwards]

Hi, 

I have queried the members of the web4lib listserv some time ago to
ask whether it was possible for a user who has multiple requests to
keep some data already entered on a form and not having to retype it
all again on the subsequent forms. Here is a summary of answers. I have
divided them into three categories: 

1) USE THE BACK BUTTON 
2) CREATEA DATABASE OF REGISTERED USERS 
3) PROGRAMMING SOLUTIONS.

Obviouly the first solution is the simplest. I have tested it with 
Netscape 3.0 and the back button does redisplay the data entered 
previously.

1) Use the BACK button of the browser.

We have a forms-based interface for ILL here at the University of
Washington.  When patrons access the forms through Netscape they can
use the "Back" button after submission to go back to their previous
form, where the original information still resides.  You might want to
test this and then add a statement to your form letting the patron
know that the "Back" button is an option.

Heidi Senior
University of Washington 
Graduate School of Library and Information Science
hsenior at u.washington.edu
-----
Whether the Web page will remember the content of the form depends on
which Web browser is being used and what version of the browser. In
some browsers the Back button will take you back to the completed form
and you can edit it and submit it again.

"Harry M. Kriz" <Harry_M_Kriz at vt.edu>
http://www.ill.vt.edu/

----

If, after submitting the form and receiving some sort of feedback from
the server, the user clicks on the browser's back button, the form,
with the data entered, should be what is shown. The user then has to
only replace the bibliographic information. At least, that's how ours
works.

Larry Baerveldt
Reference Coordinator and Systems Librarian
Duggan Library
Hanover College
Hanover, IN  47243

Email: baervldt at hanover.edu
Phone: 812-866-7166
----

When a patron completes the form and clicks on the send button, they
are taken to a screen which tells them to hit the Back button on the
browser then change the author, title, etc. 

Mike Poulin
Systems Librarian
Ithaca College Library
mpoulin at liber.ithaca.edu
607-274-1892 


2) CREATE A DATABASE OF REGISTERED USERS

We solved the problem by creating a database of users and requiring
people to register with our ILLiad system. They fill out their
personal information only once at the time they make their first
request. The system is at http://www.ill.vt.edu.

"Harry M. Kriz" <Harry_M_Kriz at vt.edu>

3) PROGRAMMING SOLUTIONS

One possible solution would be to maintain that information in a
cookie. This limits you to users of cookie enable browsers (Netscape,
MSIE, etc.), however.

Another possibility is to have two submit buttons with different
values assigned to them.  The first is to submit the information and
process the ILL, the second just runs a script to write out an
extension to the current form.  There are some usability issues here,
though.  If the user never presses that first button, all of the info
requested will be lost because it has never been committed to the
script.

Another flavor on the last suggestion is to have two buttons, but the
second button a) committs the info to the ill handler, and the b)
writes the next form with that users info already inserted in the form
fields. Somthing like:

print "<INPUT TYPE=Text Name="FName" Value=$Fname>";

Bill Crosbie
Microcomputer Analyst
Chang Science Library
Rutgers University Try
New Brunswick, NJ USA|     
crosbie at aesop.rutgers.edu

------

Yes, it is possible.  You can pass the data to a script using hidden
fields.

Bin Zhang <bzhang at Hawaii.Edu>         4303 Diamond Head Road
Automation/Reference Librarian        Honolulu, HI 96816
Kapiolani Community College           Phone: (808) 734-9254
University of Hawaii                  Fax:   (808) 734-9453

---------------

Yes... you can regenerate the form using your CGI Script with the
information already inserted into the fields, or using hidden
fields... it's not easy, but it's cool.  We do it on our ILL form.

Jennifer Heise,                             Net: jahb at lehigh.edu    \
Senior Specialist, Web Management, Lehigh Univ. Info. Resources   / /

---------------

Our ILL form script allows the user to continue making requests
without having to re-enter Name, Address, Tel, e-mail, etc. Our script
is written in PERL and this is not a very complicated matter. 

Karl Fattig, Catalog Librarian / Webmaster  |  Bowdoin College Library
kfattig at polar.bowdoin.edu                   |  3000 College Station
http://www.bowdoin.edu/~kfattig/            |  Brunswick, ME
04011-8421

---------






Jean-Marc Edwards
Bibliothecaire de systemes (Internet et Formation)/Systems Librarian (Internet and Training)
Reseau de bibliotheques / Library Network
Universite d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
email: mailto:jedwards at uottawa.ca
tel: 562-5800 ext.3225
Page web du reseau de bibliotheques: http://www.uottawa.ca/library