Drupal Forms User Guide

For anything beyond a very basic form, it’s a good idea to map it out first in Microsoft Whiteboard (or a similar programme).  

Ahead of building the form, you can easily: 

• work out how to distribute questions across pages 

• decide on the order of pages and questions 

• figure out branching logic and convey it with arrows 

• change your mind and move things around

• share the plan with the stakeholder so they can comment 

If migrating a form from Forms Master, it helps to create both ‘as is’ and ‘to be’ maps. 

The format of the Whiteboard can be quite simple, with a coloured block for each page and the elements listed in each block.

Order

Try to order it broadly like this: 

1. Questions that filter out anyone who is not eligible to continue, or for whom the form is not relevant

2. Questions that apply to everyone remaining 

3. Questions that only apply to a subset of users 

How many questions should I put on a page?

Our site has a high percentage of mobile users, so always err on the side of keeping a page as short and logically contained as possible. We should always strive to find the balance between 'good practice' and practicality. This might mean asking between 1 and 5 questions per page, depending on context and what types of questions they are. Any more than 5 questions (unless some only appear conditionally) is going to push usability on a mobile. 

What to capture

The Whiteboard should contain enough detail that someone else could take it and build a form on the CMS from the information contained within.

This means, at the very least, you'll need to make sure you have:

• a title for the form (that will appear at the top of all pages)

• page titles for each page

• a clear flow of logic, both at page level and within the pages (if this, then show or hide that)

• any introductory text

• fully detailed questions with:

  • the question itself

  • what type of form element is to be used

  • all options listed if there are specific answers to be selected

  • limits on uploads or number of answers (if using file upload or custom composite elements)

• any specific messages for the confirmation text

Step-by-step navigation

If you have a series of related forms, consider using a the step-by-step page template in the main CMS, and link or embed the form in each page.