Thread: Need help understanding what "initial value" mean.

When you double click on a text box to edit it's properties, under the General tab, what does the "initial value" mean and what should I be typing in there?

Thanks

You can leave this blank (Default) or give an instruction, like please enter comments here!

Ok, so I assume that has nothing to with the fact that the email I recieve from the form submission is blank?

Are you able to tell me why and how to fix it?

Originally Posted by TheLink

When you double click on a text box to edit it's properties, under the General tab, what does the "initial value" mean and what should I be typing in there?

"Initial Value" describes what will be seen in the Textbox before it is 'edited' by a User .... consider it a 'label' of sorts: for example, you can type in the "Initial Value" for a Message box something like "1000 character maxiumum", or even label the individual boxes like "Your Phone Number Here", "Your Address Here", etc.

When the Visitor clicks in the box area, they can delete it and type in whatever they want to replace the "Initial Value" and then send it.....if the email is sent without any changes to the Initial Value, the default text will be sent as part of the Form.

Vasili

Thank you for that great explanation, that clears up a lot.

Perhaps you can help me with something else. In one of my forms, the edit boxes I have checked "required field" all work, they won't let you submit a form until you enter data.

But in another form, all of the edit boxes have been checked "data required" but when I fill out a form (to test), it lets me leave fields blank when I click on submit.

When I check the properties of both forms, they seem identical.

Could you shed some light on what I have done wrong?

Thank you

That characterizes the allowable information and formatting: required character counts, specifically. It is nothing like "required field" unless you also check that, and then create the 'rule' of how many characters you will allow (this is useful for say, in a "Telephone" field, where you can make it required and not allow more than 10 digits to be entered).

Check your form name. Must NOT contain whiitespaces and / or symbols, as they cause the validation Javascript function to not work.

Example: don't name your form "Contact Form", name it "Contact_Form" or "Contactform".

Thanks Naval, worked like a treat.