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How to create your own Forms and Checklists?
You can create your own Forms and Checklists within Contractor Foreman using the two form builders we offer, which are the Basic Form Builder and the Advanced Form Builder.
To get started, click on the + New Form button on the top right of the Forms and Checklists module. When you click that button, it will prompt you to select a form builder by either choosing the Basic Form Builder or the Advanced Form Builder.
Basic Form Builder: Ideal for simple checklists or forms with a few fields. This option is quicker and easier to use if you’re looking to build straightforward forms. Click here to see how to create a form using the Basic Form Builder.
Advanced Form Builder: Offers more flexibility and customization options, allowing you to create detailed, multi-section forms with a variety of field types and custom layouts. Click here to see how to create a form using the Advanced Form Builder.
How to create a form using the Basic Form Builder?
When you click on the + New Form button and select the Basic Form Builder, the system will take you to the form builder where you can create your own form.
You will see three fields on the top where you can set key information about the form.
Status: While you are in the process of creating the process, you can set the status as “Do Not Use”. You can make edits, save the form, and make edits later until you publish the form to use. Once you finalize everything, set the status as “Published:Ready to Use” and you will be able to use that form under your company forms.
Form Name: Set a name for your form here. This is the name which will be displayed under your company forms once you publish it.
Notes: Any notes you want to save related to the form can be entered here. These notes will not be visible to the person who is filling out the form. It will only be visible whenever you edit the form.
Just under those fields, you will see a checkbox called “Require signature when Submitting form”. If you enable it, the person who will fill out the form will be prompted to sign the form while submitting.
Below all of those, you will see a box on the left side. This is where you can build your form. And on the right side, you will see several field options you can include in your form. These field types can be used on the following scenarios.
Select Field: The Select field is a dropdown selection of multiple options. The great thing about this field is that it consumes less space on the screen and it allows you to specify if the user can select multiple options or just one.
Pre-made field options: These fields are pre-made to give the option to select certain data from a list. For example, selecting a customer from the customer list of your company. However, you cannot edit these fields.
- Customer: This field can be used to select the customer where necessary from the customer list of your company.
- Project: This field can be used to select the project where necessary from the project list of your company.
- Equipment: This field can be used to select an equipment where necessary from the equipment list of your company.
- Employee: This field can be used to select an employee where necessary from the employee list of your company.
- Contractor: This field can be used to select a contractor where necessary from the contractor list of your company.
- Customer & Lead: This field can be used to select either a customer or a lead where necessary from the customer and leads list of your company.
- Vehicle: This field can be used to select a vehicle where necessary from the vehicle list of your company.
Signature: This is where you can request signature from the person who fills out the form.
Header: Great for dividing your form into sections.
Paragraph: Paragraph is used when you want to display text on the form that you do not want someone to be able to edit. This could be an introduction at the top or notes throughout the form.
Checkbox Group: A Checkbox group is to be used when you want the user to have more than 1 selection. Such as; which tools were used today.
Radio Group: A Radio group is a selection of options where you want the employee to have only one option; such as Did the inspection Pass or Fail.
Text Field: The Text field is used for open-ended responses, such as entering an equipment ID number.
File Upload: This field will allow the person who fills out the form to upload files. Such as pictures, PDFs, and etc.
Date Field: This is great if you need to collect dates of a task, such as when items were inspected.
Number: The number field allows you to collect a value such as the number of concrete cubic yards poured in a day.
Text Area: Unlike the text field, which is a single row and small field, the text area is multiple lines and is often used to collect comments or notes.
To use any of these fields on your form, drag and drop the field of your choice to the box on the left. After that, when you hover your mouse over that field, you will see 3 options on the top right corner of that field. You can remove that field from the form, edit the field, and copy the field.
Click on the edit button to edit the form field and customize it to suit your needs. The following image is the edit view of the select field.
Here you can see several options on the edit view.
Required: You can use this checkbox to make this form field mandatory to fill for the filling person.
Label: This is the name of the form field.
Help Text: You can put a help text to a field to explain the form field or the question better. If someone doesn’t understand the field, he can hover the mouse over the question mark icon to see the help text.
Placeholder: This is what the responder sees on the answer field before selecting an answer. For example, if you enter “Please select an answer from the drop-down menu” as the placeholder, it will show up on the selection field before making a selection.
Above example was for the Text Area. It will be the same process but with slight variations depending on the field type. You can add more fields as your need, customize them, and save your form. If it’s finalized, don’t forget to change the status to “Published:Ready to Use”!
How to create a form using the Advanced Form Builder?
Continuing from the Basic Form Builder article, Contractor Foreman also offers an Advanced Form Builder that provides additional field types and more complex functionalities to create highly customized forms and checklists. Powered by Survey.js, the Advanced Form Builder is ideal when you need to collect detailed information, automate responses, or enable conditional visibility of fields. Let’s explore how to create forms using the Advanced Form Builder and how it differs from the Basic Form Builder.
***Contractor Foreman recommends the use of the Basic Form Builder, in order to use the Advanced Form Builder, we suggest you have previous experience working with programming software or previous knowledge to Survey JS.
Getting Started with the Advanced Form Builder
To access the Advanced Form Builder:
- Go to Menu > Forms & Checklists.
- In the top menu, click on the + New Form button.
- Select Advanced Form Builder from the two options provided.
This will take you into the form-building interface, which resembles the Basic Form Builder but includes additional field types and advanced settings that provide greater flexibility.
Key Differences: Field Types and Functionalities
While the Basic Form Builder allows you to include standard fields like text boxes, checkboxes, and select dropdowns, the Advanced Form Builder expands your options to include the following additional field types:
Customer Multiple: Allows the form user to select multiple customers from the customer list.
Employee Multiple: Enables selection of multiple employees from the employee list.
Contractor Multiple: Enables selection of multiple contractors from the contractor list.
Customer & Lead Multiple: This field allows selecting both customers and leads, and can be used in cases where either is relevant.
Dropdown: Similar to the Select field but with enhanced options for dropdown menus, providing more flexibility.
Comment: Add a field for users to leave comments or detailed responses.
Rating: Useful for rating systems, such as a satisfaction survey where the user can select a rating (e.g., 1-5 stars).
Image Picker: This is a question type that displays multiple images or videos and allows users to select one or more items.
Boolean: A simple Yes/No toggle field.
HTML: For advanced users, the HTML field allows you to add HTML content directly into your form for custom designs or instructions.
Expression: This field enables mathematical or logical expressions based on other field values, useful for automated calculations or decision-making logic.
File: Provides the ability to upload and attach files, such as documents or images, directly into the form.
These field types allow you to create richer and more complex forms, ideal for advanced data collection or when you need to automate parts of the process.
Advanced Functionalities: “Enable if” and “Visible if”
The Advanced Form Builder provides powerful functionalities that help you create dynamic forms based on user inputs. Two key features are:
Enable If: This feature allows you to control when a particular field becomes active (i.e., when the user is allowed to interact with it). For example, you may want a field to become enabled only if the user selects a particular option in a previous question.
Visible If: Similar to “Enable if,” this feature controls when a field is visible to the user. You can hide certain fields unless certain conditions are met, streamlining the user experience and making your forms more efficient.
Both of these functionalities can be found when editing a field. When you click on the Edit button of any form field, you’ll see these options in the advanced settings section, allowing you to set conditions that trigger visibility or enablement based on previous answers.
Example: Creating a Conditional Form with Advanced Fields
Let’s say you’re creating a form to collect information about project completion. You might want to include a “Project Satisfaction Rating” that only appears if the “Project Completed” field is marked as “Yes.” Here’s how you’d set it up:
Add a Boolean field titled “Project Completed” with Yes/No options.
Add a Rating field titled “Project Satisfaction Rating.”
In the Rating field’s settings, under Visible If, set the condition to show this field only if the “Project Completed” field is marked as “Yes.”
This ensures that users will only see and complete the satisfaction rating if the project has been marked as complete, making your form both smarter and more user-friendly.
Finalizing Your Form
Once you’ve built your form and added all necessary fields, don’t forget the following:
Status: As with the Basic Form Builder, set the form status to “Do Not Use” while you’re still building it. Once finalized, switch the status to “Published: Ready to Use” to make the form accessible to other users.
Require Signature: If needed, you can require the user to sign the form before submission, just like in the Basic Form Builder.
The Advanced Form Builder in Contractor Foreman offers a powerful and flexible way to create dynamic, conditional forms with enhanced field types. It’s ideal for creating complex forms that need more than basic data collection. The combination of advanced field types and the Enable if and Visible if features allows you to automate and streamline data entry processes, ensuring you collect the right information at the right time.