MACROMEDIA ColdFusion MX, Develop Manual

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Using forms to specify the data to retrieve 563
Reviewing the code
The following table describes the highlighted code and its function:
Form notes and considerations
When using forms, keep the following guidelines in mind:
•
To make the coding process easy to follow, name form controls the same as target database
fields.
•
For ease of use, limit radio buttons to between three and five mutually exclusive options. If you
need more options, consider a drop-down list.
•
Use list boxes to allow the user to choose from many options or to chose multiple items from a
list.
•
All the data that you collect on a form is automatically passed as form variables to the
associated action page.
Code Description
<form action="actionpage.cfm"
method="post">
Gathers the information from this form using the
Post method, and do something with it on the page
actionpage.cfm.
<input type="Text" name="FirstName"
size="20" maxlength="35">
Creates a text box called FirstName where users can
enter their first name. Makes it 20 characters wide,
but allows input of up to 35 characters.
<input type="Text" name="LastName"
size="20" maxlength="35">
Creates a text box called LastName where users can
enter their first name. Makes it 20 characters wide,
but allows input of up to 35 characters.
<input type="Text" name="Salary"
size="10" maxlength="10">
Creates a text box called Salary where users can
enter a salary to look for. Makes it 10 characters
wide, and allows input of up to 10 characters.
<select name="City">
<option value="Arlington">
Arlington
<option value="Boston">Boston
<option value="Cambridge">
Cambridge
<option value="Minneapolis">
Minneapolis
<option value="Seattle">Seattle
</select>
Creates a drop-down list box named City and
populate it with the values “Arlington,” “Boston,”
“Cambridge,” “Minneapolis,” and “Seattle.”
<input type="checkbox" name=
"Contractor" value="Yes" checked>Yes
Creates a check box that allows users to specify
whether they want to list employees who are
contractors. Box selected by default.
<input type="Reset"
name="ResetForm"
value="Clear Form">
Creates a reset button to allow users to clear the
form. Puts the text Clear Form on the button.
<input type="Submit"
name="SubmitForm"
value="Submit">
Creates a submit button to send the values that users
enter to the action page for processing. Puts the text
Submit on the button.