A guided form is a structured way of collecting data from users through a series of steps or sections. Using tabs in guided forms helps in organizing complex forms into smaller, more manageable sections, improving user experience and engagement. In Power Pages, guided forms using tabs can be easily implemented to allow users to navigate through different parts of a form step by step.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to implement guided forms using tabs in Power Pages:
1. Understanding Guided Forms with Tabs
Guided forms break down a large form into smaller sections or steps. Each section can be represented by a tab. Users can navigate through these tabs to complete the form progressively.
For example:
- Step 1: Personal Information
- Step 2: Address Details
- Step 3: Payment Information
- Step 4: Review and Submit
This approach ensures that users aren’t overwhelmed by too many fields at once. Instead, they can focus on one section at a time.
2. Structure of a Tab-Based Guided Form
Each tab represents a step or section of the form. The navigation between tabs can be done by clicking on the tab headers. The tab content will be displayed when the user selects a tab, guiding them through the form.
For a typical tab structure, you would have:
- Tab navigation bar: Displays clickable tab headings, each representing a section.
- Tab content sections: Each tab contains a set of form fields related to that section.
The user will proceed by filling in the fields of each tab and then moving to the next one.
3. Building a Tab-Based Guided Form Using Power Pages
Power Pages allows you to use Liquid templates, HTML, and JavaScript to build dynamic and structured forms. Here’s how you can implement the guided form using tabs in Power Pages:
a) Create a New Form or Edit an Existing Form
If you’re building a form from scratch, go to your Power Pages admin and create a new form or use an existing one.
b) Use Liquid to Render the Form Sections Dynamically
Liquid templates can be used to render each section of the form dynamically. You can break the form into multiple sections, which will be linked to specific tabs.
Example Liquid Template for Tabs:
<div class="tabs">
<!-- Tab Navigation -->
<ul class="tab-titles">
<li class="active" data-tab="tab1">Personal Information</li>
<li data-tab="tab2">Address Details</li>
<li data-tab="tab3">Payment Information</li>
<li data-tab="tab4">Review & Submit</li>
</ul>
<!-- Tab Content -->
<div class="tab-content" id="tab1">
<form method="POST">
<label for="first_name">First Name:</label>
<input type="text" id="first_name" name="first_name">
<label for="last_name">Last Name:</label>
<input type="text" id="last_name" name="last_name">
</form>
</div>
<div class="tab-content" id="tab2">
<form method="POST">
<label for="address">Address:</label>
<input type="text" id="address" name="address">
<label for="city">City:</label>
<input type="text" id="city" name="city">
</form>
</div>
<div class="tab-content" id="tab3">
<form method="POST">
<label for="payment_card">Payment Card:</label>
<input type="text" id="payment_card" name="payment_card">
</form>
</div>
<div class="tab-content" id="tab4">
<button type="submit">Submit</button>
</div>
</div>
In this example, we create four tabs representing different sections of the form (Personal Information, Address Details, Payment Information, and Review & Submit). The content for each tab is contained within a corresponding <div>.
c) Style the Tabs Using CSS
You can use CSS to style the tabs, making them visually distinct. This includes setting up active states, hiding inactive tabs, and ensuring the tabs are responsive.
Example CSS for Tab Styling:
/* Style the tab container */
.tabs {
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
}
/* Tab Titles */
.tab-titles {
display: flex;
list-style-type: none;
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
}
.tab-titles li {
padding: 10px 20px;
cursor: pointer;
background-color: #f1f1f1;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
margin-right: 5px;
}
.tab-titles li.active {
background-color: #4CAF50;
color: white;
}
/* Tab Content */
.tab-content {
display: none;
padding: 20px;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
margin-top: 10px;
}
.tab-content.active {
display: block;
}
This CSS code creates a basic tab layout where:
- Each tab is clickable.
- Only the content of the active tab is visible.
- Inactive tabs are hidden.
d) Adding JavaScript to Switch Between Tabs
To make the tabs interactive, you’ll need JavaScript to control the tab switching behavior. The JavaScript will listen for clicks on the tab titles and then show the corresponding tab content while hiding the others.
Example JavaScript for Tab Switching:
// Get all tab titles and content
var tabTitles = document.querySelectorAll('.tab-titles li');
var tabContents = document.querySelectorAll('.tab-content');
// Add event listeners for each tab title
tabTitles.forEach(function(tabTitle) {
tabTitle.addEventListener('click', function() {
// Remove 'active' class from all tabs and content
tabTitles.forEach(function(item) {
item.classList.remove('active');
});
tabContents.forEach(function(item) {
item.classList.remove('active');
});
// Add 'active' class to the clicked tab and its content
tabTitle.classList.add('active');
var activeTab = tabTitle.getAttribute('data-tab');
document.getElementById(activeTab).classList.add('active');
});
});
This JavaScript code listens for a click on any of the tabs and switches the active tab by:
- Removing the active class from all tabs and their content.
- Adding the active class to the clicked tab and the corresponding content.
4. Form Validation and Navigation Logic
Ensure that users cannot navigate to the next tab without completing the required fields in the current tab. You can add form validation using JavaScript to ensure that each section is completed before the user can move to the next tab.
Example Form Validation:
function validateTab1() {
var firstName = document.getElementById('first_name').value;
var lastName = document.getElementById('last_name').value;
if (!firstName || !lastName) {
alert('Please complete your personal information.');
return false;
}
return true;
}
document.querySelector('[data-tab="tab1"]').addEventListener('click', function() {
if (!validateTab1()) {
return false;
}
});
This code ensures that the user must complete the “Personal Information” tab before navigating to the next one.
5. Enhancing User Experience
- Progress Indicators: Add a progress bar or step indicators to show users how far they are in the form.
- Save & Resume Later: Implement functionality to save the form data and allow users to return and complete it later.
- Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure the tabs are mobile-friendly. You may want to stack tabs vertically on smaller screens.