URL and Category

Thanks for your comments neofactor.

I agree that a CCK extension for adding extra fields would be good, adding this to the core contact module has been discussed but no one has done it.

The correct path for the category "Contact Us" is "contact/Contact_Us". My module replaces spaces with underscores when it generates the paths.

I agree that being able to define unique headers for each form would be good however the same effect can be achieved with blocks. Create a custom block with the required info and assign it to a region (you may need to add a region to your theme) that is immediately beneath the title and above the form.

Ideally I would like to see in core all that you have mentioned as well as the features that my module adds. The standard drop down menu is so tacky it is not funny.

Regards
Geoff

I want to reopen this and say (1) thanks for this module and (2) it would be great to have customizable URL and a customizable title for the contact form so it's not just Contact Category -- because for example, Contact Tell Us Your Story is very odd.

thanks,
cig

I second this, because it forces a rigid and awkward terminology, AND because it is inconsistent, making the site seem unpolished.

On the main Contact form, selecting the nature of the message is in a pull-down "Category". So that leads to certain wording to match the notion of categories.

But using the direct URL method, the very same "category" text is forced to begin with the word "Contact", which leads to a different wording.

It is very difficult to use wording that is both a "category" and a "contact" and to fit both scenarios.

MUCH better would be to make it all configurable: The direct URL message (to begin with "Contact" or something else or nothing at all), and to control the word "Category" which often isn't the right word at all. Most people using a contact form aren't thinking of a category, whatever that means. Sometimes they know what department or person to contact. But often, the user has a mission in mind, so rather than having think in terms of category/contact, the user should see a list of topics/problems/needs/etc, such as "help with log-in" or "submit content" or "inquire about purchase" or "change address" or a zillion other user-centric needs.

Hi John,

I don't really understand what you are saying here. I am confused by the terminology that you are using so I am not sure what parts you are talking about. So I will make some points that you can respond to.

1. I agree that the word category is not a good word to use on the main contact form which is at the url "/contact". But that is part of core, not part of my module. I suppose I could override it but that would be a new feature.

2. "But using the direct URL method, the very same "category" text is forced to begin with the word "Contact", which leads to a different wording." Do you realise you can customise the page title on the contact form settings page?

Regards
Geoff

Hi Geoff, sorry to create confusion.

If "category" is in core, then my observation is misplaced, sorry. I feel that it's an odd term for a contact form when viewed from the user's perspective. It's an internal notion -- what kind of contact is this -- when the user UI should always be presented in user terminology and with user purposes in mind. If the word was configurable it could meet any need.

I had not realized I could customize the word "Contact", just found that, which helps polish up the presentation of a contact form. Thanks.

However, by defaulting to "Contact", but then followed by the !category term, it shows the same phrase that elsewhere is labeled "Category". If I want to contact Geoff, I might find it helpful to see a form titled "Contact Geoff". But does it make sense to have a list named "Category" with item "Geoff"? I think one of the wordings is inappropriate, but at the least they should match. So maybe the form should default to Category !category.

Lacking that, I'm experimenting with wording for Contact Form Title to go along with Drupal's "Category", such as "Contact regarding !category", ie "Contact regarding problem with log-in."

But... on the form, just below the customizable title, it says "You can send [CATEGORY TEXT] a message using the contact form below." Makes sense if the Category is "Geoff" but not if it is Category "problem with log-in" or similar user-perspective contact purpose: "You can send problem with log-in a message using the contact form below." So, this text line needs to be customizable too.

Related to this is the request to allow a path to the form that is not the title turned into a URL. There are many characters that might be part of the Category/Contact/Title of a form that don't work in a URL, such as slashes and colons. Others seem to not work though they should, such as dashes. Also, while the Category/Title might be long-ish to be explanatory, the URL could/should be short-ish, if it could be specifed separately.

For example, I have a form Category/Title something like this: "Submit Article-Tip-Story to the Editors". Replacing the spaces with underscores, it doesn't seem to work as a URL to the contact form. Rather than dashes, ideally it would use slashes (Submit Article/Tip/Story..) or commas (Submit an Article, Tip or Story...), and sometimes even quotatin marks -- but not if it must also be a URL. If this or even more complex phrases could be used for Category/Title, but the form could have a simple URL ("submit_article"), there would be total flexibility.

Part of the reason for needing a long Category/Title is because it must provide the entire explanation of the purpose of the particular form, since the Information text of a particular form does not get displayed on the form (why not?). Being able to explain the purpose and use of each form ON THE FORM would be a huge aid to users. Or, am I overlooking a way to get the custom Information to display?

Hi John,

Have you read the read me file. Many of your questions are answered there

You can change the word "category" which is on the main contact form, in fact you can change any of the core terminology using the core locale module or some of the other string overide modules. So that will solve your problem with the word category.

You can customise the sentence "You can send [CATEGORY TEXT] a message using the contact form below." on the contact form settings page.

The urls are explaned in the read me file.

Regards
Geoff