Simplenews Contact Checkbox

*** Sept 3, 2009 update - This module works fine. It has been thoroughly tested for months with no negative feedback. I just haven't been able to update the cvs branches/tags. ****

This is a small add-on module that works with the simplenews module (as well as the core contact module) to allow you to add checkboxes for newsletter subscriptions to the contact form within Drupal.

Functionality Detail:

Administrative:

• Adds a new fieldset to individual newsletter settings - When this module is enabled, a new fieldset is displayed to people with the proper permissions to each newsletter settings under the Newsletter->Settings tab (URL:http://www.example.com/admin/content/newsletters/settings/# - # represents the number of the newsletter). It is important to note that this would appear on the individual newsletter settings page, so for example, the first newsletter on the site has this settings URL: http://www.example.com/admin/content/newsletters/settings/1 - so it would appear on that page.
• Description of newsletter setting fieldset - The header of this section is collapsed by default and is called ‘Contact Form Checkbox’. These options determine if an option to subscribe to this newsletter will appear on the contact page of your website, whether that option is an opt-in or opt-out checkbox, and what the wording will be next to that checkbox on the contact form.’
• Newsletter setting fieldset option 1 – The first option gives the administrator the option to add a checkbox to the contact form for the respective newsletter. Add this newsletter to the contact form [] (with the brackets representing the checkbox). When checked, this adds the checkbox for this newsletter to the contact form just under the entry section of that form and only for the roles that have the access privileges to view/use the checkboxes (which is defined under the permissions settings described in a moment).
• Newsletter setting fieldset option 2 - A second setting within the fieldset allows you to select whether the checkbox is opt-in (default is an unchecked checkbox) or opt-out (default is a checked checkbox).
  • Opt-out settings – check for opt-out/un-check for opt-in: [] (with the brackets representing the checkbox). If they check this box, meaning they are selecting “opt-out”, then the checkbox for this newsletter on the contact form should be checked. If they don’t check this box, meaning they are selecting “opt-in”, then the checkbox for this newsletter on the contact form should be un-checked. Newsletter subscription checkboxes are typically either opt-out or opt-in. Opt-out means the checkbox is checked by default and the user is automatically subscribed to the newsletter unless they click on the checkbox, i.e. opt out, to remove the check. Opt-in means they have to actively check the checkbox, or “opt in”, in order to be subscribed to the checkbox.
• Newsletter setting fieldset option 3 – This option allows the user to define the wording that appears next to the newsletter checkbox on the contact form. If nothing is entered, default should be nothing. Enter the wording that you would like to appear to the right of the checkbox on the contact form. Typical wording includes ‘Yes, please subscribe me to the Adaptive Campus newsletter.’ Default is no wording, but then your users won’t know what newsletter to subscribe to, so we recommend entering something simple.
• Permissions Settings for newsletter settings usage - Permissions can be managed from the “Access control” areas, as it is with other Drupal modules. But for admin features of this module, we just use the simplenews access settings, where if someone has “administer newsletters” privileges under the simplenews module settings, they can also use these administrative features. So no additional permission options need to be added for the admin features of this module.
• Permission Settings for viewing/using checkboxes on contact form - Under the access control settings for this specific module, you have a setting for which roles see the checkboxes on the contact form. You can call this ‘view contact checkboxes’. When checked, that role can use the checkboxes on the contact form.

User functionality:

• Based on the administrative settings, a checkbox for each newsletter should appear on the contact form just below the other form elements with an optional setting of wording next to each checkbox. Only roles with viewing privileges should be able to see or use the checkboxes.
• Checkboxes on Contact form – The checkboxes on the contact form should be aligned to the left of the contact form, with the name of the newsletter and then the wording that is defined in the admin (option 3) showing to the left of the checkbox. If multiple newsletters are used, they should be listed one after the other. Using brackets to represent the checkbox, and the wording to the right representing what was entered in option 3 of the admin settings, it should look something like this:
  • [] Yes, please subscribe me to newsletter 1.
  • [] Yes, please subscribe me to newsletter 2.
• Each checkbox will be checked (opt-out) or un-checked (opt-in) based on the admin settings (option 2).

Module Dependencies:

Core Modules: Contact

Contributed Modules: Simplenews