4.1 Add Demo Members and Menus

In the last article, we finished creating the Registration and Service Provider forms we need to run our new network. Both of these forms create a matching List where we can add new data just by clicking on the Add button in the back end of our website. In this article, we will first look at the Provider Info Form and List in the back end and then create menu items to look at the same form and list in the front end. We will then use our Member Registration Form to add our Demo Members and have our Demo Service providers fill out the Provider Info form to test how well our new network works.

View our Provider Info Form and List in the Back End
Go to Fabrik Forms, Service Provider Info and click View Data.

We have set the elements for this form so that the only elements shown on the List are Service Provider Continent, Service Provider Category Service Provider Name and Provider Website. Note that I have reordering the elements to put the Service Provider Continent first. We could add new service providers here in the back end if we wanted just by clicking on Add. We will eventually make the City, Name, Website and Email required fields – but leave the Provider City as an optional field. Note that there is no spam filter on the Provider Info form. The only form we will use a spam filter on is the Member Registration form. Click the back arrow to exit this screen. We will next create menu items to add our Demo Members in the front end.

Create Six More Front End Menu Items
We need several menu items for our Network to work. We have previously created two Fabrik Forms. These are a Member Registration form and a Service Provider form.

Each form can be linked to three different front end menu items. First, we can display the form itself by creating a Fabrik Form Menu Item. Second, we can display a page for each member to edit their form using the same Fabrik Form menu item type – but also adding a Row ID and Key Name to the Fabrik Form Options tab. We describe this below. Third, we can display a Fabrik List page using the Fabrik List menu item. Here is a table showing each of these six menu items and the menu we will put them on.

 In article 3.3, we create a Member Signup menu item which is on our Main Menu and viewable by the public. Below we will also add the Member Registration form to our Member Coordinator Menu. The next four menu items should have the access set to Registered. These include a Member Registration Edit page assigned to the Member Menu, a Service Provider Sign Up Menu item assigned to our Provider Menu, a Provider Info Edit menu item assigned to our Service Provider menu and a menu item for the Service Provider List which can be assigned to either the Member Menu or the Main Menu.

Finally, we need to add our Registered Members List to the Member Coordinator menu so that our Member Coordinators will be able to promote normal registered members to Service Provider Members without having to log into the back end of our website. We will also add a second copy of the Member Registration form to the Member Coordinator Menu. It will show a Group Assignment field not shown on the Member form on the main menu. Member Coordinators can use this hidden Group Assignment field to assign any member to any of the three Service Provider categories.

#1 Create a Member Registration Edit menu item
We need a way for Members to edit their Member Info Form entries. For example, they may want to change their email or password. We will therefore create a Member Info Edit menu item. This will be a challenge because we only want each member to be able to edit their own Member Info form. We do not want them to be able to edit a different Member Info Form. To achieve this, go to Menus, Member Menu and click New. Then choose Fabrik Form. Then select the Member Registration form. For Title, type Edit your Member Info. For access, choose Registered. Then click on the Fabrik Form Options tab. Type -1 in the Row id box and userid in the Key Name box.

Then Save & Close.

#2 Create a Service Provider List menu Item
In article 2.2, we created a Members Menu that can only be seen by logged in Members. We will now create a Service Provider List menu Item in the Member Menu so that all registered Members can see our Service Provider List. Go to Menus, Members Menu and click Add. Then click Select and select Fabrik List. Then for Fabrik form, select the Service Provider Info list. For Title, type, Service Provider List. For Access, select Registered. Then click Save and Close. We will initially keep this List in the Members Menu. However, eventually, we will move this menu item to the Main Menu so that it can be viewed by anyone who visits our website without the need to fill out a membership form and log in.

#3 Create a Service Provider Sign Up menu item
Go to Menus, Provider Menu and click Add. Then click Select and select Fabrik Form. Then for Fabrik form, select the Service Provider Info form. For Title, type, Service Provider Signup. For Access, select Registered. Then click Save and Close.

#4 Create an Edit your Provider Info menu item
We need a way for Service Providers to edit their Provider Info Form entries. For example, they may want to change their contact information or replace their Provider Photo. We will therefore create a Provider Info Edit menu item. This will be a challenge because we only want each provider to be able to edit their own Provider Info form. We do not want them to be able to edit a different Providers Info Form. To achieve this, go to Menus, Provider Menu and click New. Then choose Fabrik Form. Then select the Provider Info form. For Title, type Edit your Provider Info. For access, choose Service Provider. Then click on the Fabrik Form Options tab. Type -1 in the Row id box and userid in the Key Name box. Then Save & Close.

#5 Create a Registered Members List in our Member Coordinators Menu
We need to add our Registered Members List to the Member Coordinator menu so that our Member Coordinators will be able to edit and thus promote normal registered members to Service Provider Members without having to log into the back end of our website. Go to the Member Coordinator Menu and click New. Click Select Fabrik Lists. Then select the Member Registration List. For Menu Title, type Member List. For Access, select Member Coordinator. Click Save & Close.

#6 Create a Member Registration Form in our Member Coordinator Menu
Click New. Click Select Fabrik Form. Select the Member Registration form. For Title, type Register a New Member. For Access, select Member Coordinator. Then click Save and Close.

Front End Access Control Tests
We are now ready to test our new Network. To test the front end member access system, we need to add our remaining Demo Members using our Member Registration form on the front end of our website.

We have previously created a Table of 20 Demo members, User Names, email addresses and passwords. Below is this table:

Use Front End Registration Form to Sign Up 6 Demo Members
Now that we have our Registration and Provider forms, we can test them in the front end. Click Member Sign Up to open our Registration form. Then use the above table to register our 6 Demo Members. Now all 6 are in the Joomla User Table. And all 6 are members of the Joomla Registered User group. Then stay logged into the back end as a super user and go to the Front End of the website and log in as the first Member01. Verify that the new member is taken to the First Steps for New Members Page and can view the Member Menu and can edit their Member Info.

How a Personal Member can become a Service Provider
Let’s assume Member01 also wants to be a Service Provider. They will need to send us an email so we can add them to the Service Provider group and thus see the Service Provider menu. Assign the Members Team Leader, members1, to be a Member Coordinator, a Service Provider, an Instructor, Designer and Developer. Then log into the front end as members1. Verify that you can see the Member Coordinator Menu, Member Menu and Service Provider Menu.

Click on the Member List to Assign Service Providers

Then click the Edit icon to the right of each Service Provider to assign each of them to the Service Provider group and also to the Service Provider category shown in the table below. Once done, email each of these Service Provider Members to let them know they can now log in where they will see a Service Provider Menu in addition to the Member Menu. Here is our table of Provider Info for our 9 Demo Service Providers to use when filling in each of their Provider Info forms:

Note: If members have more than one category of service, they can put additional categories in the Provider Additional Info box. However, the additional categories will not be searchable. The only way to have two categories searchable is to create two separate providers each with one category.

After completing the form for the first Demo Service provider, click on the Service Provider list to confirm you have been added to the list. Click on Edit your Provider Info. This opens up your filled in Provider Info form where you can change whatever you want. Then click Save.

Click on Service Provider Information to see Service Provider articles.

Click on Service Provider List to see all of the Service Providers.

Click on View to view your Service Provider Profile Page:

To add another Service Provider account with a different Service Provider email address and different Service Provider category, click on Service Provider Signup. To log out, click Member Log Out. Then click Log Out.

View the Registration form data
After adding all 9 Demo providers, go to Components, Fabrik and click on the Elements table and filter for the Service Provider form. Then go to the Fabrik, Forms, Provider Info Form and click Update Database. Then click View Data. Then click Group by Provider Continent.

Here is where you can also edit the data or delete the Provider.
Click on the View button for Provider 01 to see the Profile Page.

Next go to the front end of the website and log in as Member01 – who is only a registered member. View the Provider List as Member01. The Group by function does not yet work in the front end. Also a problem is that currently Member01 can add new providers, edit existing providers and even delete existing providers.

We will also fix both of these problems in our next article.

For now, click View to view the profile page:

Here are some other tips for creating your own community network.

Change Slideshows and Other Modules to Guest Access
One problem of Fabrik is that many of the Fabrik pages will display modules like slideshows even if you have set the slideshow to only appear on the website Home page. You can solve this problem, by editing the slideshow module and changing the access to Guest. Guest access means that the module will be hidden from any logged in user.

How to Delete a Fabrik Element
There are many reasons you may want to delete an element. You may decide your form is too long and you want to shorten it. Or you may want to replace a field element with a checkbox element. It is wise to delete an element carefully as doing it wrong may create problems for your database that require completely rebuilding your form from scratch. Here are some steps for deleting an element:

First, go to Components, Fabrik, Elements. Then find the element you want to delete and check the boxes so that the element is not shown in the list and is not published. Then select the element and click on Trash in the Top Menu. Then in the side menu, change Status to Trashed. Then select the element and click Empty Trash. This will bring up the Delete Associated Database Column screen:

Here is the explanation of what this screen will do:

All these elements (checked or unchecked) will be deleted on SAVE. Additionally you can select elements where you want to drop (delete) the associated database column. Attention! The columns may be used by others (elements, custom code, plugins, Joomla, 3rd party). Check only if you want to delete the DB column.

In plain English, the above is warning that this column may be used by other applications. But in our case, the column personal-interests is not being used by any other forms or applications.

Check the box. Then click Save. It will reply that the element was successfully deleted. Then change Status from Trashed back to Select Status to return to the list of elements. Hopefully, the element called interests no longer appears.

How to Delete and Rebuild your Fabrik Component
When you are first learning Fabrik, it is possible to mess up your Fabrik Custom Registration form so badly that no matter what you do, it becomes no longer possible to register Demo Members.

When the form is submitted, it might display an error page or refuse to load. Or it might say that it has a validation error. These problems may continue even after you have deleted nearly all of the elements and nearly all of the groups.

If this happens, the best option might be to simply start over. But you need to be careful when uninstalling Fabrik. First, go to Components, Fabrik, Groups and copy all of your custom groups with their Intros and Outros. Then go to Fabrik, Elements and copy all of the Elements and their settings.

Then go to Extensions, Manage, Manage and enter the term Fabrik in the Search Box. You will see a list of almost 40 components, modules and plugins:

Before uninstalling, select and disable the Fabrik System Plugin. It is at the very bottom of the list. Then go back to the top of the list and click the Select All button. Then click Uninstall. Then go to Extensions, Manage, Install to re-install Fabrik and any needed plugins. Then go to Components, Fabrik where you should see a clean blank Fabrik installation.

What’s Next?
Now that we have tested our custom Registration form, in the next article we will learn how to use our Searchable Lists.