Creating an HTML enquiry form

[AndyLucia]

On the subject of checking number of guests, one could stop visitors from making mistakes and seeing errors by using drop downs instead of type in boxes.

For example, if you have a 2 bedroom apartment, you can ask (on the HTML form:

Total number of persons (including children): Permissable answers 1-4
Number of children (16 or under): Permissable answers 1-3

Now, if you have multiple properties as RR does, then the range of permissable answers needs to change depending on which property is chosen, but that requires more javascript in the form itself, and I'll wait for Brookes lesson number 7 to get that one !

Just an idea..

Maybe I'm just a simple (or is that 'cynical') soul, but I'd be reluctant to add that; working on the basis that most people seem to go into "rabbit in headlights" mode (no offence RR ) when confronted with a webform my inclination would be to keep it as simple as possible - if you have the basics (name, telephone, email and dates) you can draw out the rest when you call them, a nice opportunity for a bit of rapport building.

That observation is based on the number of enquiries we get from HR stating "Number of People (incl children) 'x' " and "Number of Children 'y' "; invariably x=x+y, which should give any mathematicians a nice headache!

[vrooje]

Andy,

Over the years I've been coming around to your perspective. If I didn't have to give a presentation tomorrow I'd probably be at work right now simplifying my inquiry form, since your post has spurred me to re-think its complexity.

I do find, though, that asking for the size of the party is really helpful information to have up front, and it's a small input so it shouldn't be too overwhelming. I often get inquiries from people wanting to book our two-bedroom house with a party of 8 or more -- one was an inquiry for 12! (These inquiries are almost always in French, actually...) If I know that right away, I don't have to waste their time or mine -- I can just say, nope, too many people, good luck elsewhere.



I've actually never changed the contents of a drop-down list with Javascript, but I'm pretty sure I know just how to do it. I've never done it because I personally avoid drop-down lists whenever possible.