In the last article, we created the Housing Provider and Seeker Info forms we need to run our Housing Exchange network. Each of these forms creates a matching List where we can add new data just by clicking on the Add button. In this article, we will first look at the Housing 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. Then in the next article, we will use our Member Registration Form to add our Demo Members and have our Demo Housing Providers fill out the Housing Provider Info form to test how well our Housing Exchange network works.
View our Housing Provider Info Form and List in the Back End
Go to Fabrik Forms, Housing Provider Info and click View Data.
We have set these form elements so the only elements shown on the List are Housing Provider City, Housing Provider Name, Housing Type Offered and Rental Price Range. Note that we have reordering the elements to put the Housing Provider City first. Click the back arrow to exit this screen.
Add Housing Provider and Seeker Groups
Go to Users Groups and click New. For Ttle Type Housing Provider. For Group Parent, select Author:
Then click Save and Close and repeat for Housing Seeker group.
Add Housing Provider and Seeker Access Levels
Go to Users Access Levels and click New. For Title, type Housing Provider Access. Then check the boxes for Tech Team, Housing Provider and Super User. Then click Save and New. For Title, type Housing Seeker Access. Then check the boxes for Tech Team, Housing Provider and Super User. Then click Save and Close.
Add Module Positions for our New Housing Menus
Before we create our new Housing Network menus, we need to create the positions on the page to put these new menus. Go to Extensions, Templates, Styles. Then click on the Helix template to edit it. Then click Template Options. Then click on Layout. We have previously created a Row called User Menu Row with module positions user1, user2 and User3. Click on the plus sign to add a new row and name it User Menu Row 2. Give it the module positions called position1, position2 and position 3:
Then click Save. Then click Close. Now that we have more positions to put custom menus in, we will create the custom menus.
Create Two New Menus for our Two New Member Groups
We need a new menu for each of our two new Member groups. The first is a Housing Providers Menu with access set for Housing Provider Members. The second is a Housing Seeked Menu with access set for Housing Seeker Members.
Create a Housing Providers Menu
Click Menus, Manage, Add New Menu. For Title, type in Housing Providers Menu. For Menu Type, type in housingprovidersmenu (no spaces). For Description, type in Housing Providers Menu. For client, leave it set for Site.Then click Save and Close. This will bring us back to the Menu Manager where our new menu now appears in the table of menus. Click on “Add a module for this menu type.” For Module Title, type in Housing Providers Menu. For Title, leave it at Show. For Position, click on Helix position1. For Access, change the access to the Housing Provider Access. Click Save and Close.
Create a Housing Seekers Menu
Click Menus, Manage, Add New Menu. For Title, type in Housing Seekers Menu. For Menu Type, type in housingseekersmenu (no spaces). For Description, type in Housing Seekers Menu. For client, leave it set for Site.Then click Save and Close. This will bring us back to the Menu Manager where our new menu now appears in the table of menus. Click on “Add a module for this menu type.” For Module Title, type in Housing Seekers Menu. For Title, leave it at Show. For Position, click on Helix position2. Change the access to the Housing Seeker Access. Click Save and Close.
Create 2 New Menu Items for our Members Menu
We next need to create two new menu items that each should have the access set to Registered. These include a menu item for the Housing Providers List. We also need a menu item for the Housing Seekers List.
Create a Housing Provider List menu Item
Go to Menus, Members Menu and click New. Then click Select and select Fabrik List. Then for Fabrik form, select the Housing Provider Info list. For Title, type, Housing Provider List. For Access, select Registered. Then click Save and New.
Create a Housing Seeker List menu Item
Go to Menus, Members Menu and click New. Then click Select and select Fabrik List. Then for Fabrik form, select the Housing Seeker list. For Title, type, Housing Seeker List. For Access, select Registered. Then click Save and New.
Create Menu Items for the Housing Provider Menu
We need a Housing Provider Sign Up and Edit Menu item connected to our Housing Provider Info form.
Create a Service Provider Signup and or Edit menu item
We need a way for Service Providers to complete and or edit their Provider Info Form. For example, they may want to change their contact information or replace their Provider Photo. We will therefore create a Service Provider Signup and or Edit menu item. We only want each provider to be able to edit their own Provider form. We do not want them to be able to edit a different Providers Form.
To achieve this, go to Menus, Housing Provider Menu and click New. Then choose Fabrik Form. Then select the Housing Provider Info form. For Title, type Housing Provider Signup and or Edit. For access, choose Housing Provider. Then click on the Fabrik Form Options tab. Type -1 in the Row id box and userid in for Key Name.
Then Save & Close.
Create a Housing Seeker Signup and or Edit menu item
We need a way for Housing Seekers to Sign Up for and later edit their Housing Seeker Info. For example, they may want to change their contact information. We will therefore create a Housing Seekers Sign up and Edit menu item. We only want each provider to be able to edit their own Housing Seeker Info form. We do not want them to be able to edit a different Housing Seekers Info Form. To achieve this, go to Menus, Housing Seeker Provider Menu and click New. Then choose Fabrik Form. Then select the Housing Seeker Info form. For Title, type Housing Seeker Signup and Edit. For access, choose Housing Seeker.
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.
Create a Housing Provider Tips Category, Article and Menu item
Create a Housing Provider Tips category and Welcome article. Then go to the Housing Providers menu and click New. Then click Select. Click Articles, Category Blog. Then select the Job Provider Tips category. For title, type Housing Provider Tips. For Access, select Housing Providers. Then click Save and New. Click Select and select Articles, Single Article. Then select the Housing Provider Welcome article. For Title, type Welcome Housing Providers! For Access, select Housing Providers. Then click Save and Close.
Create a Housing Seeker Tips Category, Article and Menu item
Create a Housing Seeker Tips category and Welcome article. Then go to the Housing Seekers menu and click New. Then click Select. Click Articles, Category Blog. Then select the Job Seeker Tips category. For title, type Housing Seeker Tips. For Access, select Housing Seekers. Then click Save and New. Click Select and select Articles, Single Article. Then select the Housing Seekers Welcome article. For Title, type Welcome Housing Seekers! For Access, select Housing Seekers. Then click Save and Close.
Here are all five of our Member Menus as seen by a logged in Super User:
Add Housing Provider and Housing Seeker Groups to all Member Coordinators
For the Member Coordinators to be able to add members to the Housing Provider and Housing Seeker groups, we need to log in as a Super User and add both of these groups to each Member Coordinator:
Assign Members to the Housing Provider and Housing Seeker Groups
Now that we have created our Housing Exchange Menu Structure, we will log in as a Member Coordinator to assign some existing Demo Members to our Housing Provider Group and other members to our Housing Seeker group to see if our Housing Exchange Network actually works.
After logging in as a Member Coordinator, click on the Member List. We will edit and assign Provider01, Provider02 and Provider03 to also be members of the Housing Provider group. Then edit and assign Member 01, Member02 and Member03 to the Housing Seeker Group.
Fill out the Housing Provider and Housing Seeker Signup forms
Log in as each Member and Provider and click on the Housing Seeker or Housing Provider Sign up form to fill it out. Then click Save. Then log out and log in as the next member. Once all six forms are filled out, view the Housing Provider List:
Here is the Housing Seeker List:
Change List Settings
First, rename the lists to lists instead of info. Second, go to Data, group by and set by lists to group by city. Third, change access of both lists to:
Step 4 Hide the CSV button
Just above either Provider List is a CSV button. To turn this off so that it is only seen by Member Coordinators on the front end, click each List, Publishing screen, CSV tab and change CSV import and export to Member Coordinator. Then click Save and Close.
Step 5 Go to List Details, Filters and turn on Advanced Search, change the setting to Yes. Then click Save and Close. Then view the Avanced Search tool as a logged in Member.
Step 6 Change most Elements to hide from Advanced Search
For every element except Housing Provider Name, Housing Provider City, Housing Type, Number of People, and Price Range, we want to hide the fields or elements that are shown in Advanced Search. Go to the Elements screen. Set the form filter for Housing Provider Info. Then one by one, select each element and go to the List View Settings screen Filters tab. Then click on the Filters tab. Then change Include in Advanced Search setting from Yes to No Repeat to exclude unwanted elements on the Housing Seeker form. Here is a Housing Search on Rental Price Range looking for all listings between $600 to $100
Here is an advanced search by housing type:
Step 7 Add Search Instructions to Each List
We also need to add some instructions on how to use the Advanced Search function. Click Components, Fabrik, Lists and click on Housing Provider List open your list to the Details screen. Then in the Introduction box, copy paste the following:
This is a list of all of our Housing Providers. Above this list is a search tool to allow you to search this list by Provider Categories as well as by City. Just click on Advanced Search to filter open this tool:
advanced-search-image
In the element box, select the Housing Type. Then in the value box, select the housing type you are interested in. The only categories that will show are categories for which there is at least one provider. Then click Apply. This will show the number of providers for this category in each city. Click on a City to see the names of providers in that city. Then click on View for any provider to see the contact details and additional information for that provider!
Here is a Housing Search on Rental Price Range looking for all listings between $600 to $100
Place your cursor in the Introduction workspace. Then right click and click Paste. This will bring up a popup. Select and Copy the above text. Then click Control plus V to paste the above text into the popup screen
Step 8 Add Validation to the Housing Provider Form
We will next set the required fields for our Housing Provider Info Form. Click Elements and change the filter to the Housing Provider Info form. The 5 required elements are Housing Provider Name, Housing Provider Email, Housing City, Housing Type and Number of People.
Click Housing Provider City to edit it. Click Validations Add. For Action, select Not Empty. For ON, change to NEW. For Error Message, copy paste: Please select a City. Then click Save and Close.
Click the Housing Provider Name element. Click Validations Add. For Action, select Not Empty. For Error Message, copy paste: Please enter a Provider Name. Then click Save and Close.
Click Housing Provider Email. Click Validations Add. For Action, select IS EMAIL. For Error Message, copy paste: Please enter a valid email address. Then click Save and Close.
Click Housing Type to edit it. Click Validations Add. For Action, select Not Empty. For Error Message, copy paste: Please select at least one Housing Type. Then click Save and Close.
Click Housing Number of People. Click Validations Add. For Action, select Not Empty. For Error Message, copy paste: Please select the number of people. Then click Save and Close.
Set Required Fields for our Job Provider Info Form
The Housing Seeker required elements are identical to the Housing Provider required elements. So just change the filter to the Housing Seeker info form and repeat the above steps.
Test all three forms
Open each form and try to submit the form with incomplete data for the required elements to see if the required elements block the form from completing and issue the proper Error Messages.
What’s Next?
In the next article, we will review two different member blogging options.