Using Components > Creating forms using components > Planning the form |  |

Planning the form

You should determine the following criteria before you begin building a form:

| Which elements your form needs
| What data each form element displays and gathers
| Where each user interface element appears in the form
| How the user will navigate the form

Once you have determined the elements in your form, you can develop a data model to gather and store the data. The gathered data is displayed in the form and enables form elements as the user navigates through the form. When the user submits the form, the data is transmitted to a database.

The following table lays out all of the code elements used in the FormExample.fla, including the functions they perform and the ActionScript elements they reference in the code. This table is an aid for examining the code in the in the sections that follow it, and an example of how to plan and organize forms you create.

Form element | Function of element | ActionScript reference
--- | --- | ---
Page 1 | Gather user information | `pg1updateUIFromDataPg1`
Name input field | Gather user name | `name_txt.text` - field `nameField` - object property
Gender radio buttons | Gather gender info | `genderGroup` - component`gender` - object property
City drop-down list | Gather city info | `city_mc` - component; `cityIndex` -object property; `cityTable` - array for component
Next button | Take user to page two | `pg1next`
Page 2 | Gather interest information | `pg2updateUIFromDataPg2`
Information request check box | Enable interest list menu and flag user for more info | `junkCheck_mc` - component `junkMail` - object property
Interest list menu | Gather interest data | `interest_mc` -component`interestIndex` - object property; `interestTable` - array for component
Next button | Take user to page three | `pg2next`
Previous button | Return user to page one | `pg2prev`
Page 3 | Display user and interest information | `pg3updateUIFromDataPg3`
Title - static text | Display "Finished" message | N/A
Name - dynamic text | Display user name | `resultsName_txt.txt` - display field name
Gender - dynamic text | Display Gender radio button selection | `resultsGender_txt.txt` - display field name
City - dynamic text | Display City combo box selection | `resultsCity_txt.txt` - display field name
Interests - dynamic text | Display Interest list menu selection | `resultsInterest_txt.tx`t - display field name
Previous button | Return user to page two | `pg3prev`