Contact Form with File Upload

[Mr Gawrjuhs]

I seem to find myself in a bit of a Catch-22 situation.

I'm developing a basic site for a client in Adobe Muse, which will initially be hosted as a webBasics+ site on Adobe Business Catalyst.

The client wants a contact form with the ability to upload a file - a CV - incorporated into the site.

From what I've seen, Muse widgets that perform this function, are all based on PHP which Adobe BC doesn't support.

For webMarketing and webCommerce sites, Adobe BC's Web Forms allows me to add a file upload function to a contact form.

However this isn't available to Adobe BC webBasics+ sites, when I access Web From via Muse's File > Manage Business Catalyst Site.

As the client has a limited budget, I don't want to have to suggest that we host the site as a more expensive Adobe BC webMarketing site, simply to access Web Forms.

Similarly I don't want the client to host the site with their ISP, in order for PHP to work, when I know that within the next 12 to 18 months the site will be redesigned and redeveloped in Adobe BC to include web apps etc.

If the Adobe Muse Contact Form function had an "attach file" feature I wouldn't be facing this dilemma.

Is it possible for me to add the "attach file" function to a webBasics+ contact form through the Adobe BC Web Form editor?

If yes, what code do I need to include?

If anyone has any other thoughts or suggestions for work-arounds, they'd be gratefully received.

Thanks!

[Mr Gawrjuhs]

Okay, so with zero suggestions from Adobe Forums, I've done a bit more research on how to work around the Muse/Adobe BC contact form with file upload problem, that I outlined earlier in the week.

Several blogposts, that I read, recommended third-party sites like JotForm.

As a result I created a free JotForm, with the ability to attach a file, and then generated the iFrame code.

Using Object > Insert HTML… the code was then added to the Adobe Muse site.

As the site is responsive, I adjusted the width of the form in the various Muse breakpoints (aka media queries).

Then uploaded the site again to Adobe BC as a webBasics+ site.

The form works like a dream.

However my client is restricted to the number of monthly submissions they can receive, as it is a free JotForm.

But at least this gets us over an initial hurdle.

Seriously Adobe, a contact form with the ability to attach a file to it, should be standard in Adobe Muse.

Similarly I don't understand why the "attach file" feature has been ripped out of Adobe BC's Web Forms for Muse sites.

You really should get your various engineering teams together and ask them "how do we get our products to integrate properly, so that they do what our customers want?"

[TheBCMan]

BC and muse are heading in different directions, generally speaking BC is a web platform much like shopify, muse is more of a creative / development platform for websites... it would be great but I like the ability to bring my own tools to the table to develop stuff.

I saw your question the other day, but I don't use muse myself so I wasn't the best person to offer advice.

[Mr Gawrjuhs]

That's an interesting statement, given that BC seems to provide all the in-browser editing features for Muse sites, regardless of whether they are hosted on BC or not.

[Liam Dilley]

You just use another service free or paid to have a form that does not go into your BC site but embed HTML onto the form. You can even set up google forms etc to do this.

But if you pay for a basic package that does not have features then it does not have features I am afraid, BC or not and if they are only available in other plans then they are not available to you.

[Mr Gawrjuhs]

Yeah, I kind of worked that one out for myself. As I said in my original post, I will be migrating my client's site up to a BC webCommerce site eventually. So the feature I require will be available to us then. It's just not available to us from within BC right now. However the JotForm approach I adopted seems to be working just fine.

[brianbotticelli]

Yeah, it's very limiting. It would be very convenient if BC offered some kind of compatibility with PHP server side scripts.

[Liam Dilley]

BC is not running on Apache or PHP based solution. It is .Net based. It wont ever have PHP in any form. So forget that.

Your in an in between on a low plan but will have a new site on BC down the line so you do not want to upgrade yet.. That is ok.

Why not look to use something like a google form which will allow you to store files etc or some other 3rd party form service that may have a free option with file attachment as a solution until the time comes to do the site properly.

[Mr Gawrjuhs]

As I mentioned before, I resolved the issue using JotForm, which has been working well over the past 7 months. Adobe Muse even pushed out a free JotForm widget during the summer too, which makes it easier for folk to integrate forms from that service into their site.