When you create a Text Input box with the Text Input tool
from the Tools toolbar, the Text Input tab will automatically be displayed and this option is ticked.The Text Input tab in the Properties dialog box will only appear in the dialog for Text objects. This tab allows you to convert standard Text boxes to Text Input boxes. A text input box varies from a standard text box in the following ways:
A standard text box includes text that you type into the box e.g. headings for pages, explanatory text, instructions, quiz questions, etc.
A text input box includes the name of a variable. When the publication is run, the user can type directly into the text input box, the information is stored in the variable. You can use the information stored in the variable for a variety of tasks, e.g. displaying the user input on different pages; as an answer to a quiz question; etc.
As with standard text boxes, a text input box can be formatted using the Format toolbar.
Important Note:
You must enter a variable in the Text Input tab; otherwise the user’s information is not stored.
Tick the Allow user to type input into this text frame checkbox to make this Text object a Text Input object. When this option is ticked, the rest of the options in this tab are enabled.
Note:
When you create a Text Input box with the Text Input tool from the Tools toolbar, the Text Input tab will automatically be displayed and this option is ticked.
Use the Store input information in this variable option to add the variable in which the user’s information is stored. This is important, if you do not add a variable here, then the information is not been stored anywhere and you won’t know what the user typed. Click on the down arrow next to the field to open a list of all the variables in the current publication. Alternatively, click on the New… button to open the New Variable dialog box in which you can create a new variable.
Note:
The Text Input box on the page will only show the name of the variable. For example, if the variable assigned to this input box was Feedback, then in the workspace, the input box will contain <Feedback>. If you type any other information into the input box it will not appear when the user runs the publication.
If the name of the variable you select in point 2 above is an Array variable, the Index box is highlighted. You must enter the element number of the array in the Index box in which you want to store the user input.
Note:
This option only applies if the variable you select is an Array variable – see Creating Arrays in Opus for more information.
Tick the Allow special characters and symbols option in the Limit Input panel if users can input symbols and special characters (which include punctuation i.e. [] {} () . , ;:" ‘ and others characters such as: spaces, ! £ $ %). By default, this option is ticked.
Tick the Allow letters option in the Limit Input panel if users can type alphabetic characters. By default, this option is ticked.
Tick the Allow numbers option in the Limit Input panel if users can type numerical characters. By default this option is ticked.
Tick the Limit length to option in the Limit Input panel if users can only type a limited number of characters into the input box. Use the spin buttons to set the maximum number of characters a user can type.
Note:
This option is often used in conjunction with the Password option in the Input Type panel. If the user attempts to type more characters in the box than the maximum allowed, they are ignored.
Use the Multiple Line option in the Input Type panel if the user can type more than one line of information.
Note:
This option is useful when you want feedback from a user, they can type in as much text as they want.
Use the Single Line option in the Input Type panel if the user can only type one line of information. By default, this option is selected.
Note:
This option is the most commonly used option and is often used in conjunction with the Limit Length to option in the Limit Input panel.
Use the Password option in the Input Type panel if you want to mask the user’s entry. When a user types a character in the box it is automatically replaced by an asterisk (i.e.*). In other words, what the user types into the box is masked, so nobody can see what they have typed.
Note:
The name of the variable that appears in the Text Input box will also be replaced by asterisks (i.e. * ) – this indicates that the Password option has been selected for this input box.
Use the Translate Case panel to determine how the characters typed by the user should be stored in the variable. There are three options: Leave as mixed case (e.g. John will remain John); To uppercase (e.g. John will become JOHN); and To lowercase (e.g. John will become john). By default, the Leave as mixed case option is selected.
Note:
Sometimes you may want to change the case from that, which the user typed, either for: consistency when storing the data in external files; or checking against another word, such as in a quiz. For example, if the answer to a question is John, you could convert the user entry To lowercase. If the user entered JOHN, John or even JoHn, they would be stored as john in the variable, which can then be matched using one IF action to match the user entry against the word john.
Use the Auto focus - for immediate input option if you want the I-beam cursor to appear inside the Text Input box when the user enters the page on which it appears. This is particularly useful if you have more than one input box on a page because you can indicate at which box the user should begin. When this option is ticked, the user can immediately begin typing as soon as the page is displayed.
Note:
If this option is ticked in more than one Text Input object on a single page then the object which appears higher up the list in the Objects tab of the Page Organiser is the one in which the I-beam cursor will be displayed.
Use the Update variable with every keystroke option when you want the variable storing user input (see point 2 above) to be updated at each key press (i.e. keystroke). If this option is not ticked, the variable is only updated once the user removes the focus from this input box (i.e. they press the Enter key (if this option is selected – see point 16 below) or they click outside the input box. By default, this option is selected. Unless you have specific reasons not to use this option, use this option as it is the quickest method of ensuring user input is stored in the variable.
Note:
This option can be used with the Variable Changed trigger. Every new keystroke by the user will trigger the Variable Changed, which will then run its list of actions – this is useful for error-checking user input.
Use the Tab skips to next text box option if you are using more than one input box on a page. To skip between the input boxes, the user will simply have to press the Tab key on the keyboard. By default, this option is selected.
Note:
The position of Text Input objects on the Objects tab of the Page Organiser determine the order in which they are skipped – see Skipping between Text Input boxes for more information.
Use the Return skips to next text box option if you are using more than one input box on a page. Like the tab option (see point 14 above), the user can press the Enter/Return key on the keyboard to skip between input boxes on the page – see Note: on point 14. By default, this option is selected.
Use the Generate ENTER on change of focus option if you want the system to save the user’s input details when they press the Tab key or Return/Enter key to skip to the next input box on the page.
Note:
This option is required if you have not selected the Update variable with every keystroke option (see point 13 above).
Click on the Apply button to save your changes.
Note:
The Key Press trigger is often used with Text Input objects to check the user’s input. For example, if the input box contained the answer to a quiz question you could do the following: (i) on the Text Input object add a Key Press trigger which is activated when the Enter key is pressed; (ii) add an IF action to the trigger that matches the user input with the correct answer.