By now you've seen how to create a new form. The next step is to learn how to add new fields to the form.

There are a lot of different types of fields that one can employ. You've probably seen many of those types of fields around on the Internet like a text box, a list you can choose from, a checkbox, radio buttons, and so on.

Some of the field types that are included with PloneFormGen will not be discussed here as they are used more for advanced applications than for basic web forms. The field types discussed here should be all you need to create useful forms in Plone.

Common Field Types

Navigate to your Form Folder and push the Add Item button. You should see a long drop-down menu appear. There's a lot of choices, but we've chosen the four most common to focus on for this tutorial.

1. String Field - This is probably the most commonly used field. It's a simple, one-line text box for gathering info like name, address, e-mail, phone number and so on.
2. Text Field - A large text box for gathering things like comments or other long-form text responses.
3. Selection Field - This field type is to gather one choice from a list of selections. The list can be checkboxes, radio buttons, or a text list.
4. Multi-Select Field - Use this field type if you want to let your site visitor select multiple items from a list.

You'll notice that there is a special icon for each field type. It's a good idea to get familiar with how each one looks so you'll be able to recognize the different field types at a glance.

In the next section, you'll see how to add and configure a string field; the most common type of form field.