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Trouble with front-end submission logic.
Using: FF with Advanced Custom Fields and CPT UI
Goal. For my clients to populate most of the site with front-end submission. I am working on three different designs for the Home Page that clients can choose from.
I have already created:
- a CPT for Home Pages to keep the different designs.
- a form for a set of data that will be displayed in a section of each Home Page design.
- a View for that form
I want to be able to use the ACF data in the FF Form. I have learned to do that in the Create Post in settings.
Here is where my logic is missing:
It seems like if I want to create an entire page via front-end submission, ALL the data (for that entire Home Page) has to be derived from that one form (and View). Is this true?
But what I would really like to do is do it in sections. For instance, I was thinking that I could have a form just for this set of data (which is created from AFC fields) and then drop that shortcode into a div of a template I have created. But in order for me to be able to link my ACF fields to the FF form, I have to Create a Post for that. I can't keep Creating Posts for each section.
It just seemed like it would be nice to be able to just add this set of data wherever I wanted via a View. Then I could create different Views based off a single form if it called for a different design.
The most important thing is for my clients to be able to add and edit from the forms for as much as the page as possible. I am thinking everything in between the header and the footer. It seems like my section idea is not feasible. Am I thinking correctly?
February 12, 2019 at 12:25 am
I'm not getting the full picture of what you're trying to do here or even why are you using ACF fields in the first place? I've never found anything that ACF does that Formidable can't do.
You want to have every one of your users create their own home page? This is where I'm a little lost understanding why. What's the purpose of each of your users having their own home page. What displays on the site home page if a user isn't logged in?
On a standard site, home pages can be built from templates and multiple data sources. That's the purpose of the WordPress template hierarchy. And the latest versions of WordPress now have the capability of using post templates. Even post templates can have multiple data sources.
February 15, 2019 at 4:26 pm
I mentioned the Home Page just as a reference. My goal is to have people populate as much of the site as possible via front-end submission. It could be any page, really. I do not want them to see the back-end of Wordpress. So once I create the templates, they just fill in the forms.
I realize now that I can create forms and views and use the shortcode to drop into parts of the site. But if I want to use ACF, I still have to create posts if I want to use them together. This makes sense for regular types of posts, so I think I have found where I can and can not use ACF that makes sense.
I am (obviously) very new to this so I do not know the argument of using ACF or not. Whereas Formidable seems incredibly powerful, it does not read well for non-programmers. I am a creative type trying to find the best method. FF, ACF and other programs tend to write for programmer-oriented types so it will take me longer, I suppose. But I am learning WP php (the loop, queries, etc) so maybe it will start to click more as I go. I thought ACF fields would make it easier to query. I don't know.
I found ACF before FF. I like the idea of being able to group sections by the CPT and field groups. I also use Oxygen as a builder. It can access ACF fields and style them. It can not style FF.
So as you can see, I have jumped into the deep end trying to learn enough to put some pieces together. The good news is that I have learned how to create forms for front-end submission. Tested and it works. I am not thrilled about having to hand code the Views, though.
Discussion closed.