Posted by Caspio on October 26, 2009 under Tips & Tricks | 
5.) Tracking
Adding a timestamp to the form will allow you to track when each record is submitted. Caspio also makes it possible to capture the user’s IP address if you are looking to record the page URL. This could be useful if the form is deployed on multiple web pages or websites.
6.) Protection
Block unwanted spam and protect your data by adding CAPTCHA. Please refer to the entry on CAPTCHA for more information. If you have decided to only allow registered users access to this form, move it into the appropriate authenticated folder.
7.) Confirmation Pages & Emails
When composing content for a confirmation page, it is good etiquette to thank the user for filling out the form and notify them that it has been successfully submitted. You can also add URL links to the confirmation page to direct the user to another webpage or back to the previous page. Make sure that the acknowledgement email is structured professionally. Don’t forget to address the user and sign your name at the end. If you would like to make the email more personal and address the user by name, you can insert the name field from the insert menu. The same can be done with confirmation pages if Advanced Options and Parameters are enabled for the form. Once again, don’t forget to check all spelling.
8.) Deployment
Lastly, when deploying the form on your web page, make sure to select the most appropriate method (“embedded” is the most common). Caspio also provides the option for SSL encryption for additional security. Paste the deploy code in the appropriate place on your webpage and enjoy! If you wish to receive user comments about your form, you can place a link to a feedback form on your page.
To learn more about the features mentioned above, visit our online help center at http://help.caspio.com.
We hope this topic was helpful. Please add your questions and comments to enrich the discussion.
Posted by Caspio on October 23, 2009 under Tips & Tricks |
1.) Planning
Before you begin designing your web form, there are several questions you need to ask yourself. First, think about the purpose of the form. Why do you need it? How will you use the information you gather? Planning ahead of time will allow you to ask the right questions in order to maximize the usability of the information you gather. Most of the time, people aren’t filling out forms for fun, so make the process as painless as possible. Less is more. If the information isn’t critical then don’t ask for it.
Oftentimes, your form is just one component of a larger database application. Consider what database the submitted information will be added to and how your tables are structured. If you will want to later search for information by using the fields from the form, you need to design your tables accordingly.
2.) Layout
Once you begin designing the form, consider how you structure it. Make sure the fields are in a logical order. Adjust the size of the text boxes to match the character limit assigned to them. Select the appropriate form element such as radio buttons or drop downs for questions with predefined answers. Don’t forget to mark vital fields as “required” and set passwords to display as (****). You might consider dividing long forms it into sections, giving each section a subtitle in an HTML block. Fields in a section can also be designed to appear in a column format.
3.) Labels
Align the labels in a way that is clear and easy to read. Labels can either be placed on top or to the left of field boxes. Additionally, related fields such as city, state, and zip code could be placed on the same line. It’s usually best to use simple wording and keep it short. Don’t forget to give your form a title by adding a header with HTML. It’s always a good idea to double-check all spelling.
4.) Style
Choose a color scheme that will match the design of your website. Several pre-made, yet modifiable styles are already available in Caspio Bridge. Keep in mind that the styles vary in design as well as in color. You may also use the header and footer to create a custom style, using HTML.
To learn more about the Caspio features mentioned above, visit our online help center at http://help.caspio.com/.
Posted by Caspio on October 22, 2009 under Commentary |
In today’s economy, more and more business are attracted to the cloud. It often reduces reliance on IT resources while offering increased scalability, 24/7 availability of information, and lower costs. Let’s use the legal industry as an example. Although information technology is not part of the core business, document management and operations would greatly benefit from being transferred online. Sharing documents through email is unsecure and difficult with large file sizes. Housing documents in the cloud would allow lawyers and paralegals to access the information at anytime, from anywhere. All documents for a case can 
be stored and organized in one place, making it easy for authorized associates to find, download, and add files. In addition to streamlining current business processes, law offices can create various applications to generate new clients or manage the inquiries of current ones. For added simplicity, firms can use ready-made lead generation and CRM applications (available by Caspio at http://apps.caspio.com/).
It is important to keep in mind that not all clouds are created equal. Reliability is a must for business applications. Security should also be carefully considered, especially when confidential information is being stored or shared internally. Lastly, it is important to make sure that documents can be painlessly retrieved from the cloud if necessary. Caspio offers SSL and Record Level Security, authorized user accounts, authentication, and password protection for all housed information. Service Level Agreements and in-house installation are also available.
Posted by Frank Zamani on October 15, 2009 under Tips & Tricks |
The “Completely Automated Public Turing Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart” technology, widely known as CAPTCHA, is a challenge-response test used in computing to verify that application responses are not computer generated. CAPTCHA is designed in a way that prevents automated programs or bots from interacting with web forms and applications meant for humans. A web form or application that contains CAPTCHA generates and evaluates a test that only a human can pass. CAPTCHA images commonly display distorted letters or numbers because current computer programs cannot read them.
CAPTCHAs can be applied for various security purposes including;
- prevention of comment spam in blogs
- protection of website registrations
- protection of email addresses from spammers
- prevention of skewed poll results
- prevention of search engine bots from reading you website
- protection from attacks on password systems
- protection from email worms and spam
Manually coding a secure CAPTCHA program is difficult and time consuming. Caspio Bridge has a free, built-in feature that allows users to instantly apply CAPTCHA to any of their submission forms, search forms or authentication pages. The CAPTCHA is highly customizable with 5 difficulty settings, multiple options for length, and the ability to use only digits. To make the forms accessible to the visually impaired, there is also an option to enable audio CAPTCHA, which will sound out the letters or numbers.
Try it yourself:
Click the CAPTCHA image to refresh a new one or click the handicap icon to hear an audio version.
To apply CAPTCHA in Caspio Bridge, open the DataPage wizard to configure your form’s fields and click on the insert icon to select CAPTCHA.
CAPTCHA will be automatically added to your form and can be configured on the right. Like other DataPage Elements, it can be moved up or down in the form layout, depending on your preference. CAPTCHA values are not stored in a table so there is no need to crate a table field for them.
CAPTCHA is just one example of Caspio’s built-in security features. There are also multiple layers in the platform designed to ensure that data and applications are secured and protected. Open a free trial to add CAPTCHA to any app in minutes.
Posted by Frank Zamani on October 13, 2009 under News |
According to a recent article by Computer Business Review (CBR), the International Data Corporation (IDC) forecasts a 26% growth in cloud computing services over the next five years. The report also mentions that the economic downturn and the consequent decrease in IT budgets have contributed to the increased interest in cloud computing, compared to last year’s estimates. Operating with smaller budgets, organizations are finding it more economical to use cloud services as compared to traditional practices.
The IDC forecast does not account for the estimated $19 billion in government spending that Federal CIO, Vivek Kundra, pledged to dedicate to cloud computing. Private cloud spending was also excluded from the calculations.
CBR highlights Caspio as one of the native cloud platforms making inroads in the space. Request a demo at http://www.caspio.com/enterprisecloud/ to learn more about Caspio’s enterprise-grade cloud applications.
