Standard (HTML) Chat Form Templates

Revised: January 20, 2003

Contents

The chat forms and instructions below apply to Standard (HTML) Chat. Do not use them to create or customize a Flash Chat intake form for your library or group. Contact your OCLC/RSP implementation manager to discuss content, hosting, and display options for Flash Chat intake forms.

Introduction
Example #1 – All Fields Optional (Minimal Formatting)
Example #2 – Name and E-mail Address Required, Question Optional (Minimal Formatting)
Example #3 – All Fields Optional (QuestionPoint Service Formatting)
Example #4 – Name and E-mail Address Required, Question Optional (QuestionPoint Service Formatting)
Downloading a Chat Form
Adding a Chat Form to Your Web Site

Introduction

Here are several chat form templates that you can use to make QuestionPoint's chat feature available to your patrons.

They include both the code (HTML and JavaScript) necessary to capture a patron's name, e-mail address, and an initial question and submit it to QuestionPoint to open a chat session. All of these fields are optional, which means that a patron can chat anonymously if he or she doesn't want to provide a name and e-mail address. In addition, the question field is new.

The templates demonstrate two of the most common combinations of optional and required fields:

• All fields optional (Example #1 and Example #3)
• Name and e-mail address required; question optional

Two forms (Example #1 and Example #2) have minimal formatting to make it easier to adapt to the look and feel of your library's Web site. The other two examples (Example #3 and Example #4) have the same formatting used in the QuestionPoint service and include the QuestionPoint logo.

You are free to modify the formatting (colors, fonts, logos, and layout) and any explanatory text in these forms for use on your library's Web site as long as you retain the name and e-mail address fields and the code that submits this information to QuestionPoint. For example, you can include the form and JavaScript in a Web page that includes the navigation features on your site's other Web's pages.

	Will older chat forms, which have only required name and e-mail address fields, still work?
	Yes, they still work as is. You can add a Question field to an existing chat form or make any or all of the fields optional.

Example #1 – All Fields Optional (Minimal Formatting)

Here is a graphic of a chat form with optional Name, E-mail Address, and Question fields. The template includes only a minimal level of formatting. The explanatory text, which you can modify as needed, describes how to chat anonymously or chat without providing an e-mail address. Click the graphic to view the form in a separate browser window. While viewing the form in the other window, you can download it for your use.

Example #2 – Name and E-mail Address Required, Question Optional (Minimal Formatting)

Here is a graphic of a chat form with required Name, E-mail Address fields and an optional Question field. Click the graphic to view the form in a separate browser window. While viewing the form in the other window, you can download it for your use.

Example #3 – All Fields Optional (QuestionPoint Service Formatting)

Here is a graphic of a chat form with QuestionPoint formatting and optional Name, E-mail Address, and Question fields. The explanatory text, which you can modify as needed, describes how to chat anonymously or chat without providing an e-mail address. Click the graphic to view the form in a separate browser window. While viewing the form in the other window, you can download it for your use.

Example #4 – Name and E-mail Address Required, Question Optional (QuestionPoint Service Formatting)

Here is a graphic of a chat form with required Name, E-mail Address fields and an optional Question field. Click the graphic to view the form in a separate browser window. While viewing the form in the other window, you can download it for your use.

Downloading a Chat Form

• While viewing the form in a separate browser window, select File > Save As or File > Save Page As from the new window's browser menu.
• If you see an option for Save as type, choose Web Page, HTML only.
• You can use the default file name provided (if your browser provides one) or provide a name of your choice, such as qpchatform.html.

Adding a Chat Form to Your Web Site

See:

• Adding a Patron Chat Form to Your Web Site