Archive online forms before submission

Archiving online forms before submission can be an essential process for tracking, auditing, and ensuring data integrity. This process involves storing the form data temporarily before it’s sent to the server or database. This can help users review their input, and offer a way to recover or resubmit data if the submission fails. Here’s how you can archive online forms before submission:

1. Client-Side Local Storage (Browser-Based)

A quick way to archive form data before submission is by using the browser’s local storage or session storage.

Steps:

• As the user fills out the form, store the form’s state (i.e., input values) in the browser’s local storage.

• If the user submits the form, send the form data to the server as usual.

• If the submission fails or if the user navigates away from the form, retrieve the saved form data from local storage to restore the user’s input.

Example:

javascript
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// Store form data
document.getElementById("myForm").addEventListener("input", function() {
   let formData = new FormData(this);
   let formObject = {};
   formData.forEach((value, key) => {
      formObject[key] = value;
   });
   localStorage.setItem('formData', JSON.stringify(formObject));
});

// Restore form data on page load
window.addEventListener("load", function() {
   const savedFormData = JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem('formData'));
   if(savedFormData) {
      Object.keys(savedFormData).forEach((key) => {
         document.querySelector(`[name=${key}]`).value = savedFormData[key];
      });
   }
});

2. Temporary Server-Side Database or Session Storage

Another method is to temporarily save the form data on the server before the user submits it. This could be done by using session storage or a temporary database.

Steps:

• When a user starts filling out the form, send the data in real-time (using AJAX or similar technologies) to a temporary server-side storage.

• Store the data in a session or a temporary database table. The form data can be assigned a unique session ID.

• When the user submits the form, the data is retrieved and sent to the final destination (permanent database).

• If there’s a failure, the data can be retrieved from the temporary storage and used to retry the submission.

Example (using PHP and Session):

php
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// Start the session to store form data temporarily
session_start();

// On form input (AJAX or form submission), save data to session
if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
   $_SESSION['form_data'] = $_POST;
}

// Retrieve data when needed
if (isset($_SESSION['form_data'])) {
   $form_data = $_SESSION['form_data'];
}

3. Version Control for Forms (For Long-Form or Complex Forms)

For more complex forms, especially those that span multiple pages or involve multiple steps, using a version control system can be effective. You would save a version of the form data every time the user changes it.

Steps:

• Create a versioning system where the data is saved after each form update or action.

• If the user revisits the form or needs to go back, they can see the latest version of their data.

• Store all form versions in a temporary database until the final submission is confirmed.

Example (using MongoDB or a similar NoSQL database):

• Store each modification to the form data as a document in the database.

• Every time the user makes a change, store that data as a new version.

• The user can submit the final version when they are ready.

4. Form Data Backups in Cloud Storage

If you’re dealing with more significant form data, especially for things like job applications, orders, or large data sets, cloud storage can be an ideal place to temporarily archive the form.

Steps:

• As the user fills in the form, make periodic backups of the form data to cloud storage (like AWS S3 or Google Cloud Storage).

• Each backup would contain the form’s current state. This is especially useful for longer forms, where the user might need to pause and resume at a later time.

5. Preview Mode for User Validation

One of the most user-friendly ways to archive form data is by offering a preview mode before submission. In this mode, the form data is displayed for the user to review before it is finalized.

Steps:

• Once the user has completed the form, show a preview of the data.

• Allow the user to go back and edit the information if needed.

• Only submit the form to the server once the user confirms that the data is correct.

6. Automatic Save to Email or User Profile

Another method is to automatically email the user or store the form data in their profile for future reference.

Steps:

• After every form interaction or after a set period of inactivity, automatically send the current form data to the user’s registered email or save it to their profile in the system.

• If the form submission fails, the user can retrieve the last saved version of the form data from their email or profile.

Best Practices:

• Clear Instructions for Users: If you are using a method like local storage or session storage, inform users that their form data is being saved temporarily.

• Data Privacy: Always ensure that sensitive form data is encrypted before storing it, especially if it involves personal or financial information.

• User Feedback: After archiving the data, always provide the user with some form of confirmation that their data is safely saved or backed up.

By implementing one or more of these strategies, you can create a smooth user experience while also safeguarding data integrity, reducing the risk of form data loss, and providing more flexibility for users.