Some of the web’s most commonly-used objects are forms, intended to gather information from users and visitors to create meaningful data sets for owners and to sometimes deliver instant results for form-fillers. Typically requiring at least a basic understanding of script coding and a smattering of talent in design, forms can sometimes be a nightmare for those who aren’t interested in digging deep into the creation and presentation of form documents. When forms are brought to the arena of the cloud, however, these problems stand a chance of being solved –which is precisely what Forms on the Fly has set out to do.
Forms on the Fly fulfills its promise of being relatively easy for those without any knowledge of form building, though there’s still a bit of a learning curve to conquer as the interface and specific service features are explored. Users with large aspirations in terms of responses and broad form flexibility may find themselves disappointed by the service’s scope, but a majority of casual webmasters, blog owners, and small businesses may be able to appreciate Forms on the Fly.
Figuring it all out on the Fly
One of Forms on the Fly’s most prominent benefits is its ability to be used by those who don’t know a lick of PHP or HTML, and who don’t want to spend a lot of time formatting and configuring their quizzes, tests, questionnaires, and feedback forms. New users are sure to enjoy the fact that they’ll never have to mess with complex coding or other technical issues, though the service’s interface and the form creation process may take some time to fully learn. Using a basic tabbed layout supplemented with dialog windows, the interface is fairly straightforward, but presents enough options and form creation steps to be somewhat tedious –at least, for a service that suggests instant, off-the-cuff usability.
Still, with some patience, the majority of users should find themselves capable of moving through the process of form creation without having to consult help documents or forum support. Advanced users should find the interface and service architecture easy to navigate, and can access special options and configuration menus to create more complex forms. An attractive and clean overall design helps the service feel uncluttered despite what is, after all, a fairly data-rich environment. Though imperfect, Forms on the Fly’s visual and logical layouts have been well-designed and help contribute to a fairly painless user experience.
The Core of the Forms
With its service firmly centered around the creation of easy-to-use forms, Forms on the Fly is faced with a considerable demand for quality output, and in most respects, the development team has delivered. Users can opt to create any number of form types, whether the intended purpose is for entertainment, business, or a certain site or program functionality. The service includes a number of templates to help make form creation faster, though putting a quiz or questionnaire together from scratch is also possible. One of the most attractive aspects of Forms on the Fly is its inclusion of unlimited questions for every form regardless of membership type, as this feature ensures a given form project can be carried out without size concerns.
As should be expected, options for arranging and organizing form material are extensive. Users can choose different answer types such as radial buttons and drop-down lists, and can limit the length of written responses. Unfortunately, the service doesn’t allow users to create “skip logic” formats that present form-fillers with different question sets based on their live answers; for such form projects, users will need to contact Forms on the Fly for a quote on bespoke service.
In addition to creating questions and answers, users can also include advice and comments to appear based on different form-filler actions. This feature helps render the service more broad in its capabilities, and may prove especially useful for educators interested in training students, as well as for those who want to have a little fun with their forms. Creating form results for quizzes and other projects with an automatically derived conclusion is simple and makes fuss-free forms more convenient to arrange.
Falling short of unlimited configurability, forms created with Forms on the Fly can achieve a degree of flexibility that makes them adequate for a wide variety of purposes –and a wide variety of users.
Beyond Creation
Putting a form together is only a part of the job, and Forms on the Fly doesn’t neglect the need to do something with these items once they’ve been created. Users can easily obtain a service-generated code to paste into email documents, and code generation for a variety of other applications, including web pages and social networking platforms, is also available. Once again, Forms on the Fly has taken most of the technical work out of these processes, a move that’s sure to please beginners.
Once forms have been filled out and returned, getting the scoop on who completed the forms along with various other pieces of information is imperative. Forms on the Fly offers basic reporting capabilities, and allows results to be exported to spreadsheets –though for now, users will have to be content with exporting results one-by-one, an issue that should be resolved in future releases.
Stacking Up the Forms
With a basic “free forever” membership scheme complemented by a “premium” option that allows for personalized branding and a few other business-oriented perks like form redirection and priority support, Forms on the Fly is an inexpensive cloud computing application that may come in handy for tinkerers and professionals of many different fields. The basic appeal of not having to sort through coding setups or create original designs from scratch makes the service attractive, and the “What You See is What You Get” factor is forefront for some users and reviewers. Certain limitations, however, –including a five thousand responses per month cap on the highest membership level– keep Forms on the Fly from earning flying colors.
(review originally written July 2011)
