Title: Append text string to post?
Last modified: August 21, 2016

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# Append text string to post?

 *  Resolved [alucidwake](https://wordpress.org/support/users/alucidwake/)
 * (@alucidwake)
 * [12 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/append-text-string-to-post/)
 * To start, thank you for such a great plugin – it’s perfect for my needs and relatively
   easy to figure out how to use for a beginner. For reference, I’m using Contact
   Form 7. That said, I was hoping to get an answer about a problem I have been 
   trying to figure out for the past day without luck:
 * Is it possible to insert a default string of text at the beginning of the post?
 * For example, if I have the form set up so it asks a question, I would like to
   structure the way the answer is written. So if I ask “What is a cow” (with a 
   hidden post_title), my answer box in the form is “A cow is _____________”. When
   the user hits submit, what will be posted is just what was typed into the “___________”,
   but I want the full “A cow is _____________” to be posted.
 * I’ve messed around quite a great deal within the plugin.php and as well classes.
   php and functions.php in CF7. Any assistance that could be offer would be **immensely**
   appreciated.
 * Thank you,
    Nick
 * [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/form-to-post/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/form-to-post/)

Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

 *  Plugin Author [Michael Simpson](https://wordpress.org/support/users/msimpson/)
 * (@msimpson)
 * [12 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/append-text-string-to-post/#post-3881194)
 * I suggest to try to manage this on the front end with Javascript:
    – add a new
   field called “answer” where the user types in an answer. – Make post_content 
   a hidden field (I think you need Contact Form 7 Modules installed to have hidden
   fields available) – In CF7, give those fields their own id (like “answer” and“
   post_content”) – Add jQuery to the page that listens to change in “answer” and
   populates “post_content” with the full text. I think it would look like this (
   haven’t tested it):
 *     ```
       <script type="text/javascript">
           jQuery('#answer').change(function() {
               var answer = jQuery('#answer').val();
               jQuery('#post_content').val('A cow is ' + answer);
           });
       </script>
       ```
   
 *  Thread Starter [alucidwake](https://wordpress.org/support/users/alucidwake/)
 * (@alucidwake)
 * [12 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/append-text-string-to-post/#post-3881224)
 * Hi Michael, thanks for such a quick response. So, I edited my form to have a 
   hidden post_content and to have the text box input ‘answer’. When I put the script
   in my index.php and input a new answer, it outputs the last answer I put in before
   I made the changes. So it seems like the $post_content value in the CF7/FtP script
   is not being updated by the new ‘answer’ inputs… Am I placing the script in the
   wrong place?
 *  Plugin Author [Michael Simpson](https://wordpress.org/support/users/msimpson/)
 * (@msimpson)
 * [12 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/append-text-string-to-post/#post-3881253)
 * I’m not suggesting you many any changes to any .php file. This goes into the 
   post via the WordPress editor in “Text” edit mode.
 *  Thread Starter [alucidwake](https://wordpress.org/support/users/alucidwake/)
 * (@alucidwake)
 * [12 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/append-text-string-to-post/#post-3881257)
 * Aah, ok. So, my “question” isn’t in a post, but in a text widget. When I put 
   the script in the same widget with the question, the same problem persists… Here’s
   a [link](http://what-is-architecture.net/) to the website I’m working on if it
   would help. Thank you.
 *  Plugin Author [Michael Simpson](https://wordpress.org/support/users/msimpson/)
 * (@msimpson)
 * [12 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/append-text-string-to-post/#post-3881273)
 * I suppose you should put it in the same place you put the form short code. I 
   would put it right after it.
 *  Thread Starter [alucidwake](https://wordpress.org/support/users/alucidwake/)
 * (@alucidwake)
 * [12 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/append-text-string-to-post/#post-3881311)
 * While there is a chance I’m defining my id’s wrong ( [hidden hidden-666 id:post_content“
   post_content”] [text text-257 id:answer] ), I’ve been unable to make this solution
   work. I may be taking a huge shot in the dark saying this, but it seems like 
   the problem with it may be that the post_content needs a default value when submitted,
   not when posted.
 * So, as it wouldn’t be a problem to do so logistically, it will be the only question
   asked, I’m looking to find a way to insert the string in the back-end, either
   in the CF7 or FtP files, though I am finding that theoretically easy but practically
   difficult as I am unfamiliar with php. I’ll keep tinkering, but if you have any
   suggestions they would be very welcome.
 * Thanks again for all the help you’ve provided thus far!
 *  Plugin Author [Michael Simpson](https://wordpress.org/support/users/msimpson/)
 * (@msimpson)
 * [12 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/append-text-string-to-post/#post-3881325)
 * I played with this and got a working example.
 * Notes:
    1. I found the easiest place to put the javascript is in the CF7 form
   definition. Then all you have to do is put the CF7 short code in a post and you
   get the Javascript with it. 2. I found the CF7 Modules Hidden fields NOT useful,
   so I got rid of that. I let the Javascript dynamically create the hidden field
   3. I did not test it in a widget, but I think it should work.
 * This is my CF7 form definition:
 *     ```
       Title [text* post_title] <br/>
   
       A Cow is: (required) <br/>
       [textarea* answer id:answer] <br/>
   
       [submit "Post"] <br/>
   
       <script type="text/javascript">
           (function($) {
               $(document).ready(function() {
                   $('#answer').change(function() {
                       var answer = 'A cow is '+ $('#answer').val();
                       if ($('#post_content').length > 0) {
                           $('#post_content').val(answer);
                       }
                       else {
                           var postContentInput = $("<input>").attr("type", "hidden").attr("name", "post_content").val(answer);
                           $(this).parents('form:first').append($(postContentInput));
                       }
                   });
               })
           })(jQuery);
       </script>
       ```
   
 *  Thread Starter [alucidwake](https://wordpress.org/support/users/alucidwake/)
 * (@alucidwake)
 * [12 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/append-text-string-to-post/#post-3881336)
 * Hi Michael,
 * Great news! Putting the script inside the CF7 code absolutely did the trick. 
   Thank you so much for all of your help regarding this issue, which is now resolved!
   Best, Nick
 *  [Gil Hardwick](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gil-hardwick/)
 * (@gil-hardwick)
 * [12 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/append-text-string-to-post/#post-3881354)
 * Hello Michael, this is on posting to WordPress from a CF7 form, with skip_mail
   = true.
 * My question to you is concerned with how to post all the form fields from a custom,
   say, resume or job vacancy form rather than only your two post_title and post_content
   fields, with an optional post_category_name?
 *  Plugin Author [Michael Simpson](https://wordpress.org/support/users/msimpson/)
 * (@msimpson)
 * [12 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/append-text-string-to-post/#post-3881361)
 * I suggest to adapt the code above. To do so, let’s assume you have fields named
   field1, field2, field3. And let’s assume you want to put the info into your post
   like:
 * Answer for Field 1 is: <field1-value>
    Answer for Field 2 is: <field2-value> 
   Answer for Field 3 is: <field3-value>
 * I would code it like this (haven’t tested) in your CF7 Definition:
 * First, set up your CF7 form fields. Might be different that this. Key thing is
   to have an “id” for each field.
 *     ```
       Title [text* post_title] <br/>
       Field1: [text field1 id:field1] <br/>
       Field2: [text field2 id:field2] <br/>
       Field3: [text field3 id:field3] <br/>
       [submit "Post"] <br/>
       ```
   
 * Now add in the JavaScript
 *     ```
       <script type="text/javascript">
           (function($) {
               $(document).ready(function() {
   
                   // CHANGE: list all field id's here
                   $('#field1, #field2, #field3').change(function() {  
   
                     // CHANGE: Format how you want the fields to come out in the post
                      var content =
                            "Answer for Field 1 is: "+ $('#field1').val() + "<br/>" +
                            "Answer for Field 2 is: "+ $('#field2').val() + "<br/>" +
                            "Answer for Field 3 is: "+ $('#field3').val() + "<br/>";
   
                       if ($('#post_content').length > 0) {
                           $('#post_content').val(content);
                       }
                       else {
                           var postContentInput = $("<input>").attr("type", "hidden").attr("name", "post_content").val(answer);
                           $(this).parents('form:first').append($(postContentInput));
                       }
                   });
               })
           })(jQuery);
       </script>
       ```
   
 *  [Gil Hardwick](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gil-hardwick/)
 * (@gil-hardwick)
 * [12 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/append-text-string-to-post/#post-3881366)
 * Hello Michael, this works OK except that it appears in Flamingo as an inbound
   message (as yet retaining skip_email=false including all-fields) not as a blog
   post, which is what I want to achieve.
 * It seems to me there still needs to be an explicit post_content field to enable
   the post, into which all-fields are aggregated.
 * Thanks again for your help to this point. Getting there . . .

Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

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 * 11 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [Gil Hardwick](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gil-hardwick/)
 * Last activity: [12 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/append-text-string-to-post/#post-3881366)
 * Status: resolved