Information collection

This part of the 4.x documentation is for eZ Publish 4.0, only reference section is common for all eZ Publish 4.x versions as well as eZ Publish 5.x "LegacyStack", please select the version you are using for the most up to date documentation!

The information collection feature makes it possible to gather user input when a node referencing an information collector object is viewed. It is typically useful when it comes to the creation of feedback forms, polls, etc.

An object can collect information if at least one of the class attributes is marked as an information collector. When the object is viewed, each collector attribute will be displayed using the chosen datatype's data collector template. Instead of just outputting the attributes' contents, the collector templates provide interfaces for data input. The generated input interface depends on the datatype that represents the attribute. The following table reveals the datatypes that are capable of collecting information.

Datatype	Input interface	Input validation
Checkbox	Checkbox.	No.
E-Mail	Single line of text.	Yes.
Option	Radio buttons or a drop-down menu.	No.
Text block	Multiple lines of unformatted text.	No.
Text line	Single line of unformatted text.	No.

The input interfaces must be encapsulated by an HTML form that posts the data using a submit button named "ActionCollectInformation" to "/content/action" (the "action" view of the "content" module). The submitted data will be stored in a dedicated part of the database, separated from but related to the object itself. In addition, whenever the object collects any data, the information can be sent to a specified E-mail address. The "Collected information" section within the "Setup" part of the administration interface can be used to view and delete information that was collected through content objects.