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This issue seems to happen after exceeding a total number of fields.
After this happened the first time, I started backing up my form after each step. But can't add more fields.

Hi havex,

Look at the top right corner of the Forms editor and you will see a Max vars setting - this is set as max_input_vars in a PHP.ini file for your site.

When you edit a form there is a count shown next to the blue Preview button at the top right. Once this count gets beyond the Max vars count the form will no longer save properly. The solution is it increase max_input_vars.

Bob

Hi Bob,

Unfortunately, this seems not to be the cause.

I have set the max_input_vars at 8000. The count next to the blue Preview button is only 4442 before I start getting this issue after adding a single field.

I have set the error reporting to maximum, but no errors are shown.

Hamid

Hi Hamid,

There are some other settings that might affect this - please see this FAQ

Bob

Hi Bob,

I have checked the FAQ.

I don't see suhosin or mod_security in my php setting. (php 7.0.18)
Magic Quotes is Off

I did also a little experiment where I set the max_input_vars too low and tried to modify and save an existing form. In this case, the form couldn't be saved but nothing was deleted from the Designer section.

This little test may indicate that this issue where the Designer section is wiped clean is not related to max_input_vars.

What else could it be?

Hamid

Hi Havex,

Possibly something in some custom code that causes an error?

Please take a Form Backup using the icon in the Forms Manager and post it here and I'll take a closer look.

Bob

Thanks Bob,

Although long, the form is pretty simple, with one custom code used in some sections.

Section 1
Radio group yes/no (id and name set to radio)
Section 2
{Custom HTML}
<div class="container">
</div>

The php custom code I'm using to pass conditions between sections is this:

<?php if ( $this->data['radio'] == 'yes' ) { $display = 'block'; } elseif ( $this->data['radio'] == 'no' ) { $display = 'none'; } $style =".container { display: {$display} !important;}"; $jdoc=JFactory::getDocument(); $jdoc->addStyleDeclaration($style); ?>

Thanks

Hi Bob,

I have checked every section and removed the custom code, but I still have that issue whenever the input_vars reach close to 5000!

I have also tried changing php version from 7.1 to 5.6. But the issue persisted!

Does it mean that chronoforms can't handle long form?

Thanks

Hi havex,

I think that something on your server is resetting the post data, this may be some security module like sohusin or any alternative, can you ask your host admin about this ? or you can check the server logs.

Best regards,
Max

Hi Max,

I am working on this form using Xampp. After many tries, I have also tried it on my server.
The issue persisted in both cases!

Hamid

Hi Hamid,

Please check the post_max_size config and max_input_time, can you increase them on your local server and test again ?

Best regards,
Max

We have the same issue.

max vars set to 15,000
post_max_size increased from 8mb to 64mb
max_input_time increased from 60 to 90

We cannot add a text field after the form reaches 3859 vars. The form is wiped out in the attempt - all fields disappear from the form and cannot be recovered.

Do you have any suggestions as to how we might address this problem?

Best regards

Hi CaptnK,

what about the other form sections like "events", general settings..etc, their data is kept or also gone ?

Best regards,
Max

Hi Max,

Everything else is retained. The form alone disappears.

Cheers,
CaptnK

Hi CaptnK,

Please try to have dummy locales and permissions, those are retained ?

Best regards,
Max

Hi Max,

Yes, locales and permissions are retained.

Cheers,
CaptnK

Hi Max,

Any progress on this issue? This is a show stopper for us.

Best Regards,

CaptnK

Hi CaptnK,

Please send me a message using the "Contact us" page because I will need to test this and/or have a form backup file to check here.

Best regards,
Max

I am having a first look at v6 and rebuild one of my v5 forms and i also have this problem, but changing the views to LONGTEXT did not solve it (my MAX VARS 328/1000).
First it happened and deleted, in the Designer section, 2 custom CSS & HTML blocks that then when on and saved them with no problem on another try, now it happens in the Setup section.
Let me know if you need more info or access to check it, i am at a point where i can recreate the error quite easy.

Hi Gatsman,

The problem can occur because of other issues like suhosin or security modules on the server, or a security extension/plugin on your website, do you have any of this installed ?

What happens when you save a big v5 form on the same website ? does it have any problems ?

Best regards,
Max

I am not sure about suhosin or security modules, but i ll ask my host and update.
I got big forms working fine in v5 under the same domain, its one of those forms that i try to rebuild where i got this problem.

My host told me this:

Among security modules, suPHP and mod_security are installed in your server. But suhosin is not installed.

Hi Gatsman,

Ok, but v5 may have the "safe save" enabled which helps in this situation.

it may be one of the 2 modules clips the post data, if you can ask the host support to increase the "max input vars" limit in the modules and in php config then I think that should solve the problem.

Best regards,
Max

I have the same problem. None of the issues listed above. I just lost an extensive form I have spent 2 WEEKS ON!!!! I am not happy. Max vars on the server is 10,000 at about 3800 the form has totally wiped out all fields and segments etc.

WHAT IS THE ISSUE?

Hi ausfiero,

Did you try changing the "views" column type in the chronoengine_forms6 database table ? it should be changed to "longtext" instead of text.

Best regards,
Max

I have the same problem. None of the issues listed above. I just lost an extensive form I have spent 2 WEEKS ON!!!! I am not happy. Max vars on the server is 10,000 at about 3800 the form has totally wiped out all fields and segments etc.

WHAT IS THE ISSUE?

From what i understand this is not a bug, this was an active issue in v5 but there was the Safe Savein the settings that prevented it from happening.
I had to set my limits to 15000 to make it work with php 7.1 and chronoforms v6 (& v5 without the safe save enabled). I think that it depends on how big and complicated your form is.
I also changed the views to longtext as Max said.

What and where do I change to longtext?
Is it in the table below?
[attachment=108512_20170522094624_cfissues-jpg.jpg][/attachment]

Hi havex,

No, its in the core forms table, it has a name similar to this: #__chronoengine_forms6

Where "#__" is the db prefix in your Joomla install.

Best regards,
Max

No its not
- Login to your phpMyAdmin
- Find and click on table #####_chronoengine_forms6
- Click on Structure
- Edit/Change views to type longtext

Thanks Gatsman for the detailed tip.

Tried that. But no result. if I look at the database here is what I see where my form info should be.

And this is what I see where my formerly 3800 vars form used to be.

Hmm images didn't show. Ok try as attachments.

After updating ChronoForms5 to 5.0.15 i can save without errors in PHP 7 with the Safe Save ON (i think it's a similar issue) so maybe the ChronoForms6 6.0.5 update solves this too.
Just remember to backup the form on every step you make.

I have the same issue, lost my form 5 times this night. I looked at database and field "views" datatype is set to Longtext. Probably that's not the cause/solution, cause my version is 6.0.5.
😟

Anyway, CFV6 rocks!!! :ugeek:

Hi Austre,

Please follow this check:

Do you lose the section "designer" only or other sections too ?

Designer only > the field views in the database needs to be set to longtext
Other sections > Check the max vars number at the top right corner.

If the max vars is more than 5000 then most probably its a server security module causing the problem, check your joomla php info page for suhosin, suphp or mod_security and ask your host admin for some guidance on tweaking their settings to allow posting the big number of form fields.

Best regards,
Max

I lose just my Section Designer and don't have any other Sections. I just start mount my form yesterday.

My server is using php7 and php.ini is set like max_input_vars = 50000

I'm the Host Admin, got the installed packages list and didn't found suhosin, suphp or mod_security.

########################################################
dpkg --get-selections | grep php
libapache2-mod-php7.0 install
php-common install
php7.0 install
php7.0-cli install
php7.0-common install
php7.0-curl install
php7.0-gd install
php7.0-json install
php7.0-ldap install
php7.0-mbstring install
php7.0-mcrypt install
php7.0-mysql install
php7.0-odbc install
php7.0-opcache install
php7.0-readline install
php7.0-xml install
php7.0-zip install

root@rnsrvwb03:~# dpkg --get-selections | grep suh

root@rnsrvwb03:~# dpkg --get-selections | grep sup
acpi-support-base install
libkrb5support0:i386 install
mime-support install
multiarch-support install

root@rnsrvwb03:~# dpkg --get-selections | grep security
########################################################

I'm looking for more clues and making the same configs again today. I'll post results late.

Until now, I have not had the problem. :o

Hi Austre,

Are you sure that you have checked the "views" column in the correct table ?

How many fields do you have in the designer section before the problem occurs ?

Best regards,
Max

Yes, i checked the "views" column and it's correct: longtext.

Before problem occurs, my form has about 15 fields.

Like i sad, today i re-configured all details and problem not occurs anymore. :o

Ok I have discovered the bug in my case. First I will explain my form structure. I wanted a border around the whole form so I put everything inside one main segment. Then put other segments etc inside that.

I decided to ditch the main segment idea so I dragged everything from that segment back out of it. Using the repositioning tool (the up and down arrows one) because it allowed me to use it to move items between segments. Didn't see the point in using the change segment tool (the 4 arrows one) because i didn't see the point if the first tool allowed me to do the same.

Then I deleted the empty main segment.

Well unbeknown to me the program doesn't like you doing it that way, even though it allowed it. So when I saved it basically deleted the whole form that was originally in that segment.

I would suggest if you are going to have 2 drag and drop features only let them do what they are supposed to. The 2 arrow one should not have allowed me to drag parts of my form into a different segment. Likewise the drag and drop one to move between segments should be allowing me to use it to re-order items in the form.

May I suggest 1 tool that does both and actually leaves the item where you drop it? I find it is very annoying when you move something to another segment it goes straight to the bottom of that segment. Particularly if it needs to be at the top of a lot of content already in that segment.

Another unrelated suggestion I have after working with a huge form is it possible to maybe include in a future version the ability to close segments so you do not see what is inside them until you open it. This is on the editing side of course. It would save a lot of scrolling if relocating segments and you can concentrate on the part of the form you have open.

Hi ausfiero,

The up/down arrows should be used for sorting only, if they drag the fields outside their parents then this is a bug and I will try to find its cause.

Best regards,
Max

Yes they allow you to drag them outside and place them.

Hi,

This should be fixed in the next update 6.0.7!

Best regards,
Max