Delete stored user inputs by automatic action after a period of time, which can be selected freely
This feature is part of the Visforms Subscription and not available in the free Visforms version. It was added to the Visforms Subscription release 3.2.2.
You can store the information, which the user has submitted with the form, in the data base. The Visforms Subscription will two plugins to your Visforms installation, which will allow you, to deleted these stored user inputs (record sets/data) after a selected period of time by automatic action.
- Schedule can be set individually for each form.
- Set a period of time (in days) after which a record set expires and will be deleted by automatic action.
- The dabase will be purged of expired record sets once per day.
- You can exclude record sets with state "published" from being deleted.
- You can delete files, which where submitted with the form for a given record set, too.
- You can enable Visforms to write a delete log file
Form configuration options
Schedule can be set individually for each form
This allows you to only delete data and files of selected forms, whereas the stored user inputs (data) of other forms are not touched.
The Schedule
Use the option "Expiration Time (Days)" in order to determine after how many days a record set will expire. Expired records sets will then be deleted, the next time the data base is purged. If you want to prevent data from being deleted by automatic action for a form, please set this option to 0.
Exclude record sets with state "published" from being deleted/Only delete "unpublished" record sets
The feature "deleted stored user inputs by automatic action" deletes all expired record set according to the schedule. Without alert, without backup, whether you have finished answering the request, made with this record set or not. Because this is the intended behavior of this feature.
You can use the option "Unpublished Records only" in order to get a better control over what is deleted and what is not deleted, if you set this option to "yes" and set any record set, which you do not want to be deleted, yet, to "published".
Delete files, which where submitted with the record set
If your form contains fields of type "File Upload" you can use this option, in order to delete files which were submitted with a record set, too, when the record set is deleted.
Write a delete log file
If you enable this option, Visforms will write a log file where record sets and files, deleted by automatic action, will be logged. The log file, with the name "form_ID.php" (where Id is the form id; i.e. form_1.php), is located in the sub directory "visforms-datalogs", of the log directory, which you have set in your Joomla! configuration (default is administrator/logs). For each action (delete record set/delete file) date and time and the record set id/filename will be logged
Enable the auto delete feature
If you want to use this feature, you have to enable the Visforms Plugin "Auto Delete Data" as well as the System Plugin "Delete Visforms Data" in the Plugin Manager. Enable the Visforms Plugin "Auto Delete Data" first. Then got to the Visforms Form configuration. You will now see a new tab "Auto delete data" in the form configuration. Set up the auto delete data option for each form. Return to the Plugin Manager then and enable the System Plugin "Delete Visforms Data". This will immediately start purging the data base for the first time. Visforms will then set a timer at 0 am the next morning. After that purging the data base and resetting the timer will be performed onca a day at about 0 am.
Please note: If you have many forms with lots of stored user inputs, finding the record sets and files which have to be deleted by automatic action at a given time, may be relatively computing intensiv. So if you do not want to use this feature, do not just set the "Expriation time" of each form to 0, but please disable the System Plugin "Delete Visforms Data" in the Plugin-Manager.