Guessbook

[dallen24]

Hi. I'm trying to add a guessbook to a web site and need help. I'd like people to fill out a form and e-mail the results to me. As in form <form action="mailto:xyz@vyz.com" method="post">

When I tried a test form on my IE 5.5, the Internet wizard popped up. I don't understand many of the wizard's prompts (since I have an AOL account, I don't have a separate e-mail account). What is hotmail? Is it free? Should I create a hotmail account?

I just want to find out if the mailto action of a form would work for more IE people. Any advice is appreciated...Dennis

[starglow]

the form won't work because you need a cgi script and a server that supports cgi.

the mailto action on a form I think only works in NS and so is definitely not recommended at all

[Nightfire]

mailto works in all browsers that I know of. It uses the users default email client. Every person will get the email prompt.

[starglow]

Originally posted by Nightfire
mailto works in all browsers that I know of. It uses the users default email client. Every person will get the email prompt.

I thought he meant mailto on the forum submit button, not a regular link.

of course mailto works on all regular links and opens the users default email program... but last time I read, the mailto action on a *form* only works in NS... or something like that anyways... i know it works but its limited to a small percentage or vistors and so is useless really... but it would require me getting under my desk and pulling out my old html book and I can't be bothered to do so just to check what it is exactly lol

[dallen24]

Thanks for the reply.

So what I really need is a cgi script that will receive my form fields and e-mail me their values. Anyone know of a good cgi script?

[starglow]

yeah, I used one from matt's archive I think and it worked really well... http://www.scriptarchive.com/formmail.html

pretty sure that was it

[dallen24]

Originally posted by starglow
yeah, I used one from matt's archive I think and it worked really well... http://www.scriptarchive.com/formmail.html

pretty sure that was it

I see it. But I don't know the capability of the ISP. Are there any generic live scripts?

[Vladdy]

It all depends on server capabilities and what your ISP allows you to do. Scripts can be in PHP, ASP or any other server language. If you are looking for a script in ASP check out my page: http://www.vladdy.net/WebDesign/WD_Reviews.asp - it got a couple of extra features....

[dallen24]

Well, the ISP is suppose to have FrontPage Server extensions. But I tried a <form name="edit" action="mailto:xyz@xyz.com" method="post"> that didn't work. So I guess the e-mail extension, if there, hasn't been activated.

How do you what an ISP can run? Upload a script and hope it works?

[Vladdy]

Who is hosting your site?

[starglow]

Originally posted by dallen24
Well, the ISP is suppose to have FrontPage Server extensions. But I tried a <form name="edit" action="mailto:xyz@xyz.com" method="post"> that didn't work. So I guess the e-mail extension, if there, hasn't been activated.

the mailto action has nothing to do with frontpage... I finally looked it up in my html book and as I thought, the mailto action for submitting a form only works in Netscape so its got nothing to do with frontpage or the server... it only has to do with the server when you're using cgi

How do you what an ISP can run? Upload a script and hope it works?

it usually will say so on the FAQ or help section of their website. if it doesn't mention anything about cgi then they don't have it.

[Nightfire]

I finally looked it up in my html book and as I thought, the mailto action for submitting a form only works in Netscape


Erm, mailto DOES work in IE. If your book says different, then the author has no idea what he/she is writing about.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q279460&

[starglow]

Originally posted by Nightfire


Erm, mailto DOES work in IE. If your book says different, then the author has no idea what he/she is writing about.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q279460&

the book is a few years old and I simply hadn't thought IE had incorporated it because I hadn't heard anything about it until now, so shoot me.

[dallen24]

To avoid the issue on what the ISP can or can't do, I think I'll try a remotely sponsered site. I'm looking into http://www.response-o-matic.com. Will let you know...Dennis