Web Design
Form Handlers
Collecting Information through Forms
Web forms provide a means to collect information from a visitor via a simple user interface. Common examples of Web forms are seen everywhere, from simple contact forms to complex credit card transactions. In each case, the visitor simply needs to follow directions to submit relevant information. All Web forms require a program known as a form handler to process the information submitted by the form. Without a form handling program to process it, the data submitted in the forms is useless.
For Web programmers, custom form handlers can be created for any situation; however, for most do-it-yourselfers, it is much more realistic to use generic form handlers.
The Mailto Form Handler
Web-ster provides an easy-to-use form handler designed to send form data to any e-mail address. Adding a form to your Web site can be a simple cut-and-paste process, with only a few minor changes to the HTML code. Even though it is relatively easy to add a form to your site, it is best to plan ahead and familiarize yourself with basic HTML.
The Mailto form handler will process eight pre-defined fields, based on information provided by the form. Any additional fields are not directly processed by the form handler, but will be appended to the e-mail message. The list below describes each pre-defined field and its purpose.
server
This is a required hidden field necessary for the form to work properly. The value must be set to the following: mail.Web-ster.com.
sendto
This is a required field that tells the form handler what e-mail address to send the form data to.
cc
This field identifies any carbon copy recipients of the form data. Multiple recipients can be specified--use commas to separate the recipients' names. This field is not required.
subject
This field represents the subject of the e-mail sent by the form. This field is not required.
resulturl*
Use this field to specify the location of a custom confirmation page that you create. The value for this field must be a fully qualified URL. For example, you should enter the following:
http://www.Web-ster.com/johndoe/confirm.html
NOT www.Web-ster.com/johndoe/confirm.html, or johndoe/confirm.html. This field is not required.
resulttxt*
This field is the same as resulturl except the display is limited to text-only, without formatting. This field is not required.
uname
This field identifies the name that appears as the sender of the e-mail. This field is most commonly used to collect the visitor's name. This field is not required.
email
This field identifies the return address of the e-mail's sender. This field is most commonly used to collect the visitor's e-mail address, making it easy to reply to the visitor via e-mail. This field is not required.
*If neither resulturl nor resulttxt are used in the Web form, a default "Thank You" message will be displayed for the visitor after submitting the form.
Sample HTML Code
<!--Hidden Fields-->
<FORM ACTION="http://Webtools.Web-ster.com/mailto.php" METHOD="POST">
<INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="sendto" VALUE="youremail@Web-ster.com">
<INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="server" VALUE="mail.Web-ster.com">
<INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="subject" VALUE="Test Form Application">
<INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="resulturl" VALUE="http://www.Web-ster.com/username/resulturl.html">
<!--User Input Fields Visible-->
Name:<br>
<INPUT NAME="uname" SIZE=30><br>
Position:<br>
<INPUT NAME="title" SIZE=30><br>
Company:<br>
<INPUT NAME="company" SIZE=30><br>
Email Address:<br>
<INPUT NAME="email" SIZE=30><br>
Comments:<br>
<INPUT NAME="comments" SIZE=60><br>
<INPUT TYPE="submit" VALUE="Submit">
</FORM>
Sample E-mail Result
From: John Doe
To: johndoe@somedomain.com
Sent: Monday, March 13, 2000 6:15 AM
Subject: Test Form Application
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A visitor to your Web site has filled out your contact form!
John Doe
Additional Data Collected:
Title: CEO
Company: John's Company
Comments: I really like your site! Please send me more information about your product!
johndoe@somedomain.com