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Participant
March 3, 2008
Question

Froms -step by step

  • March 3, 2008
  • 3 replies
  • 626 views
Hi, I would like to ask for advice on how to put a form online. I'm creating a simple comment box and I put the right "fields" on my html page (Name, email, comment box plus submit button). But now what?? I don't know which the next step is. My host provider does support forms but I don't know how to link the information that users will put on those fields (comment box, etc) to my email (so I can read them).

Any help will be welcome!

Thanks in advance.
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3 replies

March 4, 2008
Bob_Flynn__IN_Univ_
Participating Frequently
March 3, 2008
Viviana,

Does your web hosting provide any programming/scripting language for site owners? As Murry mentioned, option 2 requires PHP, ColdFusion, ASP or something to do the work. Once you know that we can better advise you on resources for learning how to do this.

Bob
Vivis LeiAuthor
Participant
March 3, 2008
They support ASP, Version 2. If you could send me a step by step tutorial, that would be great!

Thanks
Inspiring
March 3, 2008
There are only two ways to process form data -

1. Use mailto:name@example.com as the action of the form
2. Use a server-side scripting method to a) harvest the form's data, b)
process it in some manner, e.g., enter it into a database, c) formulate and
send an email to one or more email recipients, and d) redirect the visitor
to some ending page

Method 1 is quite simple, and is also the least reliable. It depends both
on your visitor having an email client already installed on their computer -
this eliminates public computers, or home users without email clients
installed (more and more it seems) - and on the installed email client
responding to
the mailto call. It is not possible to use this method *and* send the
visitor to a
thank you page as well.

Method 2a is the preferred method, since it eliminates the problems of
method
1, but it means that you have to grapple with server-scripting somehow (ASP,
CF, PHP, perl, etc.).

Method 2b would be to use some third-party form processing, like
http://www.bebosoft.com/products/formstogo/.

You would have to decide which of these methods is best for your needs,
but if it's Method 2a, then start by asking your host what they provide for
form
processing. If it's 2b, then read their FAQ/instructions carefully.


--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Adobe Community Expert
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
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"Vivis Lei" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:fqhd0m$9jb$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> Hi, I would like to ask for advice on how to put a form online. I'm
> creating a
> simple comment box and I put the right "fields" on my html page (Name,
> email,
> comment box plus submit button). But now what?? I don't know which the
> next
> step is. My host provider does support forms but I don't know how to link
> the
> information that users will put on those fields (comment box, etc) to my
> email
> (so I can read them).
>
> Any help will be welcome!
>
> Thanks in advance.
>

Vivis LeiAuthor
Participant
March 3, 2008
Thank you Murray for replying. It is Method 2 the one I need. I used to have a third party-form processing but as the service was free, they displayed ads every time a user submitted a comment. We didn't like and that's why I'm trying to do it myself. However, I don't have a clue in how to write the right script for this situation. I was hoping to be directed to a tutorial or something. I will see if my host provider can do anything for me.

Thanks again

Viviana L.