how do I create a forum-I'm a newbie?

Report · Jun 11, 2008

I am very new to dreamweaver, so I am not even sure that this is a dreamweaver question as it is a server question??? But, I am trying to create a form. I have already done so, but I just can't get it to link to my e-mail. I entered in the sendto:leahmerrill@hotmail tag so that when the customer clicks on the "Send" button, the info they entered in will be sent to my e-mail, but it's not allowing it to be sent. Is there a program I need or something? You can see how really bad I am at www.nomoreuglyjars.com. It's the box to the right that sais "free monthly giveaways". You click on that...you're taken to the form. But, when you click on the "Submit" button from there, it looks as though it's trying to connect via Outlook Express. I don't even think I have Outlook express set up...perhaps that's the problem. But, must I use Outlook Express to send the form info to my hotmail email account? I'm so webpage illiterate, I don't even know the right questions to ask. Can anyone guide me in the right direction here? Any help is greatly appreciated!!

-Leah

Report · Jun 11, 2008

DW will expect (require?) you to have a fair familiarity with HTML/CSS as
you use it. Failing that test will undoubtedly lead you into a series of
dark and twisty passages.... 8)

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!)
==================
http://www.projectseven.com/go - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.dwfaq.com - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
==================

"nomoreuglyjars" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:g2pan6$9j$1@forums.macromedia.com...
>I am very new to dreamweaver, so I am not even sure that this is a
>dreamweaver
> question as it is a server question??? But, I am trying to create a form.
> I
> have already done so, but I just can't get it to link to my e-mail. I
> entered
> in the sendto:leahmerrill@hotmail tag so that when the customer clicks on
> the
> "Send" button, the info they entered in will be sent to my e-mail, but
> it's not
> allowing it to be sent. Is there a program I need or something? You can
> see how
> really bad I am at www.nomoreuglyjars.com. It's the box to the right that
> sais
> "free monthly giveaways". You click on that...you're taken to the form.
> But,
> when you click on the "Submit" button from there, it looks as though it's
> trying to connect via Outlook Express. I don't even think I have Outlook
> express set up...perhaps that's the problem. But, must I use Outlook
> Express to
> send the form info to my hotmail email account? I'm so webpage illiterate,
> I
> don't even know the right questions to ask. Can anyone guide me in the
> right
> direction here? Any help is greatly appreciated!!
>
> -Leah
>

Report · Jun 11, 2008

Thank you so much. I read a little more info about processing forms here: http://www.hotdreamweaver.com/form-to-database. It looks as though I must purchase a separate program aside from dreamweaver alone just to process forms? Is this "form-database" program similar to the program on that link you provided? Which would be better to use in your opinion (I am using dreamweaver 8)? I am using linux as my hosting, which does have the SQL. If I were to use that form-database program, would I first have to develop a database in mySQL? And what is the difference between form-database vs. form-mail ( http://www.hotdreamweaver.com/form-to-mail) and which one might you reccommend?

I appreciate your help greatly.

-Leah

Report · Jun 11, 2008

> It looks as though I must
> purchase a separate program aside from dreamweaver alone just to process
> forms?

Definitely not. HOWEVER, if you do not know scripting then you would not be
able to use the tools and capabilities that DW provides very easily.

Have a read of this to see what might be involved -

http://www.adobe.com/devnet/dreamweaver/articles/develop_web_application.html

--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Adobe Community Expert
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
http://www.projectseven.com/go - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.dwfaq.com - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
==================

"nomoreuglyjars" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:g2picj$89p$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> Thank you so much. I read a little more info about processing forms here:
> http://www.hotdreamweaver.com/form-to-database. It looks as though I must
> purchase a separate program aside from dreamweaver alone just to process
> forms?
> Is this "form-database" program similar to the program on that link you
> provided? Which would be better to use in your opinion (I am using
> dreamweaver
> 8)? I am using linux as my hosting, which does have the SQL. If I were to
> use
> that form-database program, would I first have to develop a database in
> mySQL?
> And what is the difference between form-database vs. form-mail
> ( http://www.hotdreamweaver.com/form-to-mail) and which one might you
> reccommend?
>
> I appreciate your help greatly.
>
> -Leah
>

Report · Jun 13, 2008

Thank you very much. I read over that Dreamweaver tutorial. It seems doable up until I get to mySQL page and try to create a form. I called my godaddy for help and he really couldn't help me becasue the questions I had had more to do with the SQL account who goes through Starfield technologies. In that Dreamweaver tutorial, it appears that I can create the table there, but the godaddy rep was saying that you create it through your MySQL account. so, when I went there for instructions, I saw all this script stuff. Even if I enter in all the scripts in the document, I wouldn't know what order to put it in if that makes any difference. For a total scripting dummy like me, mabe it might make more sense to get the program form to mail. But, I'm doing this more to learn than to just "do it right" per se. Mabe I could just pay someone just to help me set up the form rather than buy the program. Do you know anyone who helps people w/ this who isn't too expensive? Or do you know any good online scripting classes I could take to learn how to do this stuff.

thanx.

-Leah

Report · Jun 16, 2008

Hello All...it's me again...it's pretty bad when your replying to yourself 🙂 . Since my last post, I have made some progress. I am using a dreamweaver extension FormToEmail.php for my form. I have managed to get that up on the site (when you click on the "Free Giveaways" box to the right of the main page at www.nomoreuglyjars.com).But, after you enter in your name & email address, I'm getting this message:

Forbidden
you don't have permissionto access/formtoemail.php/on this server.
Additionally, a 404 not found error was encountered while trying to use an error document to handle the request.

Apache/1.3.33 server at www.nomoreuglyjars.com Port 80

Does anyone know what that means????

thanx.

-leah:confused