Email Forms

Anonymous · #1 05-14-2005, 09:39 PM

Thanks for all previous help - things moving along quite nicely! :D
Next question!! I've composed a form on a page that I've called Contact Us. The idea being - a visitor fills it in - presses the button and Hey Presto - the completed form arrives in my in-box! I've watched the relevant Tutorial (8 million times!).
I've published the page and tested it. I can fill the form in, but when I press the submit button - it just gives me the option to send an email. The completed form is not sent - but at least I'm halfway there. How should I configure the form to make it work properly?

Anonymous · #2 05-14-2005, 10:54 PM

Sending (client sided) forms from a PC works like this:
Your browser creates a email message and will use your default email client to send this message (using MAPI).
To configure your default email client:
Internet Explorer Menu->Tools->Internet Options->Programs->Email
Select your email client (prefferable Outlook Express).
Also make sure it's the default MAPI client:
In Outlook Express->Menu->Tools->Options->General Tab
and click This application is the default Mail Handler ->Make Default

If you like you can read the following internet articles for more details:
http://webdesign.about.com/cs/forms/a/aamailtobroke.htmor
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;186229
or
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;279460

But since you're using Vodahost you can alos use a PHP script to create a more reliable solution.

Anonymous · #3 05-14-2005, 10:58 PM

I have created an example script for you that processes your form succesfully using a generic PHP script.

Instructions:
Change the form properties (in BlueVoda) to:
Action: FEEDBACK.PHP
Method: POST
EncodingType:
(remove the text/plain, so the field becomes empty)

Now create a new file using Notepad and call it: FEEDBACK.PHP
Enter the following code into the file:

Code:

<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Thank you for your feedback</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<H2>Thank you for your feedback!</H2>
<?PHP
$email = $HTTP_POST_VARS[email];
$mailto = "feedback@yourdomain.com";
$mailsubj = "Feedback form";
$mailhead = "From: $email\n";
reset ($HTTP_POST_VARS);
$mailbody = "Values submitted from web site form:\n";
while (list ($key, $val) = each ($HTTP_POST_VARS)) 
{
$mailbody .= "$key : $val\n"; 
}
mail($mailto, $mailsubj, $mailbody, $mailhead);
?>
</BODY>
</HEAD>

Upload this file to your domain.

Judy Khoo · #4 05-27-2005, 03:09 PM

Hi

I have used the example script you gave and I have no problem in getting the mail sent out.

However, when I open the mail from my mail box, I find the following message was sent:

Values submitted from web site form:
Name : test
Email : judyksp********.com
S1 : test
Submit : Send

and the sender is unknown.

how can i correct this to reflect the right information from my email form?

I have three fields in the form I created:

a. Name - where the user is to type his/her name
b. email - where the user is to type his/her email address
c. Message - a free text area for the person to type the message

I am extremely new to web hosting and scripting. I have no knowledge of PHP either. Hope you can assist.

Pablo · #5 05-27-2005, 04:26 PM

Since the email is send from the server where your domain is running on you can't see the actually sender (since it's the vodahost server that sent you the message when the form is submitted). But your visitors should enter there email address in one of the fields you create with BlueVoda.

Looking at the data you received in the message, it looks like you already have a field for the email address?

Pablo

Judy Khoo · #6 05-27-2005, 07:11 PM

So what I saw in the contents of the mail is what the visitor would have typed, right? And if I wish to reply to them, it would be to the email that was displayed in the message, right?

Thanks.

Pablo · #7 05-27-2005, 07:41 PM

Absolutely correct.

Judy Khoo · #8 05-28-2005, 07:27 AM

Thank you very much for your assistance.

I have one more request and hope you can help.

Currently, your scripts returns a message on successful submission on a new page. How do I get to change it to show on the same page but perhaps at the bottom of the screen? Or if I have to do it on a new page, how do I get to format the page to look better?

Pablo · #9 05-28-2005, 08:31 AM

There is currently no easy way to do this, but here something that might work for you:

1. Create a new page with BlueVoda and save is as 'feedback.bvp'.
2. Select View->Page HTML from the menu
3. Select the Inside Body tag and enter this code:

Code:

<?PHP 
$email = $HTTP_POST_VARS[email]; 
$mailto = "feedback@yourdomain.com"; 
$mailsubj = "Feedback form"; 
$mailhead = "From: $email\n"; 
reset ($HTTP_POST_VARS); 
$mailbody = "Values submitted from web site form:\n"; 
while (list ($key, $val) = each ($HTTP_POST_VARS)) 
{ 
$mailbody .= "$key : $val\n"; 
} 
mail($mailto, $mailsubj, $mailbody, $mailhead); 
?>

4. Do the usual page formatting.
5. Publish the page to your VodaHost account.
6. Login to your cPanel and select File Manager to rename feedback.html to feedback.php
Of course you can also use your favorite FTP client to rename the file.

Pablo

Judy Khoo · #10 05-28-2005, 08:37 AM

Thanks. I will try it. Meanwhile, just a question - do I have to remove the earlier feedback.php that was created and replace with this new php?

VodaHost · #11 05-28-2005, 09:15 AM

yes please

Judy Khoo · #12 05-28-2005, 02:56 PM

Thank you for the script. It works.

busymomz · #13 06-09-2005, 03:23 AM

I'm a bit new to all this, and I happened to stumble across your discussion which was just what I was looking for, and I needed some help.

I have tinkered with the code here and there getting farther and farther along, until I have hit a barrier. When I press my submit button, I get a message that says "No Input File Specified".

Any Idea what to do?

Thanks

VodaHost · #14 06-10-2005, 06:23 PM

have you named your php file correctly?

busymomz · #15 06-14-2005, 08:38 PM

OK, I figured it all out, and now I'm up and running.
However, I would like to create another type of form but am not sure how to do it.
I just need to be able to have the user define what email the form is sent to.
Is this possible?

allan · #16 06-19-2005, 06:56 PM

How do I upload this to the domain? I know, I know, I don't know that much about all these stuff. Thanks for your help Pablo. Hey you look like the whatyoumacallit guy in the movie Matrix but I think Susan looks better than you. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anonymous

I have created an example script for you that processes your form succesfully using a generic PHP script.

Instructions:
Change the form properties (in BlueVoda) to:
Action: FEEDBACK.PHP
Method: POST
EncodingType:
(remove the text/plain, so the field becomes empty)

Now create a new file using Notepad and call it: FEEDBACK.PHP
Enter the following code into the file:

Code:

&lt;HTML>
&lt;HEAD>
&lt;TITLE>Thank you for your feedback&lt;/TITLE>
&lt;/HEAD>
&lt;BODY>
&lt;H2>Thank you for your feedback!&lt;/H2>
&lt;?PHP
    $email = $HTTP_POST_VARS[email];
    $mailto = "feedback@yourdomain.com";
    $mailsubj = "Feedback form";
    $mailhead = "From: $email\n";
    reset ($HTTP_POST_VARS);
    $mailbody = "Values submitted from web site form:\n";
    while (list ($key, $val) = each ($HTTP_POST_VARS)) 
    {
        $mailbody .= "$key : $val\n"; 
     }
    mail($mailto, $mailsubj, $mailbody, $mailhead);
?>
&lt;/BODY>
&lt;/HEAD>

Upload this file to your domain.

allan · #17 06-19-2005, 07:13 PM

Ooops! I meant Sarah! :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by allan

How do I upload this to the domain? I know, I know, I don't know that much about all these stuff. Thanks for your help Pablo. Hey you look like the whatyoumacallit guy in the movie Matrix but I think Susan looks better than you. :)

Pablo · #18 06-19-2005, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by allan

Ooops! I meant Sarah! :)

Well, Allan fortunately we are not hired for our looks...

Sarah · #19 06-19-2005, 07:22 PM

use blueftp

George · #20 06-19-2005, 07:24 PM

I think Sarah hired me for my looks :)

VodaHost · #21 06-19-2005, 07:37 PM

yes, George we hired you for your good looks. Also it does
not hurt any that your father owns our office building;)