# Forms on Web Site...



## GraphicsFactory (Jul 17, 2007)

Hi Guys,

I need some help. I'm working on revamping my site. I would like to add a form so that a customer can fill in the information and e-mail it to me. I've already made the form. But, I'm have difficulty in figuring out a way to get it e-mailed. I do NOT want to use the "mailto" function. Here is what I would like:

1. Customer fills in the form.
2. Press a button, the form would be saved on the desktop as a text file.
3. Then the customer can send me an e-mail like normal and just attach the form/information like any other attachment.

I do not want to use the "mailto" function for two reasons. First, it is not friendly with all the different e-mail methods. For example, I use Yahoo, and I can't get it to work with web mail...so I know lots of other people wont be able to either. Secondly, I recently had my domain name hijacked with the "mailto" function on my old site. I don't want that to happen again.

I'm open to any other practical suggestions too.

Thanks,
Mike


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## queerrep (Jul 18, 2006)

Hi Mike. Most webhosts offer a form mail plug-in. Couldn't you use that for this purpose?

Maybe I'm missing something but it sounds like having the customer fill out the form on-line; then save to desktop; and then email to you sounds like a couple of unnecessary steps.


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## queerrep (Jul 18, 2006)

I just took a screen shot so you can see how easy it is to set-up.

You name the form and enter the name for each field. When you're done it will generate the code for you and you just insert it in your HTML. Specify what email the form will be sent to and you're good to go.

(All this is done within the webhost control panel.)


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## GraphicsFactory (Jul 17, 2007)

queerrep said:


> I just took a screen shot so you can see how easy it is to set-up.
> 
> You name the form and enter the name for each field. When you're done it will generate the code for you and you just insert it in your HTML. Specify what email the form will be sent to and you're good to go.
> 
> (All this is done within the webhost control panel.)


Hi,

Thanks for the reply. This is interesting, but I already know how to make a form. This appears to be an automated method provided by your web host. I'm guessing that it makes use of a CGI Bin. That is not offered by my service, so that is not an option for me. However, if it uses the "mailto" function, that would work...but I do not want to use it.

The reason for saving the form on the desktop is to avoid the following. First, as I stated earlier, I can (and have) created auto response emailers using the "mailto" function. But, for those to work, you must be using email programs like Outlook that are physical programs on your PC (and to have them set-up correctly). If you try to respond via web mail, the form is lost when you log in. The second problem, is that your email address becomes part of the code. Web bots scan the the web looking for these addresses to hijack. That has already happened to me, and I want to avoid that from happening again.

So by having the client save the form on the desktop, they would be able to send it regardless of their e-mail method. Also my address would be protected from thieves.

Again...thanks for the response.

Mike


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## queerrep (Jul 18, 2006)

You're right .... I just looked and it _does_ use the CGI thingy (but I have no clue what that is).

Would an outside source like this be an option: Create an online contact form with Response-O-Matic ?

Hopefully somebody will come along that can help you out.


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## GraphicsFactory (Jul 17, 2007)

queerrep said:


> You're right .... I just looked and it _does_ use the CGI thingy (but I have no clue what that is).
> 
> Would an outside source like this be an option: Create an online contact form with Response-O-Matic ?
> 
> Hopefully somebody will come along that can help you out.


Thanks...this looks kinda cool. I need to check it out more.

Mike


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## Rory_ (Jan 2, 2008)

Honestly If i had to go to the trouble of saving something to my desktop and mailing it to you I would feel the website is unproffesional and turn me off doing business with you. If your going down that route then just give them your email address and tell them to mail you.. Your website should be as easy as possible for users to navigate and use. KISS Keep it simple stupid. 

Have you thought about using a PHP form? Most shopping carts (if your using one) have contact forms built in


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## Adam (Mar 21, 2005)

I don't understand the purpose of saving anything to somebodies desktop. The normal route would be to send the person a copy of the form and cc yourself as well. Like people have said every server side mailer script could do this. 

A third party service I use and love is Wufoo.com - they'll do all that and more.


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## GraphicsFactory (Jul 17, 2007)

Rory_ said:


> Honestly If i had to go to the trouble of saving something to my desktop and mailing it to you I would feel the website is unproffesional and turn me off doing business with you. If your going down that route then just give them your email address and tell them to mail you.. Your website should be as easy as possible for users to navigate and use. KISS Keep it simple stupid.
> 
> Have you thought about using a PHP form? Most shopping carts (if your using one) have contact forms built in


Thanks...but I'm not asking if what I want to do is good or bad. I was just asking for help on how to do what I wanted to do. I did not asked to be judged.


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## GraphicsFactory (Jul 17, 2007)

Adam said:


> I don't understand the purpose of saving anything to somebodies desktop. The normal route would be to send the person a copy of the form and cc yourself as well. Like people have said every server side mailer script could do this.


Again...not an option in this case.

Thanks anyway.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

GraphicsFactory said:


> Again...not an option in this case.
> 
> Thanks anyway.


I think there are secure ways of doing what you want without having something downloaded to your customers desktop.

Sometimes when you ask a question, people will try to offer helpful solutions that you may not have considered. It's not about "judging" you, but trying to get you the best solution for your issue. Sometimes that means not doing it the way you may have originally thought it had to be done 

You did also ask for other practical suggestions...which is what Adam and Rory were trying to give 



> I do not want to use the "mailto" function for two reasons. First, it is not friendly with all the different e-mail methods. For example, I use Yahoo, and I can't get it to work with web mail...so I know lots of other people wont be able to either. Secondly, I recently had my domain name hijacked with the "mailto" function on my old site. I don't want that to happen again.


You may want to look into a "secure" form mail script that does not use the mailto function.

The mailto function is not a good way to send a form online, but there are lots of ways to send forms online without having the customer to download something to their desktop.

Here's one that I've used quite a bit that allows customers to email you without opening their email client: Secure PHP Form Mailer Script · Dagon Design


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## CoopersDesignCo (Nov 14, 2007)

Hi All,
We use these guys. There's a free version written with CGI if your internet host allows CGI scripts. If not, they can process the forms for you for as little as $12.95 a year I think?
We've been very pleased with them.

FormMail.com :: HTML Form Processor


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## SeasonEnds (Sep 9, 2007)

Mike, I suggest finding a PHP form. 

You don't want to use outlook. 
You want to avoid using mailto: 
What you need is another file that tells your form what to do with the information.

Try a form script like this 
GBCF-v3 - Secure and Accessible PHP Contact Form - Green-Beast.com

or something like this
Contact PHP Email Form Script w copy n paste free contact php script code


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## Adam (Mar 21, 2005)

> 1. Customer fills in the form.
> 2. Press a button, the form would be saved on the desktop as a text file.
> 3. Then the customer can send me an e-mail like normal and just attach the form/information like any other attachment.


Ok, it looks like our practical suggestions have been of no use to you. Maybe we could be more helpful if you weren't so vague. 

There isn't much I can't apply a programatical solution too. This seems like an easy one in my opinion. So help us out, if you are still after a solution, explain in a little bit more detail what's in this form and why can't the form be filled in entirely on your website?

It's certainly possible to save something as a text file and force it to be downloaded, you just have to alter the headers. You will not however be able to specify and control where you want it saved on the customers computer. You won't have the permission to do that on the client's machine.


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