Simple Web Form

[vaderc]

not sure how to properly title this question, but here is what i am trying
accomplish and would like some direction in obtaining info on how to achieve
this:

i need to create a website for my helpdesk that has several text fields, i.e.
name, address, computer name, etc.

i would like to make it so that certain fields are mandatory, and then there
would be a 'submit' option at the bottom, and when they hit submit a seperate
window (or same window) displays the combined information that can be readily
copied and pasted into our lazy trouble ticket system.

anyone help me out?

[Murray *TMM*]

There are two basic ways to process form data -

1. Use mailto:name@domain.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 2 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.).

It sounds like you need to use method 2 for this. What server models does
your host server support?

--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Team Macromedia Volunteer for Dreamweaver
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
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"vaderc" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:dcmcbs$qg9$1@forums.macromedia.com...

> not sure how to properly title this question, but here is what i am trying
> accomplish and would like some direction in obtaining info on how to
> achieve
> this:
>
> i need to create a website for my helpdesk that has several text fields,
> i.e.
> name, address, computer name, etc.
>
> i would like to make it so that certain fields are mandatory, and then
> there
> would be a 'submit' option at the bottom, and when they hit submit a
> seperate
> window (or same window) displays the combined information that can be
> readily
> copied and pasted into our lazy trouble ticket system.
>
> anyone help me out?
>

[vaderc]

Murray thanks for the assistance.
That's pretty much what I was thinking, I have come across the mailto options
and it doesn't really fit my needs, since we won't need any email
confirmations, but merely only just a summary of data that can be copied.

Method 2 is what sounds like I will have to do, maybe through the use of CGI
on the server side from what I have read.
I use dot5 hosting and they should allow everything, php, perl, etc...,. i
hope that's what you mean.

I came across a website that allows you to build demo forms and I was able to
generate one that I would like to use, see if you can view it here:
[url]http://www.form-builder-pro.com/builder/users/77180a5c6f11c4c6842bd0c06e9c1d7e42[/url]
ef020c15fb7/HD-Test_FeedbackFormPage.html

When you click Process it takes you to a summary page however it's hooked to
their server and I don't know how I could make it local, i've tried opening the
html in dreamweaver to adjust the properties but I may not be proficient enough
in html to accomplish this unfortunately.

[Murray *TMM*]

What you are describing is simple to do with server scripting. The form
gets submitted to a page that simply redisplays the forms data.

In ASP, you would just use successive Request commands to write the form
data to the page. DW is ideal for allowing you to do this....

--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Team Macromedia Volunteer for Dreamweaver
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
[url]http://www.dreamweavermx-templates.com[/url] - Template Triage!
[url]http://www.projectseven.com/go[/url] - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
[url]http://www.dwfaq.com[/url] - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
[url]http://www.macromedia.com/support/search/[/url] - Macromedia (MM) Technotes
==================

"vaderc" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:dco335$cm7$1@forums.macromedia.com...

> Murray thanks for the assistance.
> That's pretty much what I was thinking, I have come across the mailto
> options
> and it doesn't really fit my needs, since we won't need any email
> confirmations, but merely only just a summary of data that can be copied.
>
> Method 2 is what sounds like I will have to do, maybe through the use of
> CGI
> on the server side from what I have read.
> I use dot5 hosting and they should allow everything, php, perl, etc...,. i
> hope that's what you mean.
>
> I came across a website that allows you to build demo forms and I was able
> to
> generate one that I would like to use, see if you can view it here:
> [url]http://www.form-builder-pro.com/builder/users/77180a5c6f11c4c6842bd0c06e9c1d7e42[/url]
> ef020c15fb7/HD-Test_FeedbackFormPage.html
>
> When you click Process it takes you to a summary page however it's hooked
> to
> their server and I don't know how I could make it local, i've tried
> opening the
> html in dreamweaver to adjust the properties but I may not be proficient
> enough
> in html to accomplish this unfortunately.
>