[WEB4LIB] Web Forms--Is there a better mousetrap?

[Thomas Dowling]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: web4lib at webjunction.org
> [mailto:web4lib at webjunction.org]On Behalf Of Donald Barclay
> Sent: Thursday, September 03, 1998 11:56 AM
> To: Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: [WEB4LIB] Web Forms--Is there a better mousetrap?
>
>
> I've posted a form on the web...
>
>           <FORM>
>           <FORM METHOD="POST" ACTION="mailto:donaldb at library.tmc.edu">
>           <INPUT TYPE="checkbox" NAME="biomed1" VALUE="october8">
>                     Etc., etc.
>           <INPUT TYPE=submit VALUE="Submit your request">
>           <INPUT TYPE=reset VALUE="Clear your request">
>           </FORM>
>
> Any help, hints, clues will be appreciated.


<FORM ACTION="mailto..."> is inherently risky.  It's just not supported by
some browsers, and in some other browsers support is limited only to a
default mail program (i.e. it may work with MSIE and Outlook Express, but
not the same version of MSIE and Eudora).  The more universally reliable
method is to use a CGI script.  If you don't have CGI scripting
experience, there are scripts to handle this "e-mail form input to address
X" process; there are off-the-shelf versions that can be installed on your
server, and even remote versions that you link to on the net.  Sorry to
leave you without specifics, but I haven't used them; a quick browse
through your favorite web guide should do the trick.

Also, of course, validate validate validate.  Your page ended up with two
BODY tags, and there's no telling how a browser might react to that.


Thomas ("You Can't Make Me Say Portal") Dowling
OhioLINK - Ohio Library and Information Network
tdowling at ohiolink.edu