CyberBuzz CGI Mailform FAQ

This form allows you to send mail via a cgi-bin script call. The script location is:
http://cyberbuzz.gatech.edu/cgi-bin/common/mailform.pl
You may use a GET or a POST, either will be accepted.

NOTICE: It is assumed that you have knowledge of cgi-bin scripts and forms to use this program and understand this FAQ.

Field: MAIL MESSAGE FIELD

Description:

This is where you format the email to be sent. It is placed in your web document but is not visable to the displayed web page.

Syntax:

To indicate the beginning of the message:
<!--MAILTEXT You type your message here.
Use [] to refrence inputs.
Use {} to reference system variables.
To indicate the end of the message: //--> (MUST be on its own line and the last)

Example:
You have
<input type="text" name="orgname">
<input type="text" name="sendperson">

<!--MAILTEXT
Hello [orgname],

You have been selected to recieve this email
Thanks, [sendperson]
Sent from IP {REMOTE_HOST}
//-->

System Variables:

• SERVER_SOFTWARE

  The name and version of the information server software answering the request (and running the gateway).
  Format: name/version

• SERVER_NAME

  The server's hostname, DNS alias, or IP address as it would appear in self-referencing URLs.

• GATEWAY_INTERFACE

  The revision of the CGI specification to which this server complies.
  Format: CGI/revision

• SERVER_PROTOCOL

  The name and revision of the information protcol this request came in with.
  Format: protocol/revision

• SERVER_PORT

  The port number to which the request was sent.

• REQUEST_METHOD

  The method with which the request was made. For HCODEP, this is "GET", "HEAD", "POST", etc.

• PATH_INFO

  The extra path information, as given by the client. In other words, scripts can be accessed by their virtual pathname, followed by extra information at the end of this path. The extra information is sent as PATH_INFO. This information should be decoded by the server if it comes from a URL before it is passed to the CGI script.

• PATH_TRANSLATED

  The server provides a translated version of PATH_INFO, which takes the path and does any virtual-to-physical mapping to it.

• SCRIPT_NAME

  A virtual path to the script being executed, used for self-referencing URLs.

• REMOTE_HOST

  The hostname making the request. If the server does not have this information, it should set REMOTE_ADDR and leave this unset.

• REMOTE_ADDR

  The IP address of the remote host making the request.

• CONTENT_TYPE

  For queries which have attached information, such as HCODEP POST and PUT, this is the content type of the data.

Field: RECIPIENT

Description:

This form field allows you to specify to whom you wish for your form results to be mailed. Most likely you will want to configure this option as a hidden form field with a value equal to that of your e-mail address.

Syntax:

<input type=hidden name="recipient" value="email@your.host.com"> OR <input type=hidden name="recipient" value="email@your.host.com,email2@another.host.com">

Field: COPYTO

Description:

This form field allows you to specify to whom you wish for your form results to be carbon copied to. Most likely you will want to configure this option as a hidden form field with a value equal to that of your e-mail address.

Syntax:

<input type=hidden name="copyto" value="email@your.host.com"> OR <input type=hidden name="copyto" value="email@your.host.com,email2@another.host.com">

Field: BLINDCOPYTO

Description:

This form field allows you to specify to whom you wish for your form results to blindly be mailed. Most likely you will want to configure this option as a hidden form field with a value equal to that of your e-mail address. People listed in the RECIPIENT and COPYTO field will not be notified that a copy was sent to these email addresses.

Syntax:

<input type=hidden name="blindcopyto" value="email@your.host.com"> OR <input type=hidden name="blindcopyto" value="email@your.host.com,email2@another.host.com">

Field: SUBJECT

Description:

The subject field will allow you to specify the subject that you wish to appear in the e-mail that is sent to you after this form has been filled out. If you do not have this option turned on, then the script will default to a message
Subject: WWW Form Submission

Syntax:

If you wish to choose what the subject is:
<input type=hidden name="subject" value="Your Subject">
To allow the user to choose a subject:
<input type=text name="subject">

Field: EMAIL

Description:

This form field will allow the user to specify their return e-mail address. If you want to be able to return e-mail to your user, I strongly suggest that you include this form field and allow them to fill it in. This will be put into the From: field of the message you receive. If you want to require an email address with valid syntax, add this field name to the 'required' field.

Syntax:

<input type=text name="email">

Field: REALNAME

Description:

The realname form field will allow the user to input their real name. This field is useful for identification purposes and will also be put into the From: line of your message header.

Syntax:

<input type=text name="realname">

Field: REDIRECT

Description:

If you wish to redirect the user to a different URL, rather than having them see the default response to the fill-out form, you can use this hidden variable to send them to a pre-made HTML page.

Syntax:

To choose the URL they will end up at:
<input type=hidden name="redirect" value="http://your.host.com/to/file.html">
To allow them to specify a URL they wish to travel to once the form is filled out:
<input type=text name="redirect">

Field: REQUIRED

Description:

You can now require for certain fields in your form to be filled in before the user can successfully submit the form. Simply place all field names that you want to be mandatory into this field. If the required fields are not filled in, the user will be notified of what they need to fill in, and a link back to the form they just submitted will be provided.
To use a customized error page, see 'missing_fields_redirect'

Syntax:

If you want to require that they fill in the email and phone fields in your form,so that you can reach them once you have received the mail, use a syntax like:
<input type=hidden name="required" value="email,phone">

Field: TITLE

Description:

This form field allows you to specify the title and header that will appear on the resulting page if you do not specify a redirect URL.

Syntax:

If you wanted a title of 'Feedback Form Results':
<input type=hidden name="title" value="Feedback Form Results">

Field: RETURN_LINK_URL

Description:

This field allows you to specify a URL that will appear, as return_link_title, on the following report page. This field will not be used if you have the redirect field set, but it is useful if you allow the user to receive the report on the following page, but want to offer them a way to get back to your main page.

Syntax:

<input type=hidden name="return_link_url" value="http://your.host.com/main.html">

Field: RETURN_LINK_TITLE

Description:

This is the title that will be used to link the user back to the page you specify with return_link_url. The two fields will be shown on the resulting form page as:

• return_link_title

Syntax:

<input type=hidden name="return_link_title" value="Back to Main Page"#&62;

Field: MISSING_FIELDS_REDIRECT

Description:

This form field allows you to specify a URL that users will be redirected to if there are fields listed in the required form field that are not filled in. This is so you can customize an error page instead of displaying the default.

Syntax:

<input type=hidden name="missing_fields_redirect" value="http://your.host.com/error.html">

Field: BACKGROUND

Description:

This form field allow you to specify a background image that will appear if you do not have the redirect field set. This image will appear as the background to the form results page.

Syntax:

<input type=hidden name="background" value="http://your.host.com/image.gif">

Field: BGCOLOR

Description:

This form field allow you to specify a bgcolor for the form results page in much the way you specify a background image. This field should not be set if the redirect field is.

Syntax:

For a background color of White:
<input type=hidden name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF">

Field: TEXT_COLOR

Description:

This field works in the same way as bgcolor, except that it will change the color of your text.

Syntax:

For a text color of Black:
<input type=hidden name="text_color" value="#000000">

Field: LINK_COLOR

Description:

Changes the color of links on the resulting page. Works in the same way as text_color. Should not be defined if redirect is.

Syntax:

For a link color of Red:
<input type=hidden name="link_color" value="#FF0000">

Field: VLINK_COLOR

Description:

Changes the color of visited links on the resulting page. Works exactly the same as link_color. Should not be set if redirect is.

Syntax:

For a visited link color of Blue:
<input type=hidden name=" vlink_color" VALUE="#0000FF">

Field: ALINK_COLOR

Description:

Changes the color of active links on the resulting page. Works exactly the same as link_color. Should not be set if redirect is.

Syntax:

For a visited link color of Blue:
<input type=hidden name="alink_color" value="#0000FF">

Any other form fields that appear in your script will be mailed back to you and displayed on the resulting page if you do not have the redirect field set. There is no limit as to how many other form fields you can use with this form, except the limits imposed by browsers and your server.

Support@CyberBuzz.GaTech.edu Copyright © 1998 CyberBuzz/Georgia Tech Modified March 3, 1999 at 2:15 PM EST http://CyberBuzz.GaTech.edu/support/cgi_mailform.html

Disclaimers

(MS)