• create a form
• write a perl program to gather the information (cgi)
• use your unix skills to place the program on the web server
• get permission from the web administrator to run a cgi

• a perl program (cgi)
• located on the web server
• all permissions set for the program

• create a form
• point it at the perl program (cgi)
• read the feedback

Forms

• Forms on the web allow you to get feedback from the visitors to your web site.
• A person can leave comments, request information, or even fill out applications right from the web browser.

maileradmin.cgi

• designed for forms used on departmental homepages
• Formats the data in the form in field-name/field content pairs and mail them to you. The following instructions explain how to set up a form on your web site and have the contents e-mailed to you after a visitor fills it in.
  Section 1 contains general instructions
  Section 2 contains a sample page
  Section 3 contains examples for creating input fields for your form
  Section 4 contains a sample e-mail response

Section 1

The form should be contained in a standard html page and should have the following structure:

1. Start the form with this line

   <FORM ACTION="http://www.wesleyan.edu/cgi-bin/maileradmin.cgi"
   METHOD="POST">

2. The following two lines are required:
   • define the username (leave off the @wesleyan.edu) of the person who will receive the form
     <INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="TO" VALUE="username">
   • define the subject heading of the mailed form
     <INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="SUBJECT" VALUE="My Fill-Out Form">

    

3. The following lines are optional:

   • define the username (leave off the @wesleyan.edu) of the person used as the Reply-To address
     <INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="REPLY-TO" VALUE="username">
   • define the departmental web directory name and the name of the response file to be displayed
     
     • the directory name that appears in your URL is the departmental web directory name (for example: www.wesleyan.edu/its should use its)
       
     • the response file must be an html file stored in your departmental web space (defined in the first line) in a response directory (/department/response)
       
     <INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="DEPT" VALUE="departmental web directory name"> <INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="RESPONSE_FILE" VALUE="response.html">
   
   
4. Insert the various fields you want to have returned to you. Section 3 contains examples of the different types of fields you can use in an online form. Be sure each input field hase its own name. This name is e-mailed together with the data the user entered.

5. Place a submit button at the bottom of the form:
   <INPUT TYPE="SUBMIT" VALUE="Submit Form">

6. End the form with this line:
   </FORM><FORM>

Class Year
Frosh
Sophomore
Junior
Senior

Name

Your Comments Here

Section 3

Sample e-mail from filling out the form in section 2.

Wes Student : on

Class Year : Frosh

Name Field : John Smith

Comments Field : I am typing my comments into this text field:
make a fill-out form on your web page today!