CWIS formparse program for using e-mail forms: Formparse.pl

The formparse program lets the end user fill in a form and mail the values to a specified e-mail account. To use it:

1. Create a web page with a form on it. A sample form can be found on the Form Parse Sample Page.
   
   FORM METHOD=POST ACTION="http://www.unl.edu/cgi-bin/formparse"
   INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="whither" VALUE="YourE-mail@unl.edu"
   INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="whence" VALUE="Your Website Here"
   INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="subjectline" VALUE="Response to Web Page"
   INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="thanks" VALUE="Your submission has been sent. Thank you for participating!"
   
   
2. Copy the above 6 lines exactly into the body of your page, changing only the italized text in the quoted strings following VALUE= :
   whither - This is the e-mail address where you send the information.
   whence - This is what the mailer requires as the return address. We don't have one, so enter the name of your website.
   subjectline - This is the subject line that will appear in the e-mail.
   thanks - This is the text that will be printed to the end user's screen when the form has been submitted.
   
   
3. After these six lines, there are two more, as follows:
   INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="thanksfile" VALUE="/cwis/data/(account name)/thanks.html"
   These lines are optional, and are used if you want to send the user to your own html thank-you file after
   the form has been submitted. Replace the VALUE of thanksfile with the Unix pathname of your html file.
   
   
4. One of the buttons on your form must allow the user to submit it. It should look similar to this:
   INPUT TYPE="submit" VALUE="Press to submit"
   (Replace the VALUE with text of your choosing.)
   
   It is also nice to have a Reset button, which allows the user to clear the form to its default values.
   INPUT TYPE="reset" VALUE="Reset"
   
   
5. Terminate the form with the tag: /FORM

The first time you use your form, you will get a message asking if you want to be receiving messages from formparse in your mailbox. This courtesy is in use in case someone decides to set up a form soliciting feedback and then sends the responses to another person. For example, someone might decide to set up a form soliciting feedback on administrative handling of the UNL parking situation and enters the Chancellor's personal e-mail address as the "whither" value.

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© June 9, 2004 • University of Nebraska-Lincoln • Send comments or questions to cwis3@unl.edu.