Methods for Sending Form Input

When you create a form, you can choose to have the form input sent to a specific person.  You can also provide the visitor with a message which confirms that the form has been sent.  There are several ways to send this input and to provide confirmation.  You can use one of the methods listed below.  (Note:  These forms are not operational.)

Mailto With No Confirmation (input received as attached file)

Use Mailto as the action for the form.  For example:

<FORM METHOD="post" ACTION="mailto:abc@psu.edu?
subject=Sample+Form+Mailto">
...rest of form code...
</FORM>

Here's an example of a web form that uses Mailto:

Here's what happens when a visitor clicks the Submit button:

• The form input is sent to the designated person.  This person receives an email message with an attached file.  The attached file actually contains the form input.   The input is formatted in such a way to make it possible (by using another program) to import the input as comma delimited data.  The input in the attached files would look similar to this:

username=Kermit+D.+Frog&ice_cream_flavor=vanilla

• The visitor stays on the same page and does not receive a confirmation message.  (Although in the status bar, a message flashes very quickly that indicates that the form was sent.  Most visitors will probably not notice this status message.)  As a result, the user may think that the form was never sent and then may re-submit the form.   To help alleviate this possible confusion, it's best to display some type of confirmation message that says that the message has been sent.

Mailto with No Confirmation (input received within email message)

Use Mailto as the action for the form and include the ENCTYPE tag to send the input as plain text.   For example:

<FORM METHOD="post" ACTION="mailto:abc@psu.edu?
subject=Sample+Form+Mailto+Enctype" ENCTYPE="text/plain">
...rest of form code...
</FORM>

(The information in the opening FORM tag is typed on one line.)

Here's an example of a web form that uses the ENCTYPE attribute:

Here's what happens when a visitor clicks the Submit button:

• The form input is sent to the designated person.  This person receives an email message that contains the form input.  The input would look like this:

Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1999 180649 -0400
From: Kermit D. Frog
To: abc@psu.edu
Subject: Sample+Form+Mailto+Enctype
Content-type: text/plain

username=Kermit D. Frog
ice_cream_flavor=chocolate

• Just as in the method described above, the visitor stays on the same page and does not receive a confirmation message.  As a result, the user may think that the form was never sent and then may re-submit the form.

Note about Confirmation Messages

There are several different ways that you can display a confirmation message.   Some methods require that you use a CGI/Perl script.  Other methods use a scripting language like Javascript.  The methods that follow provide an example of each method.

Using Javascript & Mailto for Web Form Confirmation (input received either as attached file or within email)

With this method, a confirmation message is displayed by using Javascript in conjunction with Mailto.  (You can configure the form to either send the input to you as an attached file or as plain text within an email message.  See the above methods for instructions.)  Note that this method won't work if a visitor's browser is configured so that it won't accept Javascripts or Java applets.

Here's an example of a form that uses Javascript to provide a confirmation message:

If you view the source code for this web page, you will see Javascript code that is included:

• within the opening FORM tag

• within the INPUT tag for the the Submit button

• after the INPUT tag for the Reset button

Here's a sample of what the form section of the web page would look like:

<form method="post" action="mailto:abc@psu.edu?
Subject=Sample+Form+Mailto+Confirmation"
onSubmit="alert('Form is being sent');">
<p>Name:
<input NAME="username" size="30"> </p>
<p>My favorite ice cream flavor is:
<select name="ice_cream_flavor" size="1">
  <option value="vanilla">vanilla</option>
  <option value="chocolate">chocolate</option>
  <option value="strawberry">strawberry</option>
  <option value="other">other</option>
</select>
</p>
<p><input type="submit" onBlur="doVerify()" 
value="Submit">
<input type="reset" value="Reset">
<script LANGUAGE="javascript">
function doVerify()
{
  location.href = "form-confirm.htm"
}
</script>
</p>
</form>

(The information in the opening FORM tag is typed on one line.)

Here's what happens when a visitor clicks the Submit button:

• A small alert box box pops up on the screen which says that the form is being sent.

• The visitor is taken to a web page that further confirms that the form was sent and thanks them for completing the survey.

• The form input is sent to the designated person.  This person receives an email message that contains the form input.  The input would look like this:

  Date:  Wed, 27 Oct 1999 172655 -0400
  From: Kermit D. Frog
  To: abc@psu.edu
  Subject: Sample+Form+Mailto+Confirmation
  Content-type: text/plain

  username=Kermit D. Frog
  ice_cream_flavor=strawberry

Using a CGI/Perl Script for Web Form Confirmation

Web forms can be configured to use a CGI/Perl script on a web server.  Some scripts can format the input and place it in an email message.  Other scripts will take the input and convert it to a comma delimited file so that the data can be imported into a spreadsheet or database.

The web form below uses a free CGI/Perl script called Formmail.  (This script is available from Matt's Script Archives.  In addition, this script is installed on a Penn State web server so that Penn State faculty, staff, and students have ready access to the script.)  Formmail simply takes the form input and places it within an email message.  You can also configure the script to have the information sent to you in a specific format and to provide  the visitor with a confirmation message.  For example:

<FORM METHOD="post" ACTION=
"http://www.personal.psu.edu/cgi-bin/formmail.cgi">
<input type="hidden" name="recipient" 
value="abc@psu.edu">
<input type="hidden" name="subject" 
value="Sample Form using Formmail">
<input type="hidden" name="redirect"value=
"http://www.pserie.psu.edu/compcntr/webhints/
form-confirm.htm">
...rest of form code...
</FORM>

Here's an example of a web form that uses the Formmail script (which uses the default configuration and provides a confirmation page):

The form input is sent to the designated person.  This person receives an email message that contains the form input.  The input would look like this:

Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1999 173203 -0400
To: abc@psu.edu
From: ()
Subject: Sample Form using Formmail

Below is the result of your feedback form.
It was submitted by () on Wednesday, 
October 27, 1999 at 173203

------------------------------------------

username: Kermit D. Frog

ice_cream_flavor: other

------------------------------------------

Here's what happens when a visitor clicks the Submit button:

• The visitor is taken to a web page that confirms that the form was sent and thanks them for completing the survey.

• The form input is sent to the designated person.

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