e-mail form to an internal e-mail server??

[Tim]

I want to produce a web form that will sit on a standard windows server, the
user will load the page via a short cut and once they have filled in the
form they will hit submit which will e-mail it to a certain e-mail account
which will be picked up by our own internal e-mail server. It will then
forward the e-mail to a internal e-mail address.

I can write the form part ok but I don't know how to set up the e-mailing
part, we have out own e-mail server but its just pointing it to our
internal e-mail server I can't work out. Can it be done without the need of
php, asp, java etc. and done with plain html??

Tim

 

[David Dorward]

I can write the form part ok but I don't know how to set up the e-mailing
part, we have out own e-mail server but its just pointing it to our
internal e-mail server I can't work out. Can it be done without the need
of php, asp, java etc. and done with plain html??

No. You need a server side form handler (well, there is mailto: but its
horrible at best, and doesn't work at worst).

I'd suggest the NMS TFMail script.
http://nms-cgi.sourceforge.net/scripts.shtml

 

[Adrienne]

I want to produce a web form that will sit on a standard windows
server, the user will load the page via a short cut and once they have
filled in the form they will hit submit which will e-mail it to a
certain e-mail account which will be picked up by our own internal
e-mail server. It will then forward the e-mail to a internal e-mail
address.

I can write the form part ok but I don't know how to set up the
e-mailing part, we have out own e-mail server but its just pointing it
to our internal e-mail server I can't work out. Can it be done without
the need of php, asp, java etc. and done with plain html??

Tim

It depends on what scripting language you are using, and what, if any, mail
component you are using.

If I were doing this, I would have the form post to itself, and send mail
from that page, eg. mail.to = "(e-mail address removed)". Your server would then
be responsible for forwarding mail in Mary's box to John's box.

I suggest you contact a group for your kind of server, or for the language
you will be using.

 

[Jeff Thies]

Tim wrote:




No. You need a server side form handler (well, there is mailto: but its
horrible at best, and doesn't work at worst).

I'd suggest the NMS TFMail script.
http://nms-cgi.sourceforge.net/scripts.shtml

I'm assuming that needs sendmail, which is rare on a windows box.

Or am I wrong?

From my experience sending mail on a windows box is a much ifier
proposition than you would think. Not sure why... Find out what your
mail client is, it may be CDONTS, or it may be something else. It may
work, or it may not.

Jeff

 

[David Dorward]

I'm assuming that needs sendmail, which is rare on a windows box.

Or am I wrong?

Since they provided a zip file, I'd assume not. Still, it only takes 30
seconds to download it and skim the README.

If your system lacks a suitable sendmail program, then
you can configure TFmail to talk directly to an SMTP
relay rather then using sendmail.

 

[Robert Frost-Bridges]

No. You need a server side form handler (well, there is mailto: but its
horrible at best, and doesn't work at worst).

I'v read about the problems with mailto but surely if you have something
like:

<a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>

there shouldn't be a problem?

[...]


regards,

 

[David Dorward]

I'v read about the problems with mailto but surely if you have something
like:

<a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>

.... then you wouldn't be sending form data, so it doesn't solve the OP's
problem.

 

[Robert Frost-Bridges]

... then you wouldn't be sending form data, so it doesn't solve the OP's
problem.

Sorry David, I worded it really badly, I just wanted to ask if it was ok to
include a mailto link on a page in that format, I wasn't really intending
to refer to the OP's problem.

regards,

 

[David Dorward]

Sorry David, I worded it really badly, I just wanted to ask if it was ok
to include a mailto link on a page in that format, I wasn't really
intending to refer to the OP's problem.

I don't see it as a problem, its easy enough to copy/paste the address if
one's browser doesn't know about one's email client (e.g. gmail).

 

[kchayka]

(well, there is mailto: but its
horrible at best, and doesn't work at worst).

I don't agree. mailto: doesn't work for all of the people, even some of
the time, but it does work for some of the people all of the time.

When I'm given a choice between mailto: and a form, I'll take mailto:
every time.

 

[Leonard Blaisdell]

No. You need a server side form handler (well, there is mailto: but its
horrible at best, and doesn't work at worst).

Where is that RFC defining mailto: that I expected eight years ago? Life
would be so much simpler.

leo

 

[David Dorward]

I don't agree. mailto: doesn't work for all of the people, even some of
the time, but it does work for some of the people all of the time.

When I'm given a choice between mailto: and a form, I'll take mailto:
every time.

The subject isn't mailto or a form, its mailto as a form action.

 

[kchayka]

The subject isn't mailto or a form, its mailto as a form action.

Well then, I change my mind and agree with you 100% - mailto: sucks in
that case.