Web-Based Forms Overview

MHC Web-based forms use a special program which takes a user's input from a form on a Web page and generates an email message containing the submitted form to a specific recipient or a list of recipients. To create a Web-based form on your MHC Web site:

1. Determine who the form recipient(s) should be and then request a nickname for your form. The nickname tells the form to send the submitted form to one or more recipients, who you specify. Before you request a nickname for your form, see item 2.

2. Consider if your form should go to a mailing list, which you will be able to control (who receives the email with the message from the form). If an appropriate mailing list doesn't exist, submit a request in Webshell (log into MHC Webmail > select Webshell > select Mail list > select "new list requests, list ownership change requests" and follow the instructions). After you receive confirmation that the mailing list has been created, indicate the mailing list name as the recipient name when you complete the request a nickname form.

3. The Web-based form will not work until you receive confirmation that the nickname has been created. In some cases the  nickname (or maillist) you requested will not be availalbe; verify the exact name before you add it to the form you create.

4. Create an HTML form; here are a few options:

• Request help to create a Web form.
• Create a Web form in Dreamweaver and then copy HTML code and paste it into the CMS Text Editor.
• Use the MHC Form Creation Wizard and then copy HTML code and paste it into the CMS Text Editor. The wizard is a good way to create the necessary hidden fields, without having to know too much about HTML code. It asks you a series of questions and generates code that you can copy and paste into the CMS Text Editor.

Web-Based Form Sample
This example uses the value "test", which causes the output to go to the screen and does not send any email; Web-based forms normally send email to the list of users whose addresses are associated with the "to_nickname", which you supply.

To see what this form produces, fill-in some information and click on the Submit button.

Example HTML
Here's an example of a form that uses Webmail to find out some information about the reader:

<form method=post action="/cgi/WebMail">
<input type=hidden name="to_nickname" value="test">
<input type=hidden name="subject" value="User Status">
<input type=hidden name="message" 
value="Please record the information below.">
<input type=hidden name="field_order" 
value="from_name from_address hobby">
<input type=hidden name="field_required" 
value="{from_name=Your Name}
{from_address=Your Email}{hobby=Hobby}">
<P>Name: <input name="from_name" size=35></P>
<P>Email: <input name="from_address" size=35><P>
<P>Hobby: 
<select name="hobby">
  <option value="">(Choose One)</option>
  <option value="animation">Animation</option>
  <option value="chess">Chess</option>
  <option value="geocaching">Geocaching</option>
  <option value="cooking">Cooking</option>
  <option value="photography">Photography</option>
</select></P>
<input type=submit value="Submit Information">
</form>