I have a client who is one of these old school types who wants
to manage his own website using Front Page (*sigh*)

He's allergic to PHP.

Is there a way to make a contact form using just HTML?
All the contact scripts I've seen use either PHP or CGI.

You can make the form, but without some kind of scripting, you'll have no functionality at all. No way to process the submission, etc.

You can have the php file on a different page

PHP Code:

<form action="send.php">
Name: <input type="text" name="name" />
Age: <input type="text" name="message" />
<input type="submit" />
</form> 


This way the entire page will be but you can write another file in php.

Will that help?

Sorry LadyNRed but you are not quite correct here.

You do NOT have to use ANY script to do something with a simple form.
You can have the submit trigger a MAILTO: which will send the information to ANY email address.

Though original poster you must be aware that there will be no formatting to that information if send this way.

The reason to use a script is to format the data.

BUT, if it's just name and email, it will be fine if done by a Mailto:

Though most code gurus would suggest not doing it this way.

The problem with using Mailto: is that it will force the users email client to open, and then the user must send the email. The mailto just populates a new email in the user's default client. What if the user doesn't have an email client installed? What if the user doesn't click "send" on the email that is generated? What if a user gets upset that you made their email client open and leaves your site for good?

I like konetch's solution and would suggest doing something like that. The client doesn't even have to know the php page exists and he can still update the site with frontpage **shudder**

wooo all good comments... i agree with angele as people like myself don't have a default mail client set so to go the extra mile to submit a form may not be worth it unless the return in intriguing...

the problem konetch suggested, and I'm only thinking about this on my end only, is that if the person managing the form through frontpage adds a field he wouldn't know what to do with the script

a way i could think of is to have the php script but include another one at the top of the page. This script would run everytime the page is executed to grab all the form name/id generating a dynamic send.php everytime

The problem is how would you include the script if it is a .html page. Hmmm. Maybe if you include the form with an iframe that connects to a php file. Then use orionoreo's suggestion on the php file that the iframe connects to.

That might work.

Plus you can check out http://www.icebrrg.com/

You can have the submit trigger a MAILTO: which will send the information to ANY email address.

Ok true enough. However, leaving an open 'mailto' link on a page is an open invitation for a SPAM FLOOD!

I did not say it was a good idea, but it is the ONLY way to do a pure HTML response to a form and not use ANY type of script. No CGI, NO PHP, et......

His only other pure HTML choice is to NOT use a FORM but he would still end up with a Mailto: or nothing by making the users decide whether or not they want to send an email.

As for your old school client, what the heck would there be to managing a Contact FORM Page. 95% of it would be in HTML. Only the script action would be in PHP.
Why would there ever be any changes? Except maybe to the resulting email address. He'll never need to touch it. FIGHT BACK against his position.

Just tell him how much additional SPAM liability he could incur by NOT using a script. Plus the fact that Front Page is almost five years behind code standards.
If I am correct, it validates to HTML 4.

Thanks for everyone's responses.

I think I found a good solution.

This company:
http://www.response-o-matic.com/

They have like an online WYSIWYG
form builder that produces some HTML that
you can just cut and paste into your website.
The code uses a form action="somefile.cgi" approach.

But here is the great part.
They manage all of the CGI process on their own server.
The client never has to see a single line of programming
code so its an easy way for him to manage his own contact forms.

The company has a free basic version which is pretty good on its own
and for a small monthly upgrade fee, a professional version which
offers all kinds of benefits.

Their website looks a bit old school (I would give it a bit more of a web 2.0 look if I were running it) but I think its a really good value for money service for clients who don't know programming BUT want to retain control of setting up their contact forms.

The down side I guess is that you are trusting a third party company but
as long as the information doesnt contain financial details I think its worth it.

Opinions?

BAD IDEA!

You never want to cross-net any of the vital functions of your web site!
If that server goes down, your client is dead in the water and that makes you look like an idiot.

Plus most hosting companies do not want this kind of cross-net activity on their servers.

Plus, it is a security risk.

Originally Posted by marketingman100

BAD IDEA!

You never want to cross-net any of the vital functions of your web site!
If that server goes down, your client is dead in the water and that makes you look like an idiot.

Plus most hosting companies do not want this kind of cross-net activity on their servers.

Plus, it is a security risk.

I agree that there is some risk of the other site going down but the same could be said of many services that a company depends on. There is a risk that the hosting company could go down or the electricity supply might fail.
But those are risks that we all learn to live with.
Naturally I would explains those risks but also the benefits.

Not sure about what security risks might be.
The information is sent via a garden variety method="post" behaviour and then once processed at the other end, they send the information via an email to the client.
And again, not sure what the "cross-net" activity is.

I've been using wufoo.com for this type of situation. I've had no issues with them.

Response-o-matic has been around for YEARS, it's pretty solid. Frankly, I think it's a great idea given the constraints he's under.

Originally Posted by LadynRed

Response-o-matic has been around for YEARS, it's pretty solid. Frankly, I think it's a great idea given the constraints he's under.

Thanks Lady!

The voice of experience and reason

The voice of experience and reason gave you good advice NOT to do it too.
Your mail going OFF-SERVER with that company is subject to intercept and hack far more that mail within an internal server scope.

Plus you are causing unnecessary cross-net bandwidth usage for a task that should and could be kept in-house.

I predict you'll regret the decision to outsource that script action.

causing unnecessary cross-net bandwidth usage

Unless he's receiving TONS of traffic, that type of bandwidth usage is going to be very minimal.

It would be better to keep it in-house, but we often have to make do with what we've got and the constraints of the client. If the solution satisfies the need, even if it's not the best, then you have to go with it.

Originally Posted by marketingman100

The voice of experience and reason gave you good advice NOT to do it too.
Your mail going OFF-SERVER with that company is subject to intercept and hack far more that mail within an internal server scope.

Plus you are causing unnecessary cross-net bandwidth usage for a task that should and could be kept in-house.

I predict you'll regret the decision to outsource that script action.

As I've stated, the client is very keen to keep "hands on" control of his site so we are stuck with an HTML solution.
As the LIR said "it's not the best" but it's workable.

Lets look at the alternatives:
1) Set up a seperate PHP file to process the mail script as Konetch suggested.
At first I thought about doing that. But there is still the maintainability problem. If the client
ever decides to add or change fields in his form, the script will break.

2)Use a mailto: link.
I went for about 5 years without a desktop email client. I think a lot of people use just webmail.
This approach is a "pain in the @ss" for such people. I know from experience.
Not to mention an open invitation for spam.

The Response-o-matic is WYSIWYG customizable. I set one up in about 3 minutes without even looking
at a line of code.
AND it has inbuilt spam filters.

Icebrrg.com looks good too but I think Response-o-matic is more "idiot proof" simple.