Huggins'
Email Form Script
Version 2.0.1,
03.Apr.2007 and Version 2.1.0 BETA 1, 15.Feb.2008
If you are using the script or are
considering using the script, be sure to sign up for the
HEFS Bulletin. I use this email list
to notify users of bug fixes and new versions.
Huggins' Email Form Script is a PHP script to process Web Forms, specifically those forms which accept information and send an email with that information.
Want to see an example? Go here.
In addition to the reference documentation available for free, an ebook tutorial on the creation of HTML Email Forms is also available for a small fee. See the end of this page.
Summary Version Information
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Software Version
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Release Date
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Document Version
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2.0.0
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02.Apr.2007
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5-001-030
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2.0.1
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03.Apr.2007
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same
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2.1.0 BETA 1
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15.Feb.2008
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5-001-031
5-001-032 |
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Important Support Notice
I will be off the net or only sporadically on the net
from 01.May thru 04.May.
Support requests submitted during that time
may be delayed until after my return.
The
Current Distribution Package
Version 2.0.1, 03.Apr.2007
To get this stuff, Right Click on the link and then choose Save As. If you left click you may have problems. Please download all files and keep them in an easy to find location. We recommend creating a dedicated folder for these files.
 Huggins' Email Form Script
- 2.0.1:
A zip file with everything ... the script, the documentation, the help files,
the whole banana. This package is for Version 2.0.1.
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The
Upcoming Version
BETA Distribution Package
Version 2.1.0 BETA 1, Feb.2008
NB: Because of significant errors in V 2.1.0 BETA 1,
this package has been pulled.
It will be replaced by V2.1.0 BETA 2.
The current target date for BETA 2 is 15.May.2008.
To get this stuff, Right Click on the link and then choose Save As. If you left click you may have problems. Please download all files and keep them in an easy to find location. We recommend creating a dedicated folder for these files.
Huggins' Email Form Script
- 2.1.0 BETA 1:
This is the BETA 1 release of Version 2.1.0.
A zip file with everything ... the script, the documentation, the help files,
the whole banana. This package is for Version 2.1.0 BETA 1.
Originally released with manual 5-001-031. Now using manual 5-001-032.
««»»
This software is licensed under the CC-GNU GPL.
Email Forms
Email Web Forms on websites have common characteristics:
- They accept input from the Form User
- They assemble this input into emails which they send to
predefined addresses
- They send the Form User a confirmation email
Email Form Problems
Achieving these email functions requires either that the Form
Designer rely on a predefined script or, alternatively, use a scripting
tool like PHP to construct his own script and/or pages.
FrontPage offers FrontPage Server Extensions to process these types
of Web Forms. However, not all FrontPage developers use these
extensions.
Some scripts which are available for this type of processing expose
the email addresses to web spiders which harvest the email addresses for
spam.
And, existing scripts may not provide the flexibility the Form
Designer requires such as the ability to format the email or email
multiple people.
Inspiration for the Huggins' Email Form Script
I wrote this script to address some of these problems.
The inspiration was a discussion of similar problems encountered by
fellow FrontPage users in August and September 2005 and discussed on
some email lists, including one FrontPage list I co-moderate , another
FrontPage list on which I am active and also lists related to an SEO
training class I co-moderate.
However, even though I use FrontPage and even though discussions on
the FrontPage list, I wrote the script to be completely independent of
FrontPage or any other authoring system.
General Objectives of the Huggins' Email Form Script
The general objectives of this script are:
- Be usable without knowing the underlying scripting language (PHP)
- Be usable without making modifications to the script
- Be usable with a minimal knowledge of how Web Forms work
- Be usable just by following the directions
- Hide all email addresses from spiders
- Allow two different emails to be sent to static addresses
- Allow an optional confirmation email
- Allow the Form Designer some control over the layout of all
emails
- Allow each of the three emails to have a different format
- Allow the Form Designer to specify the destination URL to
display after processing
Detailed Objectives of the Huggins' Email Form Script
- It should send an email containing the values submitted through
the Web Form by the Form User.
- It should also (optionally) report values for the IP Address,
Browser Name and Referring Page.
- It should use external specifications of the Field Names in the
Web Form. That is, adding a field to the Web Form should not require
a change to the script itself.
- It should use external specifications of the Field Reporting
Labels used in the email to report the Field Values. That is,
changing a Field Reporting Label should not require a change to the
script itself.
- It should permit some limited external specification of email
formatting (e.g., blank lines between groups of Field Reporting
Labels and Field Values).
- It should use external specifications of all email addresses.
That is, changing any email address used, should not require a
change to the script itself.
- All email addresses should be specified in parts, to defeat
spiders scanning websites for email addresses.
- It should permit an optional copy of the email to be sent back
to the Form User as a confirmation email.
- It should permit externally specified text as the subject line
of all emails sent.
- All emails should permit externally specified text at the top
and bottom of the email.
- Provide multiple protections against abuse by spambots.*
- Provide validation of fields through external specifications of
field edits.*
- Provide extensive customization options for the error page to permit the
website owner to have the error page emulate other pages on the website**
- Optionally keep a CSV File (Comma Separated Values) containing the
submitted information.**
- After processing, the script should go to the URL specified by
the Form Designer.
NB: Asterisks indicate a Version 2.0 objective;
Double Asterisks indicate a Version
2.1 objective.
Requirements to Use the Script
To use this script, your web host must provide the ability to process
PHP. In addition, it must support:
- At least PHP 4.0.5 for Unix/Linux/Apache servers and
- At least PHP 4.3.0 for Windows servers.
Fixes and Enhancements
Version 2.0.1, 03.Apr.2007
Bug Fix: If the confirmation email field was omitted from FormEmailFieldList, the script still attempted to validate it. No documentation changes were made.
Version 2.0.0, 02.Apr.2007
This is the initial release of Version 2. Testing of Version 2 has lasted about 5 months through various pre-releases.
The documentation for the script was synchronized with this new version and is 5-001-030.
In addition, the tutorial for Creating HTML Email Forms (see below) was synchronized
with the new version.
Version 1.2a, 11.Oct.2006:
This minor bug fix fixes an unusual problem that occurs if the form
designer wants to send an email without reporting any fields at all.
This is an obscure error so the documentation is not updated for this
fix. This information will be incorporated into the next significant
change.
Version 1.2, 05.Oct.2006:
The script could, on some servers, in some configurations, create an
error if run under PHP5. This was corrected with the assistance of:
Doug DePrenger
Smartlab Software
www.SmartlabSoftware.com
Note that the file now has a PHP5 suffix to indicate compatibility
with PHP5. This may need changing before installation on your server.
Consult your web host.
These changes used Version 1.1 for intermediate testing. This testing
found additional, similar changes that were required. Version 1.2
incorporates the changes from this testing.
Version 1.1, 03.Oct.2006:
See the description under Version 1.2 above.
Version 1.0, Nov.2005:
Original release of the script.
More Pages About Huggins' Email Form Script
Huggins'
Email Form Script, Version
2 Enhancements:
Enhancements which were developed for Version 2 of the script.
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Huggins'
Email Form Script Testimonials:
Testimonials sent to me from script users.
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Huggins'
EMail Form Script Acknowledgements:
My acknowledgements to others for their assistance with development and
deployment of the script.
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Example
Form:
This example form shows some (though not nearly all) of the features of the script.
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More Pages About HEFS Bulletin
HEFS
Bulletin: Bugs, Fixes and Enhancements:
I have set up the HEFS Bulletin to provide future notices of changes to the
Huggins' Email Form Script. Please sign up for this ezine. This
ezine will be used only to provide information on this script. And it is the
only way I have to let you know of bugs, fixes and enhancements.
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History of Changes to HEFS Bulletin:
Describes the history of HEFS Bulletin,
with emphasis on the technical changes I've made since starting it, including
moving to
Gammadyne, adding double-opt-in and complying with CAN-SPAM.
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HEFS Bulletin Privacy Policy:
The short version of my privacy policy for my HEFS Bulletin ezine. It explains that I do not spam. Period. And, I do not sell, lend or release your subscription
information to anyone for any reason.
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 Free Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader:
Reading Adobe Acrobat PDF files requires the free Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader. Be sure you have the latest version
««»»
A Tutorial: Creating HTML Email Forms
The reference manual available for this script (see above) assumes that the user is familiar with the basics of Web Forms.
For those users looking for instruction in the creation of Web Forms, particularly Email Forms such as those processed by Huggins' Email Form Script, there is an ebook tutorial: Creating HTML Email Forms.
The tutorial is available in two ways:
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