ACS Form Emailer - acswel.cgi
Reference Document

Contents

1.0 Introduction
2.0 Basic Features
3.0 Checking for Required Input
4.0 Security Features
5.0 Autoresponse Features
6.0 Reserved Input Tags within the Form

1.0 Introduction

The ACS form emailer is a cgi script that accepts information from an HTML based web form. The information is passed to the email address of your web page administrator or any email address you want. The user is then directed to a web page of your choice. Specific form data can be required from the user and a error screen detailing the error can be custom made. Once the form is submited the cgi script can be made to send a confirmation email to the user. 

The ACS form emailer is very customizable. The following sections are setup to help you customize the script to your needs. 

The parser is the best you can find. It will parse all input types and will parse all characters in the name field. If you want to capitalize a letter, provide spacing, or provide other characters besides a quotation mark, you may. It will parse multiple inputs with the same name.

The hidden input fields provided below are reserved and may not be used other than for their intended purposes. You may of course capitalize the first letter and use them unless otherwise specified. You do not have to use all of these, though its recommended to use at least the "next_url" parameter.

2.0 Basic Features

Basic parameters include the hidden input fields name and "next_url".

2.1 Reserved Words: "to", "cc" & "bcc "

For security reasons, the destination "to" email address is now hard-coded into the script. Please contact our support department for information on how to modify this field.

2.2 Reserved Word: "next_url"

<input type=hidden name="next_url" value="http://www.yourdomain.com/thank_you.html">

The input parameter "next_url" tells what url to call after the form is submitted. You must use the full url. Typically, this will be the full url to your thank you page, which you would want to tell the person in your own style and words that the form was submitted successfully and anything else you might want to say or do.

2.3 Reserved Word: "subject"

<input type=hidden name="subject" value="any subject">

The input parameter "subject" tells ACS form mailer what the subject of the email message is to be.

You may print the value of an input parameter by providing its name in the following form: #Input Tag Name#. The example

<input type=hidden name="subject" value="#Name#">

will print the value of the submitted input field named "Name" in the subject heading.

3.0 Checking for Required Input

These parameters allow you to check to make sure certain input fields are submitted before anything is emailed. You may specify the required fields and specify the url to give if fields are not completed so that you may give further instructions at this url.

3.1 Reserved Word: "required"

<input type=hidden name="required" value="Name, Email, Any Other Tag">

The input parameter "required" tells ACS form mailer what input names on the form are required not to be blank for correct submission. These input names must be identical and separated with a comma. Input names may contain spaces and you may add a space after the comma.

3.2 Reserved Word: "required_url"

<input type=hidden name="required_url" value="http://www.yourdomain.com/required.html">

The input parameter "required_url" tells ACS form mailer what url to give next if the required input specified by "required" are blank. This must be a full url, typically to your website. You should tell the submitter in your own words and style what input is needed for correct submission. You typically want a link back to the form or instruct the person to go back one url using their browser so that their completed form thus far is still intact.

4.0 Security Features

I hope you never will have to use this, but I have provided this feature anyway if someone is sending you spam through your form.

Reserved Word: "ignore_ip"

<input type=hidden name="ignore_ip" value="255.255.255.255, someone.somecomputer.somwhere.somedomain">

You may provide the remote host address or remote host name in this field if you wish to have ACS form mailer to ignore submissions from a host. This will help if anyone is bothering you. You may use the wildcard "*" instead of a number or name in any part. You could ignore everyone from a commercial computer if you wish.

5.0 Autoresponse Feature

These input tags allow you specify an autoresponse message. Only the first input tag is required. The rest of the tags allow you to further customize your autoresponse feature into a higher quality one.

5.1 Reserved Word: "autoresponse"

<input type=hidden name="autoresponse" value="[see table]">

This input parameter "autoresponse" tells ACS form mailer that you wish to automatically email a reply to the submitter of the the form. The autoresponse will include all the contents of the submitted form similiar to what you see. In addition, it automatically prints a message. You may use the following values.

thank_you - tells the submitter to review the what was submitted.

verify - tells the submitter to send an email to verify submission.

generic - very brief message.

custom - no automatic message provided unless provided by "autoresponse_hidden" input tags. this will include the contents of the form.

This is the only input tag necessary for autoresponses, but you may wish to customize it further with the follow input tags.

5.2 Reserved Word: "autoresponse_name"

<input type=hidden name="autoresponse_name" value="Your Name or Company Name">

This input parameter "autoresponse_name" tells ACS form mailer to to set the email header "From:" to include the name you specify as the value.

You may print the value of an input parameter by providing its name in the following form: #Input Tag Name#. The example

<input type=hidden name="autoresponse_name" value="#First Name#">

will print the value of First Name submitted as the name of who the autoresponse is from in the header.

5.3 Reserved Word: "autoresponse_subject"

<input type=hidden name="autoresponse_subject" value="any line to print as the autoresponse email subject">

This input parameter tells ACS form mailer to set the email header "Subject:" to the custom value of this input tag instead of the default subject heading.

You may print the value of an input parameter by providing its name in the following form: #Input Tag Name#. The example

<input type=hidden name="autoresponse_subject" value="#First Name#">

will print the value of First Name submitted in the email autoresponse subject heading.

5.4 Reserved Word: "autoresponse_verbose"

<input type=hidden name="autoresponse_verbose" value="Yes">

This input parameter tells ACS form mailer to suppress including the contents of the submitted form in the autoresponse email message.

5.5 Reserved Word: "autoresponse_hidden"

<input type=hidden name="autoresponse_hidden" value="any line to print in email">

This input parameter tells ACS form mailer to provide the value in the body of the autoresponse email message. This allows you to customize the autoresponse message. You may include multiple tags for multiple lines. Provide a value of " " to print a blank line.

You may print the value of an input parameter by providing its name in the following form: #Input Tag Name#. The example

<input type=hidden name="autoresponse_hidden" value="#First Name#,">

will print the value of First Name submitted and a comma on one line of the the email message.

6.0 Reserved Input Tags within the Form

There are also other input fields that you may wish to use in your form. These allow the submitter to provide their name and and return email address to you in the email header (so that you can automatically reply to the message by email) and to allow you to format the contents of the form when its emailed to you.

6.1 Reserved Word: "hidden"

<input type=hidden name="hidden" value="any line to print in email">

This tag will tell ACS form mailer to prints its value without printing its name "hidden:" in the email that is emailed to you and in autoresponses. The value "hr" has special meaning and will print a horizontal rule, around 70 dashes.

6.2 Reserved Word: "Name"

<input name="Name"> Name

Any input field with this name will provide its value as who the email message is from in the email message header. Case is ignored meaning that you may use capital letters if you wish.