Brand new Dreamweaver user - question about SEND/SUBMIT button

Question

Hello, all. Nice to meet you. I'm brand new to dreamweaver,
but not brand new to Design view in Frontpage - LOL.
I can create the basic website, with teh pictures,
thumbnails, multiple page cross links..etc.
My only question is I'm trying to make an application page -
basically a link from the home page that says APPLICATION.
I am familiar with adding text boxes for FIRST NAME/LAST
NAME/NUMBER/BEST TIME TO CALL...etc.
The only problem is I dont know what to do with that.
I don't think it can automatically send an email without smtp
info in the script, but I wouldnt mind letting it create a txt file
or something on the server so I can view it.
Or maybe it can send me an email, who knows.
Is there a really simple way or code I can use to have teh
send button somehow get to my email for me to view comments, names,
contact information...etc?
Remember, total beginner.
TIA

Answer 1

> Remember, total beginner.
The very best thing you can do is to get a good book on HTML
and CSS and
spend some time learning the underlying technology. DW is
very different
from FP, and will expect you to have some of this
understanding under your
belt.
There are only two ways to process form data -
1. Use mailto:[email protected] as the action of the form
2. Use a server-side scripting method to a) harvest the
form's data, b)
process it in some manner, e.g., enter it into a database, c)
formulate and
send an email to one or more email recipients, and d)
redirect the visitor
to some ending page
Method 1 is quite simple, and is also the least reliable. It
depends both
on your visitor having an email client already installed on
their computer -
this eliminates public computers, or home users without email
clients
installed (more and more it seems) - and on the installed
email client
responding to
the mailto call. It is not possible to use this method *and*
send the
visitor to a
thank you page as well.
Method 2a is the preferred method, since it eliminates the
problems of
method
1, but it means that you have to grapple with
server-scripting somehow (ASP,
CF, PHP, perl, etc.).
Method 2b would be to use some third-party form processing,
like
http://www.bebosoft.com/products/formstogo/.
You would have to decide which of these methods is best for
your needs,
but if it's Method 2a, then start by asking your host what
they provide for
form
processing. If it's 2b, then read their FAQ/instructions
carefully.
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Adobe Community Expert
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
http://www.dreamweavermx-templates.com
- Template Triage!
http://www.projectseven.com/go
- DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.dwfaq.com - DW FAQs,
Tutorials & Resources
http://www.macromedia.com/support/search/
- Macromedia (MM) Technotes
==================
"JT6681" <[email protected]> wrote in
message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello, all. Nice to meet you. I'm brand new to
dreamweaver, but not brand
> new
> to Design view in Frontpage - LOL.
> I can create the basic website, with teh pictures,
thumbnails, multiple
> page
> cross links..etc.
>
> My only question is I'm trying to make an application
page - basically a
> link
> from the home page that says APPLICATION.
> I am familiar with adding text boxes for FIRST NAME/LAST
NAME/NUMBER/BEST
> TIME
> TO CALL...etc.
>
> The only problem is I dont know what to do with that.
>
> I don't think it can automatically send an email without
smtp info in the
> script, but I wouldnt mind letting it create a txt file
or something on
> the
> server so I can view it.
>
> Or maybe it can send me an email, who knows.
>
> Is there a really simple way or code I can use to have
teh send button
> somehow
> get to my email for me to view comments, names, contact
information...etc?
>
> Remember, total beginner.
>
> TIA
>