Re: form to email script

> I have taken over the administration of a website.  The site is on an NT
> server.  All I've used previously has been UNIX.  The customer wants a
form
> on the site.  There was not one on it previously.  I can code it with no
> problems.  What I need is a means to send the results.  Again, I've only
> used Matt's formmail in the past.  I have found an NT version of Matt's,
> but it needs to know where the sendmail.exe file is.  I've been told I can
> add that to the cgi-bin myself.  Is that something I want to do, and where
> would I find it?   I have asked the tech support people about forms and
> they said it was no problem -- just do such and so with FrontPage.  I
> explained that I don't use FrontPage.  They acted like I was an
> alien.  Anybody have any good sources for NT form to email scripts?

Short answer: contact your webhost company for information because specific
setups vary greatly and only they know the answer here.

Long answer:  They probably don't know how to get Perl scripts running since
they live in an MS-centric world.  Most NT hosts have their own software for
this. It is probably somewhat easier to do this using a pre-canned ASP
script, which most hosts have. Usually these scripts are built to run
inherently with JMail or similar ASP script that enables them. There are
several popular ASP scripts that handle forms. You edit them in a couple
spots just like you would a Perl script changing a path here and an email
address  there.

Warning!  I found that many of these only work with an official email
address from that host company like support(at)mycompany.com.  An outside email
address won't work.

I have also found it is hard to get implemented having worked with two NT
IIS hosts now.  Although  they advertise themselves as ASP hosts, they
usually don't enable ASP unless asked to. One has to ask why you would sign
up for a service and then have to ask for it to be turned on.

Same thing with their form or email support.  I also find they usually are
not sharp enough to help you and rely on canned help files or refer you to
another website for information.  Having set up an ASP shopping cart at two
hosts now I am underwhelmed with the support you get from typical ASP host
companies.  Configuration was a step-by-step process requiring their
configuration or at least information at every step.

NT hosts typically charge a lot more for hosting services and as a rule are
much less able to support you than the typical Unix/Linix with Apache host
company.

The .NET initiative Microsoft is currently involved in does not give me a
warm fuzzy feeling about the future of the Internet and XML as told by MS.
ASP has been out there years and it's still floundering around with poor
support.  .NET sounds great but MS has had too many failures in the last ten
years.  It will be a very interesting next few years.

Paul Wilson
webgooru(at)gte.net

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