Web Email Lite v2.09
Web Email Distribution List v2.04
Reference Document
Contents
1.0 Introduction
An introduction is provided for this program to introduce the software.
Instructions for installation and configuration of the scripts are provided
in the source code of the scripts. The remainder of the configuration
of the scripts are done through HTML so that you may use one installation
for multiple forms and multiple email lists.
Web Email Distribution List will automatically create necessary files
once a directory is created for the lists to be indexed and stored and
when you first add an email address to a list. You will want to provide
the Web server necessary permissions to write to this directory.
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, including
the to, cc, and bcc fields.
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 atleast the "next_url"
parameter.
When sending to an email list, the script will fork a separate process
to send all the emails and will allow an immediate response back to the
user that the operation is completed.
My apologies for no demonstrations or more information. These scripts
are no longer being supported but are made available for those that understand
the concepts in CGI programming and understand what the scripts do.
2.0 Basic Features
Basic parameters include the hidden input fields name "to", "next_url",
"subject", "cc", and "bcc".
2.1 Reserved Word: "to"
<input type=hidden name="to" value="you@yourdomain.com, somoneelse@yourdomain.com">
The input parameter "to" tells what email address(es) to email the form.
You may use multiple email addresses by separating them with a comma.
Typically the value will be your email address.
Multiple instances, such as checkboxes, will be parsed.
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 Web Email Lite 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.
2.4 Reserved Word: "cc"
<input type=hidden name="cc" value="someone@somewhere.com">
The input parameter "cc" tells Web Email Lite who to carbon copy the
email message. Separate multiple email addresses with a comma.
Multiple instances, such as checkboxes, will be parsed.
2.5 Reserved Word: "bcc"
<input type=hidden name="bcc" value="someone@somewhere.com">
The input parameter "bcc" tells Web Email Lite who to blind carbon copy
the email message. Separate multiple email addresses with a comma.
Multiple instances, such as checkboxes, will be parsed.
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 Web Email Lite 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 Web Email Lite 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 Web Email Lite 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 Web Email Lite 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 Web Email Lite 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_email"
<input type=hidden name="autoresponse_email" value="you@yourdomain.com">
This input parameter tells Web Email Lite to set the email header "Reply-to:"
to the custom email address(es) provided as the value instead of the default
email addresses specified in who the email is sent to. Separate multiple
email addresses with a comma.
5.4 Reserved Word: "autoresponse_subject"
<input type=hidden name="autoresponse_subject" value="any line
to print as the autoresponse email subject">
This input parameter tells Web Email Lite 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.
5.5 Reserved Word: "autoresponse_verbose"
<input type=hidden name="autoresponse_verbose" value="Yes">
This input parameter tells Web Email Lite to suppress including the contents
of the submitted form in the autoresponse email message.
5.6 Reserved Word: "autoresponse_hidden"
<input type=hidden name="autoresponse_hidden" value="any line
to print in email">
This input parameter tells Web Email Lite 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 Web Email Lite 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: "Email" or "E-mail"
<input name="Email"> Email Address
Any input field with this name will provide its value as the return email
address in the email message header. Case is ignored meaning that you
may use capital letters if you wish. Web Email Lite checks to make sure
an valid email address is provided. If it is not, "[Invalid]" will appear
as the persons name in the "From:" email header and the "Reply-to" field
will be set to the hidden input field "to" as a means of sending the email
back to sender.
6.3 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.
A.0 Web Email Distribution List
This extension is provided as its own CGI script. See the instructions
for setting up this extension. The email distribution list will sort email
addresses alphabetically in the email. It will also only add properly
formed email addresses to the list.
A.1 Reserved Word: "List Name"
<input type=hidden name="List Name" value="any name">
This tells the script what email list this form uses. Any name may be
used. However, the add, send, and remove forms for any particular list
must all use the exact same name for the script to recognize the list.
A.2 Reserved Word: "List Action"
<input type=hidden name="List Action" value="[see table]">
This tells the script what action is to be performed with the list name
provided. The following chart describes each action. If you are not happy
with the functionality, email me and tell me so that I may improve on
the functionality. The following values may be provided for the action.
add - Tells the script to add the value specified by the "Email"
or "E-mail" tags to the email list. If a matching value is provided for
a "password" and "verify_password" tag, these passwords are encrypted
with the email address so that only the administrator or user may remove
the email address from the list. A file is created in the list directory
if an email address is being added for the first time with the "List Name"
provided. This file is indexed by another file which an automatically
generated file number is created followed by the "List Name". If the index
file does not exist, it is also created.
remove - Tells the script to remove the value specified by the
"Email" or "E-mail" tags to the email list. If a password exists for the
email address, the email address will only be removed if a valid password
is provided and submitted for the email address as a value of the input
tag named "password".
send - Last but definately not least, tells the script to email
everyone on the list. The values of "Email" or "E-mail" tells the script
who is sending the message. "Name" tells the name of who is sending the
message. "subject" specifies the subject of the message. "message" specifies
the message being emailed. You may include a hidden signature file that
will include a signature regarding the list, such as a url reminding how
they can remove themselves from the list. "signature" specifies the signature
text to include.
A.3 Reserved Word: "suppress_footer"
<input type=hidden name="suppress_footer" value="Yes">
This input parameter set to any value will suppress including footer
on email sends from a hidden form to hide the refering URL of private
sends.
A.4 Reserved Word: "admin_password"
<input name="admin_password">
This input parameter will allow you to make a form private by having
to enter a password with the form which is configured in the script.
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