Using ColdFusion Email Script

Step 1: Create your form

Here is the HTML for a sample form:

Just copy the text in the box above and paste it into the HTML of a blank web page. If your are using FrontPage, you will need to click on the HTML tab located beside the Normal and Preview tabs in the bottom left corner before you paste the text.  

Step 2: Create the mailto to Script

Here is an example of an easy Cold Fusion mailto Script that works with the sample form above. The entries in CAPITAL LETTERS are the ones you replace with your information. You will also be filling in the body of the script based on the fields you use in your form. This is explained in detail below. The form above is only a sample form. You can add more fields, remove fields, and/or rename fields.  

IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not use the IP address of your email server as that will not work. Preferable method is to use the IP address of your WEB server. You can locate that IP in your original welcome email under the FTP section or by doing a ping on your domain name.

The basics are pretty clear here. Just copy the text in the box above and paste it into NOTEPAD. Do not use a word processor like Microsoft Word or Works. This will add extra formatting characters that the script will not recognize.

Enter the From Address, To Address, Subject, and Confirmation Page address. The From Address will be the person's email address who filled out the form, therefore you must have an email field on your form. The example above and below show sample email fields. If you do not want to include an email field on your form, then just enter an email address using the same format as the To Address. The Confirmation Page address must include the http:// or https:// depending on whether you are using a secure or non-secure page.

The body part of the email will list the form field names. Let's say you have the following form field names: FirstName, LastName, Address, Email. The body part of the email would appear as:

First Name : #form.FirstName#
Last Name : #form.LastName#
Address : #form.Address1#
Email : #form.email#

The #form part inserts the form field data that the customer entered in the form. The form fields you use for your form do not have to include the same fields and field names as the examples given above. You can use any number of fields and various types of field names as long as the names do not contain any spaces. If you did not use the sample form, but instead created your form from scratch in FrontPage, the easiest way to get a complete list of all the fields in your form is to view the for properties: Right click on the form and choose "Form Properties" from the menu. Select the "Options" button in the bottom left. Click on the last tab called "Saved Fields". You will see a complete list of all the fields used in your form. Copy these field names and add them to your email script body as explained above.

Remember that the form field names are case sensitive. That means that #form.firstname# is not the same as #form.FirstName#. Also, make sure there are no spaces or dashes in your form field names. This mail script does not recognize radio buttons or check boxes. You will have to use text boxes, scroll boxes, or drop down boxes only.

Once you've got the script edited to include all of the fields in your form, save the script file as FILENAME.cfm (you can change FILENAME to whatever name you desire). Upload this anywhere in your website or on your secure server. The action= portion of your form should read <form action="FILENAME.cfm" method="post">. If you used the sample form above, you will need to change the action="FILENAME.cfm" part of the HTML to whatever you named the script file.

If you use multiple forms on your web then you will need to create a new FILENAME.cfm for each form using this script.

For FrontPage Users

For people using FrontPage you will need to set the action and method part of the form using the Form Properties. In FrontPage go to your form and right click on it. Choose "Form Properties" from the menu. The following screen will appear:

You will need to select "Where to store results" as "Send to other" as show in the picture above
- Click on the Option button at the bottom and the following screen will appear:

Type FILENAME.cfm (change to whatever you called your script) into the Action box and select the Method as Post.

Your script and form should be finished now and ready to use on your web page.

If you use multiple forms on your web then you will need to create a new FILENAME.cfm for each form using this script.

 

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