To save submitted forms from your published Web site to a text file on your web server, we have included a CGI script called Forms-Handler.CGI. This .CGI file ensures that once a visitor to your site enters data in the fields of your form and submits the form, the following will happen:
1. A response message will be sent to their browser.
and
2. Their submitted data will be saved as a text file in a particular location on your Web server.
To use Forms-Handler.CGI, you will need to make settings in NetObjects Fusion as well as installations on your UNIX or Windows NT web server. This readme file, cgi_readme_first.txt, offers a procedure for the settings in Netobjects Fusion. Another readme file, cgi_readme_second.txt, offers options for the required installations on your web server. If you have limited experience with web servers, please forward BOTH of these readme files to your ISP or web server administrator.
Settings in Page View
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1. Create a form in your page by adding form elements from the Forms tool palette.
2. Click on your first form element that can contain data (e.g, a forms edit field,
a multi line field, a check box)
3. In the name field of the Properties palette, type "1"
4. Click on your second form element that can contain data
5. In the name field of the Properties palette, type "2"
6. Repeat this procedure for the remaining fields.
7. Select just one of the form elements
8. Click the Hidden Fields button on the Form Properties palette.
9. Follow this procedure:
Click the + button in the Hidden Fields dialog box
Type "fields" in the Name field and X in the Value field where X is the total number of data-containing elements in your form. Then, click OK.
Click the + button again in the Hidden Fields dialog box
Type "filename" in the Name field and <filename> in the Value field where <filename> is the name of the file where you want to store the submitted forms. Then, click OK.
Click the + button again in the Hidden Fields dialog box
Type "success" in the Name field and http://<yourwebsite>/reply.html in the Value field where http://<yourwebsite>/reply.html is the location of the successful submission html page on your published Web site. You need to create this page (reply.html) separately in Fusion. This page does not necessarily need to be called "reply". Then, click OK.
Click the + button again in the Hidden Fields dialog box
Type "error" in the Name field and http://<yourwebsite>/error.html in the Value field where http://<yourwebsite>/error.html is the location of the error html page on your published Web site. You need to create this page (error.html) separately in Fusion. Then, click OK.
Click OK to close the Hidden Fields dialog box.
NOTE: If any of the fields in your form are "required" for a successful submission, then make sure you follow these additional steps:
9a) Click the + button again in the Hidden Fields dialog box
Type "<file number>a" in the Name field and "TRUE" in the Value field where "<field number>" is the required value for a successful submission. For example, if field 1 is required for a successful submission, type "1a" in the Name field "TRUE" in the Value field. If field 2 is also required, type "2a" in the Name field and "TRUE" in the Value field. Then, click OK. Repeat this as many times as necessary given the total number of required fields in your form.
9b) Click OK to close the Hidden Fields dialog box.
10. Click the Settings button in the form section of the properties dialog.
11. Click on the File Browse button and select Forms-Handler.cgi. This file is located in Program Files/NetObjects Fusion/Parts/SmartObjects/cgi.
12. In the Action field, type the full URL of where the cgi script needs to be on your web server (e.g. http://www.domainname.com/cgi-bin/Forms-Handler.cgi). If you not know the domain name of your server or the path for the cgi scripts, please contact your ISP or web server administrator.
13. Verify that the Post radio button is selected.
14. Click OK
Settings in Publish View
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1. Click the Publish button in the navigation control bar.
2. Click the Settings button (or its corresponding picture) and then click the Publish tab.
3. Click the Remote radio button and then click Configure (this button is immediately to the right of Remote).
4. In the Remote Host field, enter the name of your web server (e.g., www.domainname.com). Contact your ISP or web server administrator for the precise name if you are not sure.
5. In the Base Directory field, enter the location of the top level page (e.g., users/myname). All the files that comprise your published site will be copied immediately below this level.
6. In the CGI Directory field, type the full path of where the cgi script directory is in your web server. The directory for Forms-Handler.cgi needs to be a sub-directory of the Base Directory. If you do not know the domain or the path for cgi scripts, please contact your ISP or web server administrator. Also, refer to cgi_readme_second.txt for more information.
7. In the Name field, enter your name.
8. In the Password field, enter your password.
9. If your web server is UNIX-based and you have spaces in your page names, check the "Replace spaces with _" checkbox and select .html from the extension pull down menu.
Using your own CGI scripts with Fusion
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If you have access to other CGI scripts that handle forms and wish to use them instead of Forms-Handler.CGI, please use this procedure:
Settings in Page View
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1. Create a form in your page by adding form elements from the Forms tool palette.
2. Click on any form element to activate the Form Properties palette.
3. Click the Settings button in the form section of the Properties palette.
4. Click on the File Browse button and select your CGI script (NOTE: This step is optional if your CGI script is already installed on the Web server).
5. If your CGI script is already installed on the Web server, Enter the path to it in the Action field.
6. Click either the Post radio button or Get radio button.
Settings in Publish View
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1. Click the Publish button in the navigation control bar.
2. Click the Settings button (or its corresponding picture) and then click the Publish tab.
3. Click the Remote radio button and then click Configure (this button is immediately to the right of Remote).
4. In the Remote Host field, enter the name of your web server (e.g., www.domainname.com). Contact your ISP or web server administrator for the precise name if you are not sure.
5. In the Base Directory field, enter the location of the top level page (e.g., users/myname). All the files that comprise your published site will be copied immediately below this level.
6. In the CGI Directory field, type the full path of where the cgi script directory is in your web server. If you do not know the domain or the path for cgi scripts, please contact your ISP or web server administrator. Also, refer to cgi_readme_second.txt for more information.
7. In the Name field, enter your name.
8. In the Password field, enter your password.
9. If your web server is UNIX-based and you have spaces in your page names, check the "Replace spaces with _" checkbox and select .html from the extension pull down menu.
Once the above settings have been made in BOTH Page View and Publish View, regardless of which form handling CGI script you use, PERL5 and other files need to be installed on your Web server. These procedures are outlined in cgireadme_second.txt.
