The One-Script Advantage

There are many reasons to rely on one CGI script to perform a variety of functions on your website: reasonable cost, familiarity with the script, no extra installation issues. Probably the biggest advantage for the busy webmaster is the speed and ease of getting your forms functioning.

So what can you do with our versatile script? Check out these ideas.

~~ Subscription

Let's suppose you want a subscription form on your site; not the generic one that your list service provides, but something that asks for additional information such as the subscriber's favorite color and whether or not s/he is interested in paper airplanes.

An email would need to be sent to the list server to record the new subscription. To accomplish that, the email's "From:" header line would need the email address of the subscriber and maybe also the subscriber's name. You could put your own address in the "Cc:" line to have a copy of the form contents emailed to yourself.

No problem. We have a "one-script" solution.

You might want the subscriber's email and other form answers stored in a tab- or comma-delimited flat file database for later importing into the database program on your computer. No problem. Database formats are customizable, too.

~~ Sweepstakes

Let's suppose another form you're wanting is a sweepstakes. You're limiting one entry per person, so you want some way to catch the cheaters.

You can log the IP address along with email, name, and other form data in a flat file database, like above. Later, you can import into your own database program, sort on the IP address field, and spot duplicates.

If you want to be really picky about duplicates, you could use some JavaScript cookie code to insert a unique identifier into a hidden form field. The hidden form field can be made "required," which would cause an error message unless both JavaScript and cookies are turned on. Later, if more than one instance of the same identifier is found in the database, you've spotted yourself a cheater!

~~ Recommend

Maybe you would like a "recommend me" function for your site.

The "one-script" solution makes it easy.

Simply customize the outgoing email message to your liking, possibly with a spot for a message the site visitor may write to the friend. You can "Bcc:" yourself, if you want, and/or store the emails, names, etc in a database for later retrieval.

~~ Auto-responder

Let's suppose you have several auto-responders set up, and you would like a form with checkboxes so your site visitors can request more information.

Specify the value="_____" for the form checkboxes to the email addresses of your auto-responders. Then the selected addresses can be listed on the "To:" line separated with commas.

~~ Paper Forms

If you have a copy of a paper form on your site that people can print out, an apartment rental or product distributorship application for example, then you might want to fill in some of the blanks for them before they print it.

Have them fill out a web page form with the required information and then present a custom "thankyou" page that is actually the off-line form simulation with the information already inserted.

~~ Multi-page Forms

If you have a form asking for so much information that the page is really huge, it might be more palatable to your site visitors if it were presented as multiple pages. Or, your form may have logical groups that are better presented in multiple pages, such as a genealogical questionnaire where each parent of a family is asked to provide similar types of information.

~~ Feedback

Visitor comment or feedback forms are commonplace, allowing site visitors to communicate kudos, suggestions, and other comments to site owners. For this, or any of the above-mentioned types of forms, a "thankyou" page personalized with the visitor's name can be presented whenever the form is used.

What it Is

What is this magical script? Master Form, one of the favorite commercial CGI programs in the Master Series. [Note: the current version of this software is Master Form V4]

Master Form doesn't do file uploads. *Yet.* It doesn't do mathematical calculations on specific form fields. *Yet.* Those features are planned for the next version. [The upgrade has been completed. It now has those features.] But it does just about anything else related to collecting, storing, emailing, and presenting form information.

A Closer Look

One way to grasp the potentials of a program is to read the manual. Master Form is very versatile, and its manual reflects that fact.

At the product description page, you can also play with a demonstration and/or download an example multi-page form with personalized "thankyou" page.

Simplify your life!

Will Bontrager