version 2.07c

Upgrades - Version 2.07"c" contains some worthwhile additions added over the last few months not announced here and not included in the readme and modread pages - but supplied with text file supplements.

• ennyForms ALSO subscribes to PC or ListMerge
• Plain / HTML compatible mail list options.
• Address list merging ListMerge bulk mails optioned Plain / HTML mailouts.
• E-Lists subscribes to PC or ListMerge Plain / HTML compatible mail list options.
• and allows Subscribers to return and swap to the alternative!

Version 2.07 was a simple upgrade from 2.06 adding another subscriber list format, default format override, AND the ability to allow users to select Plain Text OR HTML formatted mail when using ListMerge v2+ for your mail-outs.

Version 2.06 was internally rearranged with a couple of minor bug fixes and new options. With UN-subscribing now included ennyForms configuration is now fully compatible with current E-Lists and ListMerge.

ennyForms Perl 5 CGI is a versatile free-to-use Feedback Form or Mail Form type script that goes beyond the standard form-mail programs and will handle most mail form needs on web sites... a unique system that allows regular upgrades via ennyForms "modules".

• Regular feedback indicates ennyForms is very popular with developers of large sites; many possible form variations depend on your needs / imagination. If you like and use current ennyForms you will love v2.1.

V2.03 NOTE:.. was a new release with DB time/date/referer record field additions, removal of any empty labels returned by the browser (option), and allowed almost unlimited sorted form objects using double sort-characters instead of the previous single character. EnnyForms has become very popular and now 2.06 is here with more useful new options.

Among the few hidden tag options, just one will mostly control these tasks:

• show error if address exists and stop submission - subscribe option
• save input to database files
• add quote marks to delimited data base fields
• send a full copy of visitor input back to the visitor
• include a unique reference number in the output
• block all "confirmation / thank-you" e-mail
• ignore any null (empty) objects returned by the browser
• swap program URL to SSL secure server URL for preview
• "scramble" selected input to visitors response e-mail
• also scramble "scrambled" input to webmasters e-mail
• block Preview option and go straight to "success" page
• block all e-mail to the webmaster
• exclude form results from webmasters notification
• additional text file included / not included in same-name forms

**Ron Woolley was first and has since '98 used a time option in all publicly available programs (via a common file) which allows your host to move to another leased space shared server loft WITHOUT interfering with a programs time stamping and even without your knowledge, which you can set to your local time just once no matter where your site is located. You can even change hosts anywhere on the globe and simply move your files to the new server without worrying about forgetting time stamp changes!!

• If upgrading you will need to replace the program and all 'require' files, plus 3 new require files, plus add new variables. The Subscribe option will need the addition of an extra two characters in the Subscribe object value - existing forms.

also available; a sequential multi-form handler - ie multi page input

• One program handles most mail forms and database saving
Most scripts often referred to as Feedback Forms or Mail Forms have but one purpose, to send submitted html form information directly via e-mail servers without manipulating* the data in any way (*which mostly requires expensive dedicated programming).

 professional installations
for those willing to support my free-to-use programs.

ennyForms is designed to handle submitted information from almost any mail form without having to set up the script for each form, set up multiple large templates, or include an abundance of hidden input values. All you have to do is design each form in your html editor, and when finished add a few characters to each Input-Tag "name". A few options do use form dependent auxiliary files.

The object names become sorted labels in both an optional preview page, before sending, and the formatted text of both the users and your received mail - to one common, or form dependent, address - the "mailto" option remains but is now redundant with the new multi-recipient option.... NO address(es) in forms.

• Multiple "recipients"
Each form has the ability to over ride the default webmasters e-mail address with a simple one line list of one or more e-mail addresses for multiple recipient receiving of a forms input. This is NOT included in the form as a hidden tag! Similar to "CarbonCopy" addressing the program sends to each individually rather than rely on the often unpredicatability of normal CC usage via CGI.

• User Selected Recipient(s) was included from v2.06. Like the multi recipient method selectable recipient files can each send to multiple addresses, except this option allows the user to unknowingly select applicable hidden address(es) from a drop list or radio button group - each address file only has to be created once; all site forms can then use them.

• The default e-mail address(es) is NOT included in the forms html code so as to hide it from spam robots; this is a major weakness with most other form-to-mail type programs [ applicable to ALL addressing - single / multi recipient and user selected ricipient(s) ]. v2.04 replaced each forms old "mailto" address-override option if it has been implemented, with a new mulit-recipient option - cc. The original "mailto" method remains enabled

• All e-mail addresses (default and recipient lists) can include a name / alias with each address in mail headers - new v2.06.

• ennyForms can accept multiple selections from drop-down menu lists or multiple check boxes (using the MULTIPLE attribute in a menu SELECT object or same-name check boxes) with ouput shown neatly seperated by an asterisk; output is much easier to read by staff ie "Choice: one * two * five * seven".

• Place hidden input tags between form sections to visually separate the info in the output - easier for staff to read... ie an object value (hidden or menu list) of just a space " " will be sent by browsers but the space stripped by ennyForms!

Unique Simple Totalling
v2.05 included the ability to simply "total" or add numeric input values and display / db save the total - useful for simple order forms.

• Multi-recipients are enabled simply by the existence of a form-specific file.

• Extra response texts enabled simply by the existence of a form-specific file.
   NOTE: This was activated in v2.05 but had a couple of bugs and was missing from the readme pages. The separate text file now completely replaces all texts above the simple footer lines, works in both the simple auto response mail and the /C/ input copy auto response mail, and can be switched on/off for forms using the same form name (new "opts" switch).

• E-mail List Subscribing and UN-Subscribing can be selected via a checkbox or pre-set via a hidden tag - selectable > all input blocked if address exists.
...existing addresses are excluded automatically from lists. The hidden subscribe option can be used to stop multiple form submissions.

• E-Mail lists can be formatted to be compatible with the E-Lists and ListMerge programs (see program pages) OR local PC based personalised mail merging... ie address, address/name, name/address, address/name/date. This has been updated in version 2.06 in line with the latest programs above.

• Therefore it is possible to have a full form ALSO subscribing to the same list(s) as E-Lists!

• Use ennyForms for simple on-line orders - but not shopping carts!
Added to v2.04 are two new "Field Marker" options that allow either the hiding of individual input data from the "opts= C" full form auto returned e-mail, OR the scrambling of individual input data by converting characters to an "x" in the full form auto response ie "1234 5678 9012 3456" becomes "xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx" These options have been added for the many sites using ennyForms via an SSL server, but can replace any characters - not just Credit Card numbers. and will now "total" specific numeric fields.

• There is also a simple method added at v2.04 for changing text database saved field delimiting characters from the pipe ( | ), to Tab, or Comma ( , ). Input lengths can be easily checked for older browser users. Don't underestimate the value of this method as many browsers still ignore the input objects "maxlength" attribute and allow the copy & paste of bulk texts!.

...and yes, ennyForms will still handle the simplest feedback forms!!

• Don't just add links to your mail-outs! - using LnkinLite to generate counted link code and including that URL link in ennyForms auto-response texts you can track promo links and so forth.

• if using "Listmerge" to bulk mail-out to E-Lists (new window samples) compatible ennyForms subscriber lists, then by also creating named links via the LnkinLite program the link code is generated suitable for including it in the ListMerge saved mailing texts for each list (or any other similar PC / Browser mail merging program). You can then have a "response check" by counting the response success rate for any number of return or promo links included in mail-outs - see what works, what needs changing next time, etc.

Because it is a simple separate program LnkinLite can be used for other external/internal link and file download counting too!

The next major upgrade of ennyForms will include new methods.

From version 2.0 - included additional 'modules' for:

1. several variations of subscriber e-mail list saving (E-Lists / ListMerge compatible),

2. optional default thank-you page headers / footers / banners,

3. use your own "thank-you" pages if needed,

4. mail-return-input-to-visitor option - and add extra text for each form,

5. two save-to-database options,

6. an included reference "quote" number option,

7. plus enhanced output pages from the last versions

AND

all this (except banners) are separately set up for every form used by the program.

A Unix script, there are two small configuration 'require' files attached and the "works" are fairly simple The detailed readme.htm describes the easy Field Marking used for required input and display / e-mail formatting of all entries

NOTE: These scripts are created as working programs for webmasters, and not the common "play with and learn" free scripts found on some sites. If you are affronted by this, then please use someone else's programs.

All programs include utilities to check Unix perl version, plus create and chmod directories and files - works on most sites - and a detailed HTML help page.

NOTE: Peopl who do not understand multiple cgi sub directory paths and permissions can have problems installing and often blame program bugs! - as above; these programs are for intermediate level experienced web masters.