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I would like to be able to organise a dinner party or meeting among a
few friends using my web site. Ideally, the HTML page would display a
table in which the rows were proposed dates and times and the columns
contained a small integer which indicated each persons availability
for that appointment ranging from "that's the best for me" to "can't
come then". A drop down list with some equivalent text would be even
better. Ideally, my friends would be able to update the table from
their browser.

I don't think that it is possible because my ISP does not permit me to
add server-side code to my site. I am limited to a few megabytes of
disk space and some canned CGI scripts. Is there a way of achieving
something similar by having each friend fill in the "form" and send
the completed form to me via email so that I can manually update the
web page? The solution does not need to be pure HTML; a Java applet
would be OK. Alternatively, maybe there is a web site that would
handle all this for me?

David Segall wrote:

> I don't think that it is possible because my ISP does not permit me to
> add server-side code to my site. I am limited to a few megabytes of
> disk space and some canned CGI scripts. Is there a way of achieving
> something similar by having each friend fill in the "form" and send
> the completed form to me via email so that I can manually update the
> web page?

Assuming that one of the canned CGI scripts is a mailer, then this would
be possible, but it might be better to consider going for a web host which
supports PHP or CGI or something. There are one or two free ones out
there, otherwise it will probably be cheaper than you'd expect.

--
Toby A Inkster BSc (Hons) ARCS
Contact Me - http://www.goddamn.co.uk/tobyink/?id=132

David Segall wrote:
> I would like to be able to organise a dinner party or meeting among a
> few friends using my web site. Ideally, the HTML page would display a
> table in which the rows were proposed dates and times and the columns
> contained a small integer which indicated each persons availability
> for that appointment ranging from "that's the best for me" to "can't
> come then". A drop down list with some equivalent text would be even
> better. Ideally, my friends would be able to update the table from
> their browser.
>
> I don't think that it is possible because my ISP does not permit me to
> add server-side code to my site. I am limited to a few megabytes of
> disk space and some canned CGI scripts. Is there a way of achieving
> something similar by having each friend fill in the "form" and send
> the completed form to me via email so that I can manually update the
> web page? The solution does not need to be pure HTML; a Java applet
> would be OK. Alternatively, maybe there is a web site that would
> handle all this for me?

What a nice idea.

I'll bet that one of the canned CGI scripts on your server is a form
handler. That would do the trick with radio buttons, check boxes, drop down
options and free-text entry areas.

Information here

http://www.davesite.com/webstation/html/chap17.shtml

If you can't find a form handling script on the server,and *if* you know
that everyone of your potential dinner guests has a browser with an
associated email programme and that they aren't going to start popping into
internet cafes to contact you, use WAP phones or any of that other stuff -
you could use mailto. It opens up the user's email program and sends the
form data to your email address. e.g.

<form action="private.php?do=newpm&u=" method="POST"
enctype="text/plain">

This is not a recommended action for general web pages, and I'm bracing
myself for the comments for having suggested it - so, to balance that up,
please see http://www.isolani.co.uk/articles/mailto.html You'll get odd
characters in your email indicating spaces, etc... but, given the above
conditions, the data will get to you, perhaps a little inelegantly but
that's way better than not having a feedback form.

In general terms, you'll find some useful links at:
http://personalweb.about.com/cs/feedbackemail/index.htm including ready made
forms.


--
PeterMcC
If you feel that any of the above is incorrect,
inappropriate or offensive in any way,
please ignore it and accept my apologies.

Hi David:

I write programs and remote host them on my site. If $2.00 per month is in
your budget. Drop by my site www.web-site-builder.com and leave me a note
with your e-mail address.

Al

"David Segall" <> wrote in message
news:...
> I would like to be able to organise a dinner party or meeting among a
> few friends using my web site. Ideally, the HTML page would display a
> table in which the rows were proposed dates and times and the columns
> contained a small integer which indicated each persons availability
> for that appointment ranging from "that's the best for me" to "can't
> come then". A drop down list with some equivalent text would be even
> better. Ideally, my friends would be able to update the table from
> their browser.
>
> I don't think that it is possible because my ISP does not permit me to
> add server-side code to my site. I am limited to a few megabytes of
> disk space and some canned CGI scripts. Is there a way of achieving
> something similar by having each friend fill in the "form" and send
> the completed form to me via email so that I can manually update the
> web page? The solution does not need to be pure HTML; a Java applet
> would be OK. Alternatively, maybe there is a web site that would
> handle all this for me?
>
>
>
>