Defined:
Guest books are html documents that get updated by visiting guests. Some
sites allow users to directly update the page with a cgi program, while others require the
guest to submit comments via e-mail so the site administrator can "screen"
inappropriate entries.
Prime Choice's guestbook program is written in "C". It allows
direct updating of a specified html document and optionally emails the the entry to the
web administrator. This way the administrator only has to manually update the document to
remove inappropriate entries. All entries and email are "FORMATTED" so you
control what goes in the book and how it looks!
Demonstration
How To:
You'll want to get several files from Prime Choice. Then follow these
instructions. In the end, YOU have to design and build you guestbook the way you want it!
Design the htm/html document to contain the guestbook entries! The
document can contain the submission form like the Prime Choice example, or can be a
separate document! See the Prime Choice guestbook
for an example.
At the place you want the comments inserted, place the following comment!
<!--INSERT_HERE-->
It is preferable that this be on a separte line. Front Page users (like
myself) may have a difficult time doing this, and may have problems. I initially create
the page with FrontPage then edit it manually to get the <!--INSERT_HERE--> on a
separate line!
MAKE THE FILE WRITEABLE TO EVERYONE! The file must be
updateable in order for visitors to add their comments. If you have a shell account and
know how to do this great. If not, you can use the account administration forms located here.
Build a submission form. Again, this can be in the guestbook document or
in a separate form. Each aspect of the form is detailed below, to better understand what
you are doing, please view the source of the the Prime Choice guestbook
and print.
FORM Action:
<form action="http://www.primechoice.com/cgi-bin/guestbook"
method="POST">
REQUIRED FIELD gb_file:
"gb_file" This field tells where the actual htm/html document
is located.
For all Prime Choice non virtual customers this will be /web/guide/primechoice.com/youracct/yourdoc.htm
For all Prime Choice Virtual customers this will be
/web/guide/youracct/yourdoc.htm
EXAMPLE:
<input type="hidden" name="gb_file"
value="/web/guide/primechoice.com/guestbook.htm">
REQUIRED FIELD gb_format:
"gb_format" This field tells where the guestbook format file is
located
For all Prime Choice non virtual customers this will be /web/guide/primechoice.com/youracct/yourdoc.fmt
For all Prime Choice Virtual customers this will be
/web/guide/youracct/yourdoc.fmt
EXAMPLE:
<input type="hidden" name="gb_format"
value="/web/guide/primechoice.com/guestbook.fmt">
REQUIRED FIELD url_redirect:
"url_redirect" This field tells where to take the user after
the guestbook submission
For all Prime Choice non virtual customers this will be http://www.primechoice.com/youracct/yourdoc.htm
For all Prime Choice Virtual customers this will be
http://www.youracct.com/yourdoc.htm
EXAMPLE:
<input type="hidden" name="url_redirect"
value="http://www.primechoice.com/guestbook.htm">
OPTIONAL FIELD required_fields:
"required_fields" This field enforces the certian fields are
filled in by the user
EXAMPLE:
<input type="hidden" name="required_fields"
value="gb_name,email_from,gb_comments"><input
OPTIONAL FIELD email_to:
"email_to" Use this field if you want entries e-mailed
somewhere. If you use this field there will be other required fields relating to the
form-mail aspects of the guestbook program. Contains the e-mail address where you want the
e-mail to go!
EXAMPLE:
<input type="hidden" name="email_to"
value="guestbook@primechoice.com">
OPTIONAL/REQUIRED FIELD email_format:
"email_format" This field is REQUIRED if you have included an
"email_to" field.
This field tells where the e-mail format file is located
For all Prime Choice non virtual customers this will be /web/guide/primechoice.com/youracct/yourdoc.email
For all Prime Choice Virtual customers this will be
/web/guide/youracct/yourdoc.email
EXAMPLE:
<input type="hidden" name="email_format"
value="/opt/web/guide/primechoice.com/guestbook.email">
OPTIONAL/OPTIONAL FIELD email_subject:
"email_subject" This field is optional and only used if you
have included an "email_to" field. This fields specifies the
subject of the email that is sent!
EXAMPLE:
<input type="hidden" name="email_subject"
value="Guest Book Entry Submitted">
OPTIONAL/OPTIONAL FIELD email_from:
"email_from" This field is optional and only used if you have
included an "email_to" field. This fields specifies the users
e-mail id. Remember they could be lying!
EXAMPLE:
<input type="text" size="30"
name="email_from">
Create a Guest Book format file! This is the file that specifies which
fields to put in the guestbook and how the are formatted. The best way to decide what html
code to use is to build a sample entry in a document. Then remove the text and insert the
field formatting information
FIELD NAME SPECIFICATION:
Field names are specified by using the exact field names as are in the submission form
with preceding and trailing "@" sign. NO SPACES! Embed the desired HTML code and
spacing around the fields.
EXAMPLE of the Prime Choice Guest Book Format File!
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>"@gb_comments@" <em>@gb_name@</em> <a
href="mailto:@email_from@">@email_from@</a> </p>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
If you are e-mailing notices create a e-mail format file! This is the
file that specifies which fields mailed back and how they are formatted.
FIELD NAME SPECIFICATION:
Field names are specified by using the exact field names as are in the submission form
with preceding and trailing "@" sign. NO SPACES!
EXAMPLE of the Prime Choice Guest Book Format File!
Name: @gb_name@
From: @email_from@
Comments: @gb_comments@
Defined:
Add-A-Link pages html documents that get updated by visiting guests. Some
sites allow users to directly update the page with a cgi program, while others require the
visitor to submit links via e-mail so the site administrator can "screen"
inappropriate entries.
Prime Choice's implements add-a-link pages with the guestbook described
above. It allows direct updating of a specified html document and optionally emails the
the entry to the web administrator. This way the administrator only has to manually update
the document to remove inappropriate entries. All entries and email are
"FORMATTED" so you control what goes in the book and how it looks!
Demonstration
How To:
You'll want to get several files from Prime Choice. Then follow these
instructions. In the end, YOU have to design and build you add-a-link the way you want it!
The ONLY differences between add-a-link and
guestbook are the way the html documents are formatted. For the actual
description on how to implement the add-a-link program, see the guestbook description
above. Reference the add-a-link demonstration and add-a-link documents for specifics.
