Fancy Guestbook

El Tipo...

We're starting again with a new and different script. The digital running clock had a couple of bugs in it so I've pulled it down and we'll start fresh with a guestbook script. You're going to like this one, too. As soon as I work the bugs out of the other script, we'll get it up and running again.

I expect it to be the script after this one, but if you can't wait and would like to work on the digital clock script yourself, here it is.

Now, we start again with a guestbook script that carries all the bells and whistles.

I'll take this first Script Tip and simply tell you the process, since I know I've posted the next one straightaway.

The guestbook is a simple mailto: format, so all Netscape browsers will run it, but only IE 4.0 or better can get it to work. The process of the guestbook follows this pattern:

• Two prompts are called on right away. They take your name and e-mail address and assign variable names to those two values.

• The guestbook then displays.

• Once the user has filled in the text he or she wants to send to you, they click the button and the rest of the script pops to life.
• The Submit button fires up a function called verify().
• This function opens a second window that contains the user's name and e-mail address plus the text that was written in the TEXTAREA box.
• That information displays in the new window as bold and italic just for effect. And it really looks great, don't you think?
• I know the new window reads that closing the window will send the e-mail: That's not true. The purpose of the new window is to slow people down for a moment so that the server e-mail has the ability to actually send the mail.
• When the mail arrives at your e-mail box, the subject line will read that you have e-mail from Name at E-mail address.

It's a pretty full process. Feel free to add to it or take away parts you don't want attached to it. I wrote the script and I give you free reign over it. Of course, a link back to this script tip would be nice, if you get the notion.

Next Time: Get the Name! Get the E-mail! Put It In The Subject Line!