help - frontpage server extension

hi guys, i'm really confused and could do with some laymans talk.
ok i'm using xp media with office 2000 premium, and have used frontpage to design my site. problem is i created a form from frontpage and when i upload it to my web it doesn't work. it is saying server extension is not installed and this is where i need help. i've been searching for this thing but could really do with a quick answer to this or how do i get around it.

the form i have should be submitted to my email address. Any help always appriciated

The server hosting your site, need to have the FP extensions on it.

great thanks for that can i just check then, i am currently with tiscali but as site is pretty much finished i was looking now to go .com and therefor looking for new server, would you advise one, and if so would they generally have server extension? - sorry hope that made sense
thanks

I never check for server that has FP extension as I can't stand FP and don't understand why anybody would be using them And the other reason is that I'm a faithful client to a friend of mine so ... never looked at other hosting companies.

As for having FP extension by default ... not really. You'll have to look at the features of the plans and check if they have it.

what would you suggest as alternative to FP?

To FP extensions you mean? PHP or .NET.

Any of the programs listed here are a better alternative to FP.
Or if you have the $$$ Dreamweaver is better than FP. Not to be used in design view however. You really need to "learn" how to design a site without the crutch of a WYSWYG program.

ok, i do have dreamweaver but have never used it as it looks way too much at the moment for me, is there a way i can bring my whole site from front page and open it in dreamweaver or do i have to start again.
everything seemed to be going well until this blasted form didn't work.

hahahaha .. Now you came to us and we have you changing programs! hahaha
Poor you! That will teach you to post here! :roflmao:

Once you open Dreamweaver, you set up a site. Tool bar at top. Click Site
New site/then fill in the ftp info.

Once you have connected to your webhost. Open the remote folder screen.
You can download (with the down arrow) all your files.

Or if they are on your computer already which they must be, when you Set up a new site, in the Local folder tab, you will just link to the folder on your computer that has all the html files in it.

Did you check with your webhost to see if they have Front page extensions enabled? If they are enabled, they will have to be disabled to use Dreamweaver or any other program.

I would also send your error message to your webhost, it's possible you didn't set up the cgi form correctly.

hi, ok - i'm not doing too well - have found out tiscali do not have the server extensions- and i'm really nervous about this dreamweaver but am giving it a go, if i design a form using dreamweaver will it work?

sorry if i end up with lots of questions - wish me luck

one quick question
I have a "submit" button how do i link it to my email address using dreamweaver -

many thanks

You can't just submit to your email address. You either have to use a cgi script called Form mail or a php script. Look in the help files of your web host to see which one they recommend. Or if they have a step by step tutorial on how to set up a form.

or if you get stuck maybe give us a link to your webhost so we can look. But you need some type of script to submit your form.

hi again, i've had a look with my server and i really could do with some help if anyone can.
You to go through it again i'm not too hot at all this i used microsift frontpage for my site, everythings pretty simple. however i created 1 form with frontpage it has a submit button - and thats where we're at.

also really will i have to redo my form using dreamweaver or will the i already have work with this php thing.

so sorry to sound stupid but i really want to crack this.

many many thanks

link to my server instuctions for form mail

http://help.uk2.net/faq/cgi/formmail.html

That's perfect! That's what you need. You can insert that into the code of your frontpage created website. Follow that example. Then add the fields of information to the form. If you need to add address, telephone number etc.

But the

Code: Select all

         <form action="http://cgi.uk2.net/cgi-bin/uk2-formmail.pl" method="POST">

and the

Code: Select all

         </form>

is what you need.
Everything else in between is what you can change to suit your needs!

sorry to sound stupid - its as if my brian has been frazzelled.

do i place this 1st line of code - unmodified right at the top of my html code on the page i have designed my form - only the reason i'm asking is i thought it was a simple cut and paste thing but when i view the page my form has gone and is replaced with this code even in page view, i know i suond stupid but i think i'm just missing something really simple - sorry

i'm thinking should i work backwards with my form page- and start again with a fresh built form?

That tutorial from your webhost was an "example" of how to set up a form. It wasn't the perfect for for you needs. Like I said before the parts you HAVE TO KEEP was the first line and the last. (in code above)
Everything else in the middle can be changed to suit your own needs.

So if you copied and pasted that entire tutorial in, then you copied and pasted "their" example. Now alter the middle part to suit your needs. Add other form elements to get the info you need.

The problem you are running into is that you are relying so much on Frontpage to do everything for you that you haven't learn the basics. You are going to struggle until you decide to throw that program out the door and actually learn a bit of the language.

We are here for you until then!

Use the original form you made days and days ago and just edit the first line

Code: Select all

<form action="http://cgi.uk2.net/cgi-bin/uk2-formmail.pl" method="POST">

Then make sure the last line is followed by </form>

hi thanks for all your help on that little problem, i think its almost sorted i'm just waiting to hear back from my server people as i've set up my return address wrong, but the form is working.

i also managed to upload files to server however for some reason where i had bullet points i know have questions marks (?) this is a new problem do and i've tried uploading files again but the problem remains -if you tell me this is another frontpage problem i will seriously banish it today.

sorry to have so many problems but thank you all so much for all your help

That's because the browser doesn't understand what the bullet point is so it's replacing it with a ? mark.

Did you type this text with bullets in word or notepad and then copy and paste it into Frontpage?

If you did that, that's why... word and notepad use a different language than the browsers. You are better of typing directly into Frontpage.