Thanks, thanks, thanks!!!

[sagedaily]

I have spent over a week trying to find my newbie way through form processing as I redo a website (my first for pay) I've searched the*web-host tutorials, forums,*reference books etc.* I have little (or no) programming knowledge, but I knew I could get this PHP thing.* I was right, but I had to find you... Yesterday in desperation, I went back to Google and typed formmail+PHP and there you were at the top of the list.* Before midnight I had my form working...Hallelujah.* Thank you so much!

Now I must figure out how to ensure security and I"ve been playing*with the*"AT_MANGLE" feature, but I haven't been able to create a successful process.* In formmail.php I replaced the "@" with "_*_" in my TARGET_EMAIL address and I defined "AT_MANGLE","@", but I received the recipient error message. I tried making them the same and that doesn't work either.* It seems like I would need to set the recipient in the SampleForm to coincide, but if that's the case, I'm not sure how to code it ...with php tags?* In general, I'm able to read and understand your instructions (it's refreshing), but this one has me stumped.

Thank you for any help you can give.* I've been reading other posts and it's so awesome how you take time to help.* I will definitely be interested in exploring your CRM program.

Best regards,

Sage

[russellr]

Hi Sage,

Welcome to the FormMail forum.* Thanks for your kind comments, too!

I'm really glad FormMail has helped you out.* We've spent a lot of time on it and we decided it wasn't going to be just for our benefit. :D

The AT_MANGLE needs to be the same as the string you're using in the recipients email addresses.

I've just re-tested the example given in the AT_MANGLE documentation and it does work.* So, let me take you through the steps:

1. Set AT_MANGLE as follows:
   

   define("AT_MANGLE","_*_");

   [/*]
2. In your form, set the recipients to a normal email address, for example:
   

   sagedaily@someserver.com

   [/*]
3. Test your form.* AT_MANGLE should have no effect at this point, so the form should send to the email address without a hitch.* If not, set AT_MANGLE to an empty string again and test the form again.* If it still doesn't work, we have a different problem to solve.:? [/*]
4. Now, that the form works, we simply mangle the email address(es) in the recipients field in the form; replace the "@" with the AT_MANGLE string "_*_":
   

   sagedaily_*_someserver.com

   [/*]

If you get to number 4, it should be working.

If you get*stuck, let me know what point you got to and we'll work from there.

Good luck!

[sagedaily]

Hi Russell,

I'm so very grateful to you for helping me... (please excuse the delay in my response).* I followed your detail and it worked right away.* I'm trusting that when I change the recipients address replacing @ with _*_ the email address is unavailable to the spambots....very cool.

My next step will be to set up an*additional*form on the same site and rename the Sample form, configuring*a questionnaire form to be sent to an alternate email address.

Many thanks, again !

Sage

:D

[russellr]

Hi Sage,

You're most welcome.

The mail address mangling should be pretty good, because, basically, nothing in your form looks like an email address.

Conceivably, a spambot could look for a field call "recipients" and then the spambot writer could try and figure out your mangling characters, and demangle it.

But, if your mangling is different from other peoples, then his job is endless.

Remember, it's OK to use email-valid characters for your mangling, like this:

somenamethatismangledsomesite.com

where the AT_MANGLE is "thatismangled", is converted to:

somename@somesite.com

With these infinite possibilities and no particular rule, the spambot's writer's job is impossible.

*

[sagedaily]

okay.....I'm think I'm getting it now.* very clever...thanks...