I want to create a website where I can have class participants fill in contact info and send it to a database.

Michae

-- Michael Bloemsma (mbloemsma@sfsu.edu), September 12, 2000

Answers

The basic thing you need to be able to do is put a program on your server that collects data. Then you make a form on your web page that interacts with the server. To do this, you have several options these days.

The classic way to collect data is through using a cgi script. When the data is sent to your server, this script will process it and capture it to a file. This sort of thing is supported to various degrees by different Internet Service Providers. You SFSU account will not give you access to cgi's.

If you are in an external ISP, there's a great Website at http://www.flattext.com/. This site will automatically write a cgi for you and create a database that can be transfered into your cgi-bin.

The easiest way is to use Filemaker Pro. This is an expensive program, but if you have a computer that can be left connected to the internet the collection of data is easy. This is what I do for class surveys.

-- John Hollenbeck (jahollen@sfsu.edu), September 13, 2000.