Using Email to Collect Data

[Dan Drillich]

Good Day,

The book 'HTML & XHTML The Definitive Guide' of O'Reilly says the following on page #321 -

You can use a mailto URL as the value of the form's action attribute. The latest browsers automatically email the various form parameters and values to the address supplied in the URL.

I tried the following form (with the right email address) and my IE 6.0 brings up my email client - the browser doesn't email the form. Did anybody see this thing works as the book describes it?

<form method=POST action="mailto:email_address">
 
 <input type=submit>
 
</form>
    

Regards,
Dan
[ May 02, 2007: Message edited by: Dan Drillich ]

[Eric Pascarello]

The user would have to send the email manually.

Eric

[Dan Drillich]

Hi Eric,

So, are you saying the book is simply wrong?

Regards,
Dan

[Eric Pascarello]

The book is not wrong. It will open up he default mail client and set up a message to be send. The user HAS toclick the submit button. It is a security issue.

Eric

[Gregg Bolinger]

You can use a mailto URL as the value of the form's action attribute. The latest browsers automatically email the various form parameters and values to the address supplied in the URL.

I'd argue that the particular statement in question is wrong. It should be worded like this:

You can use a mailto URL as the value of the form's action attribute. The latest browsers automatically open the system's default email client and setup an email with the various form parameters and values to the address supplied in the URL which the user can then send.

[Dan Drillich]

Thank you Eric and Gregg!
[ May 02, 2007: Message edited by: Dan Drillich ]

[Dan Drillich]

I submitted an errata - let's see what they say.