One Master Form V3, Many Web Sites
While Master Form V3 is licensed to run only on the domain it is generated for, the program can handle information submitted with forms located anywhere on the Internet.
One might make a little business serving those who don't have CGI for their web sites. Or, allowing others to put publish your forms -- such as subscription forms.
Before delving into ideas about possible business opportunities, let's look at several things to consider when using a form on a domain different than where the software is installed.
The FORM Tag's Action URL
The FORM tag's action= URL must be the absolute http://... URL of the Master Form V3 installation.
This is rather obvious. But if you're used to using relative URLs in form action attributes, it may be easy to inadvertently omit the http:// and domain name.
Template File Locations
The email and database template files must be on the same server where Master Form V3 is installed.
This is a security feature. If the restriction were not in place, for example, a spammer might hijack your form and use a template on a different domain. Then spamming could proceed with all email sent from your server.
Master Form V3 will complain and remind you if you try to use template files on a different domain.
Database Locations
Database files that Master Form V3 updates must be on the same server where Master Form V3 is installed. No file writes can be accomplished via http://... without the help of additional software at the domain where the file is being written.
Uploaded File Storage Locations.
If uploaded files are to be stored on the server (instead of, or in addition to, being emailed somewhere), then the files need to be stored on the same server where Master Form V3 is installed. This is for the same reason as database locations.
"Thank You" Pages
When the form is submitted, the user's browser can be redirected to any URL on the Internet. When redirected (using hidden field name="redirect"), the URL in the browser's address bar is the URL of the "thank you" page. But the "thank you" page is not customized.
If the "thank you" page is to be customized (using hidden field name="flowto"), the URL in the browser's address bar is the URL of Master Form V3, regardless of where the "thank you" page was retrieved from. That's because of how customization is accomplished:
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Master Form V3 retrieves a copy of the "thank you" page from somewhere on the Internet.
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The program then scans the copy and replaces any placeholders with live information.
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Finally, Master Form V3 sends the customized copy to the browser.
The URL in the browser's address bar is the URL from where the content is coming, Master Form V3.
Custom Error Pages
Custom error pages can be retrieved from anywhere on the Internet, but the URL in the browser's address bar will be the URL of Master Form V3. This is for the same reason as customized "thank you" pages.
Multi-Page Forms
The pages of multi-page forms can be located anywhere on the Internet, like "thank you" pages and custom error pages can. Different pages of the same multi-page form can even be located on different domains.
However, when the second and subsequent pages of a multi-page form are displayed in the browser, the URL of Master Form V3 will be in the address bar.
The second and subsequent pages need to be customized to carry forward information submitted by the previous pages. Like customized "thank you" and error pages, the form page is retrieved, modified, then sent to the browser by Master Form V3.
Images And Such On Customized Pages
When Master Form V3 retrieves a web page and then sends it to the browser, relative URLs in the web page tend to break. This means images might not show up and links not work.
The reason is that the browser thinks the web page's URL is the URL in the address bar. It computes URLs and links relative to where it thinks the web page's URL is. And of course that doesn't work.
A quick fix is to put a BASE tag as the first line in the HEAD area of the web page source code. The HREF attribute needs to be the absolute http://... URL of the actual location of the web page. Example:
<BASE href="http://example.com/thankyou.html">
Now, when Master Form V3 displays that web page from within itself, the browser knows to compute relative URLs in relation to the BASE tag URL, and not in relation to the URL in its address bar.
Where To Get It
Master Form V3 can be obtained via the web page at /a/26t/pl.pl?mfv3
Serving Those Who Don't Have CGI On Their Web Sites
Autoresponder, feedback, subscription, survey, and other types of forms might be developed. Those who don't have CGI might then put a selection of those forms on their web sites and use your installation of Master Form V3 to process them. Set-up fees might apply, as might form customization.
Because Master Form V3 can append information to any number of databases whenever a form is submitted, a record of each form use could be made.
The hidden fields for template and database file locations are in the form on the client's server. If it is important the client can't alter those hidden fields, Master Secret Hidden Fields from /a/26t/pl.pl?mshf (available to WillMaster Possibilities subscribers only) or Master Secret Hidden Fields Pro from /a/26t/pl.pl?mshfp might be used to insert the hidden fields after the form is submitted.
Your Subscription Forms On Others' Web Sites
If you have a subscription drive and want to award people for acquiring subscriptions for you, it might be set up like this:
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Create a subscription form that others may copy and paste into their web pages. The subscription form has one custom field, a hidden field with an affiliate ID, something like:
<input type="hidden" name="ID" value="myID">
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Subscription forms on those remote web sites are submitted to your installation of Master Form V3. When the program receives the submission, it might
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Record the subscription information in a master database file.
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Email the subscription information to your list server.
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Email the subscription information to yourself.
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Record the subscription information in a file for that particular ID, if you want to keep such information handy. (One reason would be to help determine if subscribers from some affiliates remain subscribed longer than from other affiliates.)
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Append an "X" or other single character to a file for that particular ID. This can then be used as a fast count of how many times the form was submitted for each ID. (The file size in bytes is the number of characters in the file -- one character per form submission.)
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Provide the new subscriber with a personalized "thank you" page.
If the subscription form is in an IFRAME tag, the "thank you" page can be presented within that frame without re-loading the main web page. In this case, the URL in the browser's address bar would remain the URL of the main web page, not that of Master Form V3.
Summary
There are certain considerations when using forms on domains other than where the form processing program is installed. Some have to do with security, others with the way web pages are customized.
But it's doable. And easily done.
Because it can be done, it opens up some business opportunities, a few having been mentioned here.
Probably some of the methods described in this article could be used with other CGI programs. Your first thought should be about Master Form V3, though, because it's a proven program, from folks with a good reputation on the Internet, and is guaranteed to work as described on its /a/26t/pl.pl?mfv3 product description page. If it doesn't work as described, we either fix it or give your money back.
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Will Bontrager
©2004 Bontrager Connection, LLC
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