Question

My Question: How do I use an html form within an e-mail to generate an e-mail which the client default e-mail program can use.

Note I realize you can’t send an e-mail directly from html. That’s not my goal. I want to create an e-mail to be used by the default e-mail client. This form is also within an e-mail.

I’m a beginner to html so this could be easy (and I’m open to style tips). Here’s my form. What I want is described in the comments. Is what I’m trying to do possible?

<form action="mailto:@@SELECTED_DESTINATION@@" method="post" enctype="text/plain">
  Select an issue type:<br />
  <select name="destination"> <!-- I want this to be the destination address of the e-mail -->
    <option value="[e-mail]">Bug</option>
    <option value="[e-mail]">Enhancement</option>
    <option value="[e-mail]">New Feature</option>
  </select><br />
  Enter an e-mail for others to be informed:<br /> <!-- I want this to go into the cc of the e-mail -->
  <input type="text" /><br />
  Enter a summary of your issue:<br /> <!-- I want this to be the subject of the e-mail -->
  <input type="text" /><br />
  Enter a Description:<br />
  <textarea rows="6" cols="60"></textarea><br /> <!-- I want this to be the body of the e-mail -->
  <input type="submit" value="Send">
  <input type="reset" value="Reset">
</form>

When I submit the report now, I get an e-mail with the to as @@SELECTED_DEATINATION@@, no cc or subject, and a body that looks like this:

Destination=[e-mail] 
cc=[e-mail] 
subject=subject of the e-mail 
body=this is a description 

This is how I expected it to come out, but I would like to know how to make it come out with the to as the value of whatever destination option they selected, cc addresses as whatever they enter in the cc text field, the subject as whatever they enter in the subject text field, and the body as whatever they enter in the body text area. Thanks for the help!

Answer 1

This cannot be done due to limitations in e-mail clients (see comments to question). So the solution I thought of is having a link as follows:

<a href="mailto:[e-mail]?cc=Enter%20Other%20Watchers%20Here&subject=Enter%20Bug%20Summary%20Here&body=Enter%20Bug%20Description%20Here">[e-mail]</a>

This will load the user’s e-mail client with a compose e-mail which looks like this:

• To: [e-mail]
• Cc: Enter Other Watchers Here
• Subject: Enter Bug Summary Here
• Body: Enter Bug Description Here