Placing contact form on web page

[#1]

I'm a newcomer to website construction, using Dreamweaver, but have used extensions to construct a site that I'm mostly happy with. This means I don't know how to code - only to use prebuilt pieces to 'plug in.
I'm trying to get a contact form to work - to receive emails from visitors. All the ones I've tried call a php file that is supplied: an example is here and is the one I used: http://dreamweaverspot.com/adobe-dreamweaver-tutorial-contact-forms/
But, it doesn't run on plus.net. I phoned and was told that php is not supported but I would be sent a link to where I could get info on plusnet's own code to do the job. That link was here: http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php?action=printpage;topic=45865.0
So I'm now confused: the content of the link is beyond me. I see references to php everywhere on the plusnet site, but am told that it won't work. But even the above link looks like it uses php ...
So does this make the dreamweaverspot tutorial useless? Has anyone a tutorial or info on how to set this up so that it *will* work on plusnet's site? I also see references to cgi and having to activate it - but no such option is open to me on my web configuration page.
So, totally confused and wondering where to try next ... Any suggestions are welcome.

[#2]

To set up CGI
You need to go to portal and login with your Username & Password
> Website settings
> CGI
> Click Activate CGI
Hope this helps

[#3]

Ignore what Gary said - for simple forms you don't need to activate cgi (it may not be available to you anyway).
See http://www.plus.net/support/webspace/cgi_php/cgi_scripts.shtml

[#4]

Thanks - I'll try the script. The Plusnet guy didn't send me there and I couldn't find it ... CGI isn't available to me (though I was told to use it). Many thanks for your help.

[#5]

Some slight advance, but I'm having a great deal of trouble finding info about webspace parameters. That is, I do not seem to have any cgi bin to activate, which means (is this right) I'm restricted to using only the code supplied by Plusnet for email forms. If I had cgi then I could install and run my own file - yes? Not done this before, so I'm stumbling.
Plusnet told me that the company did not support php (there's some excellent Dreamweaver extensions that will produce just what I want in several areas if it did). But then, I found a specific statement that while Plusnet did not support asp, it did support php. So I'm confused again.
Does anyone have definitive info on what is supported by Plusnet and under what circumstances? Ie, is this on certain accounts only or what?
My phone call to Plusnet resulted in answers that do not correspond with what is on the webpage help/info areas. My ticket/question raised has not been answered 30+ hours later. The cgi code that Plusnet supplies has not yielded what I want - that is, I can only make it partially work and it results in the user seeing a 'thankyou' message having sent an email, but this is in a window outside the website, identified with 'advertising' for the code source, and does not carry a forward button or 'where next' option.

Any help appreciated.

[#6]

Mentioning the account type you have would help users provide more informed comment.
Plusnet provide PHP only on the cgi server and if your account type does not allow a cgi component then PHP is not available to you. The HTML email form that Plusnet support for homepages (basic webspace) is intended to provide a simple contact mechanism for those without cgi; if that does not meet your needs your options are to pay for a Plusnet PAYH account or choose a third-party webspece supplier whose product meets your requirements.
Alternatively you could ring the Sales Team to see if they can offer a change to an account type that does provide a cgi component - webspace with or without cgi is no longer offered on any of the current products.
David

[#7]

He doesn't need to change account type.
cjh - if you are up for an argument you will be able to get CGI on your current account. As you have broadband you are on what is referred to as a subscription account. If you read your T&C's you will find that the Acceptable Use Policy forms part of your contract. I found a gem in there which I queried recently:

Quote from: Mand

Quote from: jelv The Acceptable Use Policy includes: Quote 7.2.6 For subscription Services, we provide you with access to a CGI server in addition to your web space. You may run your own custom CGI scripts on this dedicated CGI server, however the set up, administration and functionality of your scripts remain entirely your responsibility and we cannot be held liable for, nor can be expected to provide support for these scripts. Removal of CCGI from the new accounts for new users means Plusnet are breaking their AUP and until they amend that to say something like "where it's included in the service" Plusnet must provide CCGI to any user paying a subscription. We can provide CCGI access where needed, but it is not provided as standard on the new accounts.

So Plusnet have confirmed that where needed CGI is still available on the new accounts. You need to contact Plusnet quoting the AUP section above.

[#8]

Many thanks for that. My silence of a few days may continue - I *am* chasing this but awaiting replies. Plusnet has been notably slow about answering queries and/or sorting this out. It's become evident, as I learn more, that I need php support - which Plusnet has told me they don't do when very obviously they do (but perhaps not as standard on my account - which is ancient and not offered any more; but that doesn't change my requirements nor their obligations).
Thanks for the continued advice. I'll report what happens.

[#9]

Quote from: cjh

but perhaps not as standard on my account - which is ancient and not offered any more

Did you look for what Gary suggested in the first reply? I thought ALL accounts except the new ones (except perhaps the new ones) came with CGI available.

[#10]

Thanks, yes, I did try. In fact, that's where the circles started: I found that I needed to activate CGI on my account but there was nowhere that I could actually do so. I phoned Plusnet and they told me that they didn't support php (which sounded daft - he must have meant that there is no php support for my account because I didn't have cgi, but that isn't what he actually told me - simply that there was no php support from Plusnet).
Thus started the circles ... I've just finished waiting on the phone with Plusnet; hung on for ten minutes and finally left a message to phone me back. I spoke to one person who said he'd put me through to someone else, then it was lots of music. The ticket is still open on my query about this with no reply other than the query was being forwarded to someone to answer. This does feel a bit slow (average wait for reply was showing as 12 hours - now it's four hours short of four days.
That was the long answer. Short answer is that I have no current activation route for cgi but I'm still trying to get one on my account, which has been running since 2003.

[#11]

To add one more expansion. My options in the website settings area are two, only:
Standard Webstats (which gives me details of domains and that webstats are activated)
and My Webspace (which gives me details of setting up FTP etc for uploading, and the amount of webspace that has been used from my allocation. If there is any clue in this, it doesn't work - it shows as 0% used out of 25Mb web space available, when I have used in the region of 18Mb of space).

[#12]

Hold it right there!

Quote from: cjh

and My Webspace (which gives me details of setting up FTP etc for uploading, and the amount of webspace that has been used from my allocation. If there is any clue in this, it doesn't work - it shows as 0% used out of 25Mb web space available, when I have used in the region of 18Mb of space).

Are you actually paying Plusnet a monthly subscription? If so what account type are you on? I was not aware of any subscription accounts that only have 25MB web space - I thought they all had 250MB or more. The AUP quote I gave above says (my bold):

Quote

7.2.6 For subscription Services, we provide you with access to a CGI server in addition to your web space.

Edit: Just been looking in the product archives. PAYG Basic had no webspace, BB+ had 100MB. I can't find any mention of webspace under Plusnet Essential

[#13]

Yes, noted. The account is paid monthly on subscription. It's identified as Home Surf (or ADSL Home Surf) in the invoice.
As I'd never used webspace until now I didn't know what was allocated - I was told by Plusnet it was 25Mb (but there again, what I was told about php seems wrong). I can't find the terms and conditions for this account though and the 25Mb also shows in the website settings as the allocated space. It really is an old account - Plusnet has proved good as a provider for many years; this latest mess around seems out of character but nevertheless still doesn't help me in the end.
I have no wish to change provider so looked at what I might switch to so that I could get php and cgi, but the new packages don't seem to come with cgi or php either, even in business models (I could switch to that and save money in fact), but will retain a cgi support if you already have it when you move over. Chicken and egg. So, I still need to find a way to get cgi on my current account - not finished with following up your very helpful suggestions referring to the terms.

[#14]

I've found reference to the 25MB against Home Surf, but I can't find any pages with Home Surf and CGI in the same context.

[#15]

Thanks for taking the time to look.
At http://www.plus.net/info2/legal/aup.html there is the following (which I suspect is what you found earlier):
6.2 Broadband Surf Services (ADSL Home Surf and ADSL Biz Surf) .. so that identifies this section as applying to my account, then having also established that mine is a subscription service (because it isn't a pay as you go):
7.2.6 For subscription Services, we provide you with access to a CGI server in addition to your web space.
I'll be trying this with Plusnet tomorrow - unless you can see where there is a loophole for Plusnet, before I get into a discussion.