FEATURES Automates the link submission and link editing processes by creating a datafile on your web site's server that is read by Zeus. Zeus saves each submission into the ThemeSite database to be approved by you. Sends email message to submitting webmaster Optional - Require reciprocal link before accepting submission ANTI-SPAM FEATURES Uses anti-spam word check to prevent spam submissions. Simple, but effective. No complicated modifications to your web server Tests for proper domain before submission No email addresses embedded in HTML code for email harvesters to suck up EMAIL FEATURES Validates the format of the submitted email address Email options for SendMail, SMTP or None Sends email notifications to an unlimited amount of email addresses Optional - History Log Can use separate optional Header and Footer files for HTML status and Thank You messages Can use optional html Thank You page Can use optional html error page INSTALLATION ------------------------------------ Requirements ------------------------------------ Perl: 5.004_02 or later must be installed on your server. The script will probably run on older versions of Perl. You must have access to a cgi-bin on your website's server. You should have prior knowledge of CGI script installation to install the script yourself. ------------------------------------ Download the script zip file ------------------------------------ 1.) Unzip to any folder on your hard drive. auto_link_form_process.cgi themeindexinfo.txt readme.txt 2.) Modify and install the files as instructed below. ------------------------------------ auto_link_form_process.cgi Script Installation instructions: ------------------------------------ Processes the web form in themeindexinfo.txt and creates a data file in web server folder - /links/ which is read by Zeus. 1.) Edit auto_link_form_process.cgi's first line to reflect the path to Perl on your server. If you have a working cgi script in your cgi-bin then you can get this information from the top line. examples are: #!/usr/bin/perl #!/usr/bin/local/perl #!/usr/bin/perl5 2.) Follow the instructions at the top of the cgi script and edit variables, paths and related information. 3.) Upload the cgi script to your website's cgi-bin directory, using FTP. IMPORTANT: You MUST upload using ASCII mode NOT BINARY. 4.) Set the cgi script file permission to CHMOD 755 These two files are created by the auto_link_form_process.cgi during the submission process submission.dat - File created by this program in web site's /links/ folder to be read by Zeus LinkSubmission.Log - Permanent Log - File created by this program in web site's /links/ folder ------------------------------------ themeindexinfo.txt installation. ------------------------------------ 1.) Change the Form Action line, located in the text file 'themeindexinfo.txt, to point to the auto_link_form_process.cgi script newly installed in your cgi-bin. Example:
2.) Modify and install this file into /links/misc/themeindexinfo.txt This is the actual auto-submission, link form with html code that will appear on your web site. This file should be added to your current themeindexinfo.txt if your original file has been altered. This is the text file that is used by Zeus to create the body of the ThemeIndex page (first page of your directory). ------------------------------------ Header and Footer installation. ------------------------------------ headerinfo.txt - Optional header file in your computer's /links/ folder that adds the html to match the design of your web site. The Zeus design file already exists that will work. Copy /links/misc/headerinfo.txt to /links/headerinfo.txt. Once the file is located in your computer's /links/ folder, it will be uploaded to the correct folder on your web site during the next upload of your link directory. footerinfo.txt - Optional footer file in your computer's /links/ folder that adds the html to match the design of your web site. The Zeus design file already exists that will work. Copy /links/misc/footerinfo.txt to /links/footerinfo.txt. Once the file is located in your computer's /links/ folder, it will be uploaded to the correct folder on your web site during the next upload of your link directory. ------------------------------------ WHAT TO DO NEXT ------------------------------------ 1.) Enter the auto_link_form_process registration code, you received after purchasing, into your running Zeus application, by clicking "Help/Enter Registration Code". Zeus will acknowledge the correct code. 2.) Create and Upload your link directory. 3.) Test the auto_link_form_process script by submitting test information from the index page of your directory. ------------------------------------ HOW TO USE IN ZEUS ------------------------------------ 1.) In Approve, Maintenance or Audit job mode, a new toolbar icon appears to the far right of the 4 green database navigation icons. The toolbar icon shows 2 computers connected together (your web server and your desktop computer). A new selection in the 'Actions' menu called 'Download Submissions' will also appear. 2.) Click this new icon and Zeus will connect to your web server, then download the new link directory submissions. 3.) A new ThemeSite Viewer sort will appear in the ThemeSite Viewer called 'Link Form Auto Submissions'. The sort contains all the ThemeSites that have been submitted by the link submission form. The ThemeSites in the sort will be a combination of Adds and Edits. Check the 'Zeus' date and you will be able to tell whether its an Add or Edit. If its dated today, then its an Add. 4.) For Edits, all old email addresses will be deselected and the new submitted email address will appear For Adds, the email address will be selected. 5.) The Theme Category requested and the webmaster's name will appear in the bottom comment area. 6.) The web page on the ThemeSites web site that contains the link to your web site will be stored in the database so the Audit job area is ideal for this type of approving. You can use the 'Check Link Pages' drop-down menu to check the link page. 7.) ThemeSites will stay in the 'Link Form Auto Submissions' sort until you do one of the following 3 actions Select a Theme Category Select or de-select the 'List It' button. Select or de-select the 'Partner' button. ThemeSites are then treated as any other ThemeSite. Be sure that each ThemeSite has a Theme Category selected, and the 'List It' or 'Partner' button has been selected. ------------------------------------ TROUBLESHOOTING ------------------------------------ If you have problems running the script (for example you get an "Internal Server Error" or ANY "Server Error"), try each of the following in turn: Rename the script extension from .cgi to .pl Re-upload the cgi script making sure it is uploaded in ASCII and NOT binary. Be careful with the type of text editor you use. If you do not edit in text mode, you can get invisible characters that will crash your program. Notepad is perfect to use. Set the cgi script permission to 755. If you're on unix and need to change permissions, but don't have access to the system prompt, a program called CuteFTP will help you change permissions. Thanks from all of us at cyber-robotics.com