[comp.mail.elm] Using forms in ELM

dwatts@ki.UUCP (Dan Watts) (08/04/90)

Is there a way to reply to a form without having to get into elm?
What I'd like to be able to do is something like:

   % mail "using form 'x'"

which would then let me reply to the form.  I can preset the form
so that it is always a specific number in my mailbox (currently,
I have it as #1) to make it easier.

If there isn't a way, then perhaps some future version could have
this feature?  Any pointers on where in the code I would want to
look at to hack it in myself?
-- 
#####################################################################
# CompuServe: >INTERNET:uunet.UU.NET!ki!dwatts    Dan Watts         #
# UUCP      : ...!uunet!ki!dwatts                 Ki Research, Inc. #
############### New Dimensions In Network Connectivity ##############

scs@lokkur.dexter.mi.us (Steve Simmons) (08/05/90)

I've been silently following the discussion on forms with a great deal
of interest.  Forms would be quite useful in a lot of situations IF
one could guarantee the recipient is using elm.  No one seems to have
mentioned that problem, so I'm going to assume the the sites which have
a real interest in forms are requiring all their users to use 'elm'.

That said, I absolutely agree the hardest part of forms is making them
up and sending them.  To date there's been only one suggestion with a
specific proposal for how to use them, and that's simply not enough detail
to build a feature set on.

I see the following forms problems:

 1. They're difficult to create;

 2. They're difficult to send;

 3. There's no forms libraries available, neither canned nor custom;

 4. There's no well-defined way to access such libraries.

These four questions need to be answered, and someone must be willing
to step up and do the work.  No one in the current development group
has expressed much interest in forms (except me, and I'm already
committed to another project).  Anyone willing to step forward?