Hi
At the public library IE is set to outlook, which of course the public users can’t use. My suggestion was to just set IE’s mailto: information to gmail. Well, they would like it to bring up a box that asks the user which program they would like to use. gmail, hotmail, yahoo, other
Suggestions?
Thanks
That’s out of the control of the developer… mailto: is supposed to bring the preferred mail software installed in that computer and that’s about it.
Transferring the information (generally the e-mail address that will receive your mail) to a web based mail program needs some server side scripting and, of course, that Google, hotmail, yahoo and any other provided a way to direct to their mail servers while keeping the data that’s being transferred (that is, each of them have to provide an API to do so). Again, this out of the control of the developer…
Annoying as it is, you get stuck with clicking the link, waiting for Outlook to open, then copying the address in the To fiedl and manually going to your web mail and pasting that address…
Not exactly. I have found information on the web about setting IE to open hotmail or yahoo, or gmail. The google toolbar adds the mailto gmail function for IE. In this case they would like it to pop-up with a which one would you like to use box, which I haven’t found.
mailto links open the (user set) default email application. This is set on each users computer.
A good reason for using a contact form rather than (or in addition to) a mailto link when creating your site.
I wish people would read the OP’s thread (hint hint felgall :p)…
techmichelle, I am guessing at the library you have access to the machines needing this event changed right? If the machines are running Vista or Windows 7 you can accomplish it by going to the “Default programs” section of the control panel (also available on the start menu by default) and going to the part which lets you associate a protocol with a program. In the list there is a MAILTO option, this you can change to a specific desktop program (there should also be a method to change this in the registry to a HTTP value such as a website URL EG: GMail). Unfortunately to have a choice when the link is hit would require a third party piece of software, there may well be something in Google but if not you would need to write a piece of software to pass the variables to the chosen program (web or otherwise). 
Unless they work at the library they will not have access to change the default for that and so will be limited to being able to email those sites considerate enough to not require a separate email program.
Well, they would like it to bring up a box that asks the user which program they would like to use.
Just a wild guess, but I think that means she has permission to make the change. 
I didn’t say it is impossible, I said that you need the APIs from each of those mails so that you can transfer the data (in this case, the mail address).
Now, you’re talking about a toolbar that adds it to gmail… the Google toolbar… I guess that Google will have access to their own API 
I never paid attention to the Google Toolbar, or the Yahoo Toolbar or any other… but I guess that Yahoo will have a similar service on their toolbar.
I am certain that you can program it, but possibly it will have to be a custom program.
Custom program, eeek. Will admit one thing I am not is a custom programmer I am really good at following steps and really good at cleaning someone elses mess. Not so good with the custom part
Looking for a custom program (asking user which email they use) that I can set IE’s mailto to. I am going to try contacting some library technicians to see if they have such a program.
Thanks!
Michelle