Making the name field not mandatory on the contact page

i am using Zen Cart 1.50 with the Apparel Boutique template.

i want to make it not mandatory to enter your name on the contact page.

any help would be appreciated.

Create the file /includes/modules/pages/contact_us/header_php_empty_name_ok.php containing:

<?php
/**
 * Contact Us Page
 *
 * @package page
 * @copyright Copyright 2003-2011 Zen Cart Development Team
 * @copyright Portions Copyright 2003 osCommerce
 * @license http://www.zen-cart.com/license/2_0.txt GNU Public License V2.0
 * @version $Id: header_php.php 18697 2011-05-04 14:35:20Z wilt $
 */
if (isset($_GET['action']) && ($_GET['action'] == 'send')) {
  if ($zc_validate_email and !empty($enquiry)) {
    // auto complete when logged in
    if($_SESSION['customer_id']) {
      $sql = "SELECT customers_id, customers_firstname, customers_lastname, customers_password, customers_email_address, customers_default_address_id
              FROM " . TABLE_CUSTOMERS . "
              WHERE customers_id = :customersID";

      $sql = $db->bindVars($sql, ':customersID', $_SESSION['customer_id'], 'integer');
      $check_customer = $db->Execute($sql);
      $customer_email= $check_customer->fields['customers_email_address'];
      $customer_name= $check_customer->fields['customers_firstname'] . ' ' . $check_customer->fields['customers_lastname'];
    } else {
      $customer_email = NOT_LOGGED_IN_TEXT;
      $customer_name = NOT_LOGGED_IN_TEXT;
    }

    // use contact us dropdown if defined
    if (CONTACT_US_LIST !=''){
      $send_to_array=explode("," ,CONTACT_US_LIST);
      preg_match('/\<[^>]+\>/', $send_to_array[$_POST['send_to']], $send_email_array);
      $send_to_email= preg_replace ("/>/", "", $send_email_array[0]);
      $send_to_email= trim(preg_replace("/</", "", $send_to_email));
      $send_to_name = trim(preg_replace('/\<[^*]*/', '', $send_to_array[$_POST['send_to']]));
    } else {  //otherwise default to EMAIL_FROM and store name
    $send_to_email = trim(EMAIL_FROM);
    $send_to_name =  trim(STORE_NAME);
    }

    // Prepare extra-info details
    $extra_info = email_collect_extra_info($name, $email_address, $customer_name, $customer_email);
    // Prepare Text-only portion of message
    $text_message = OFFICE_FROM . "\t" . $name . "\n" .
    OFFICE_EMAIL . "\t" . $email_address . "\n\n" .
    '------------------------------------------------------' . "\n\n" .
    strip_tags($_POST['enquiry']) .  "\n\n" .
    '------------------------------------------------------' . "\n\n" .
    $extra_info['TEXT'];
    // Prepare HTML-portion of message
    $html_msg['EMAIL_MESSAGE_HTML'] = strip_tags($_POST['enquiry']);
    $html_msg['CONTACT_US_OFFICE_FROM'] = OFFICE_FROM . ' ' . $name . '<br />' . OFFICE_EMAIL . '(' . $email_address . ')';
    $html_msg['EXTRA_INFO'] = $extra_info['HTML'];
    // Send message
    zen_mail($send_to_name, $send_to_email, EMAIL_SUBJECT, $text_message, $name, $email_address, $html_msg,'contact_us');

    zen_redirect(zen_href_link(FILENAME_CONTACT_US, 'action=success'));
  }
} // end action==send

That file makes it OK for the name not to be specified (as long as the email address and message are OK). Then, create the file /includes/templates/apparel_boutique/css/contact_us.css that contains:

div.alert+br+label+input+span { display: none; }

That file, for the contact_us page only, causes the asterisk that indicates that the name field is required to be "not displayed".

No core file overwrites!