Faxing 2

[manpaul]

I have read most to the forumns on faxing and still having problems.
I have winfax on one machine on a network. What I need to do is to be able to fax documents from any PC using winfax from that one PC.

One PC on the network has the phone line and modem.

Need to know how to set this up.
i.e. what has to be nstall on other pc's to talk to winfax.
Fax drivers????. which code is the best to use in vfp 9. Should I sent up IMAP and how do I do that. ect ect ect.

Paul

 

[awaresoft]

Paul,

You may want to skip WinFax and use a low cost internet based faxing service. You may even find that faxing thru a 3rd party service is cheaper than your telecom costs for faxing inhouse.

There's a bunch of online fax services - here's two worth checking out:

http://www.maxemail.com

http://www.send2fax.com

Malcolm

 

[bobmpalmer]

Winfax has its own built in networking and installs a printer icon on the client machine.

On your fax host set up the machine using winfax's tools/program setup option as a fax sharing host

Install winfax on the client machines and set them up as clients by selecting winfax pro sharing as the modem/comms device, winfax will ask you the IP address or comp name of the winfax server and test it can connect. Thats all we do and it just works.

Bob Palmer

http://www.resisystems.co.uk

The most common solution is H2O!

 

[manpaul]

Thanks Bob
This sounds like what I want to do.

I have winfax on the one machine with the fax line.

When installing on the client machine, do I have to perform a complete install on the client machine. As this is at the clients site and I can not test in my environment. How do I setup the sharing as a modem/comms device,as I will have their IT person before that task.

 

[bobmpalmer]

Yes do a complete install on the client machine but when the wizard starts up asking for the CSID fax number etc just click next. On the next page you select the option WinFax PRO Fax Sharing the wizard will ask you to set this up. As long as the host is visible on the network just browse and find the host PC (remember winfax respects access permissions on NT the same as any other shared device) You can alternately connect using the hosts IP address if you know it.

You have to have configured the host as a fax share as I indicated in my earlier post first or yr client won't find it.

On your fax host set up the machine using winfax's tools/program setup option as a fax sharing host

Thats really all there is to it.

There is a bug in WinFax that effects MS Word you can either delete the Wfwrd2k2.dot file it creates or follow symantecs fix at

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPOR...0/NT/Me/98/XP&src=sg&pcode=winfax&svy=&csm=no

Bob Palmer

http://www.resisystems.co.uk

The most common solution is H2O!

 

[manpaul]

Bob

I have had winfax installed on all machines as you suggested. How do I call winfax from vfp passing all the parms and a pdf report file.
I have check all the fqa's and searched winfax, but could not makeout how to create the object?

Thanks

 

[keepingbusy]

manpual

I was involved in a long discussion on Tek-Tips about using WinFax 10 and remember you cannot pass variables directly from VFP to Winfax. However, if you want to start up WinFax via VFP try this:

DECLARE INTEGER ShellExecute IN shell32.dll ;
  INTEGER hndWin, ;
  STRING cAction, ;
  STRING cFileName, ;
  STRING cParams, ;
  STRING cDir, ;
  INTEGER nShowWin

  cFileName = [b](Put the path of WinFax here)[/b]
  cAction = "open"
  ShellExecute(0,cAction,cFileName,"","",1)
  CLEAR DLLS ShellExecute

To automate the process our project was to place a multiple customer order into a memo field and by using a copy and paste method we were able to almost get the job done. All the user had to do was right click in the body of the fax and the details were pasted in. If you want info on this, post back.

Hope it helps

Lee....

Visual FoxPro Versions: 6 & 9
Operating System: Windows XP

http://www.customsoftware.co.uk

 

[manpaul]

Lee
Here is what I want to acheive

My Client has 4 PC's and wants the be able to fax from any one of these machines. One pc has an analog line for faxng. I have had their IT person install winfax on all 4 pc's as describe in this thread.

They want the faxing to be transparent. So from a form I want them to click fax button then I create a pdf file of the required report then send that pdf report, cover sheet, fax number and customer information to winfax, then isssue a send command.

Do I have things setup properly and will the code provided work for me??

 

[keepingbusy]

Hi manpaul

Do I have things setup properly and will the code provided work for me??

Firstly, I think one of your questions has been answered in that one PC has to be setup as the "Host" and the "Others" as clients. This is achieved through the settings within WinFax. We have an app in place that does excatly what your asking with one PC receiving the electronic faxes from the other five "client" PC's.

In repsect of

They want the faxing to be transparent. So from a form I want them to click fax button then I create a pdf file of the required report then send that pdf report, cover sheet, fax number and customer information to winfax, then isssue a send command.

There may well be a way to create a report and convert it to PDF but as far as automatically transfering variables from VFP and attaching an attachment to Winfax the short answer is no (as far as I'm aware).

Try this thread thread1251-895986 which discusses the issues and gives some suggestions on alternative ways or automating close to what you are trying to achieve.

I think the bottom dollar is, Symantec (WinFax) need to take a look at developers who require this facility, I have no doubt it would be a winner.

Good luck
Lee

Visual FoxPro Versions: 6 & 9
Operating System: Windows XP

http://www.customsoftware.co.uk

 

[bobmpalmer]

hmm Lee is correct,

Its a nice idea but Winfax won't do this transparantly.
In our app we simply print direct from VFP to it

When you installed winfax it will have placed a printer driver in yr windows printers section. Now the winfax printer, if not set as default can be selected programatically.

SET PRINTER TO NAME "WinFax"
REPORT FORM myreport TO PRINTER

Winfax automatically opens its address book and cover page. The user selects from the winfax address book or keys in the number and types in the cover page or chooses to not send a cover page whichever. Its not really that much of a chore.

Bob Palmer

http://www.resisystems.co.uk

The most common solution is H2O!

 

[keepingbusy]

Hi Bob

That makes a thngs a bit a bit easier!

This isn't my thread but thanks for the very useful info

Lee

Visual FoxPro Versions: 6 & 9
Operating System: Windows XP

http://www.customsoftware.co.uk

 

[keepingbusy]

Should read "a bit"

Visual FoxPro Versions: 6 & 9
Operating System: Windows XP

http://www.customsoftware.co.uk

 

[manpaul]

Thanks Everyone

I'll try setting the printer to winfax and have the client setup thier clients in the addres book.

Bob
Does win fax use its own address book or does in use outlook. Does this mean that we have to load the same address book on all 5 PC's or can we access the address book where the analog line is??

 

[bobmpalmer]

It can be done but it is a little complex.
Winfax can share outlook's address book.

In Winfax on each machine select Go/phonebooks
Select tools/External phonebook autolink and you should get an option to select outlook/outlook express phonebooks.

However, although winfax can share its own phonebooks it CAN'T share a shared outlook folder.
Winfax's link to outlook is local only!!

As I understand it, to achieve what you want you will have to create a new, shared .pst folder in outlook on the host machine.
Your clients then need to be set up to use this .pst as their contacts list in their local outlook FIRST, (So all clients are using a shared outlook address book) then link their local winfax's to outlook as above.

Check this out first.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;222056

I'm sorry this isn't too precise but we don't use a common winfax address book.

Bob Palmer

http://www.resisystems.co.uk

The most common solution is H2O!