Sending e-mails automatically 1

[SitesMasstec]

Dear collegues:

According to VFP literature, I have learned there are 3 ways to send e-mails automatically, using a VFP program:
- MAPI
- CDO
- 3rd party tools using SMTP ptotocol

I have been using MAPI for the last 7 years, but now I have experienced some problems with e-mail programs running under some version of Windows. I had to install Thunderbird e-mail program to solve, and make this program the standard e-mail program instead of the Outlook (while running VFP program to send e-mails automatically).

Is there a right way to send e-mail automatically today, without have to worry about which e-mail program or Windows version is installed, and without having to use 3rd party tools (except the e-mail program, of course) ?



Thank you,
SitesMasstec

 

[Olaf Doschke]

MAPI is still the way to use the mail client the user set up as standard client. The only other ways are not using the mail client, but independent, so your users don't see your sent mails in their outbox/sent items. That can be an advantage or disadvanatage. And one of the nicest ways you can send mails is via outlook automation of Outlook.Application, not as a MAPI complient mail client, but as OLE automation of outlook. But that only works with Outlook, not with Outlook Express, nor of course other mail clients. I use that for customers having the Office package available, as thay also want Excel and Word automation for reports.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[Olaf Doschke]

Again in detail
> without have to worry about which e-mail program installed
Well, there has got to be a mail program and it has to be mapi compliant. Most are

>without have to worry about which Windows version is installed.
If you bring in the necessary Mapi32.ocx you have the necesasry library.

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa977221(v=vs.71).aspx

msmapi32.ocx is among the OCXes VFP installs and allows you to redistribute.

You have to install things in a setup, just like the VFP runtime, to make use of them, yes. If you want to program independent of the OS you have to limit yourself to HTML/Javascript/CSS web development stack.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[SitesMasstec]

Hi Olaf!

Yes, I have been using for many years what you showed me in the detailed use of MAPI post above.

I just needed the confirmation I am working with the best approach to send e-mails (MAPI) among the options.



Thank you,
SitesMasstec

 

[Olaf Doschke]

Do you have any new problems with your mailing code?

In thread184-1762044 we found a few issues. Indeed the msmapi32.ocx is not self contained and depends on MAPI32.DLL, remember the hotfix I pointed to:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/980681

It's not explicitly listed in redist.txt, but it lists a MSMAPI32.MSM merge module, which should have all necessary OCX and DLL files and registry keys and dependency infos necessary to setup a running msmapi32.ocx

Bye, Olaf.