Hiding gmail password in an email xbasic function and a couple other xbasic questions

[twwtc]

I am a beginner and am working on the following function to send out emails

function emailSendSMTP as c (e as p)
dim t as p
dim pm as P
dim ps as P
dim cycle as n

cycle=0
t = table.open("email")
t.fetch_first()

while .not. t.fetch_eof()
cycle=cycle+1


if (email_smtp_open(ps, "smtp.gmail.com", 465, "[email protected]", "mypassword","SSL"))then
pm.to = t.Email
pm.from = "[email protected]"
pm.subject = e._currentRowDataNew.subject
pm.html_message = e._currentRowDataNew.messageBody
email_smtp_send(pm, ps)
end if
email_smtp_close(ps)

if cycle=10
cycle=0
sleep(10)
end if
t.fetch_next()

end while
t.close()


DIM SHARED SentEmailsMsgBox_result as N
DIM SHARED SentEmailsMsgBox_OK_Button as L
SentEmailsMsgBox_OK_Button = .F.

title_var = "My Company"
message_text_var = <<%text%
Emails Have Been Sent
%text%
SentEmailsMsgBox_result=ui_msg_box(title_var,message_text_var,UI_OK+ UI_FIRST_BUTTON_DEFAULT+ UI_INFORMATION_SYMBOL)
'Test to see which button on the message box was pressed....
SELECT
CASE SentEmailsMsgBox_result = UI_OK_SELECTED
SentEmailsMsgBox_OK_Button= .t.
END SELECT

end function

Main question:, Is there a way to "hide" my email password and/or is this something I shouldn't worry about?
I have tested this two different times and both times I get an email from gmail saying someone on the other side of the country has tried to log in to my account.
Or is this my Zebra Host server, where my app is published?

Second question: I need help with the wording of a filter in the xbasic function that will send emails to only records that the value in field_1 equals "Yes"

Third question: Is there a way to count records that equals "Yes" and include that in the "Emails Have Been Sent Message"?
Example: "64 Emails Have Been Sent"

I am using SQL Server as the back end and

Thanks
Tony

[Davidk]

Re: Hiding gmail password in an email xbasic function and a couple other xbasic questions

Hi Tony,

So this is pure desktop... is that right? No web, no mobile. I ask only because you're posting in the web and mobile forum.

Have a look at the email_profile_save, load, and valid functions. They let you set up profiles you can get to for your calls.
This way you don't have to hard code you password.

Also have a look at the email_send_gmail() function... that may help.

Next, have a look at tbl.query_create(). This will help you understand filtering your table. In the online document for this method, the sample code also shows how to get a record count.

dim tbl as P
dim qry as P
dim nrecs as N
tbl = table.current()
query.description = "Time Sheet"
query_order = "NAME"
query_filter = "NAME = VAR->Name .and. DATE = {" + VAR->Date + "}"
query_flags = ""
qry = tbl.query_create(query_flags, query_filter, query_order)
nrecs = qry.records_get()
IF (nrecs = 0) then
    qry.drop()
    ui_msg_box("Null Query","There are no records in the Query" ,UI_INFORMATION_SYMBOL)
    query.order = ""
    query.filter = ""
    END
end if

You say your back end is SQLServer... yet you're doing a table.open which means you're working with Active tables. In that case you could do this to filter...

dim args as sql::arguments
args.set("fld1Value","Yes")
dim tbl as p 
tbl = table.open("customer",args)

But you'll need to read the sections on Active Link tables to see how to set it up for a query.

Hope that helps a bit.

[twwtc]

Re: Hiding gmail password in an email xbasic function and a couple other xbasic questions

David
It is for a web app
Thanks for the reply, I'll get a chance to work on it some more tomorrow.
Tony

[Davidk]

Re: Hiding gmail password in an email xbasic function and a couple other xbasic questions

If it's for a web app... then you need to change a few things. The code you posted shows no indications that it's a web app.

You won't be using table.open. You'll be working with the SQL::Connection object... and creating an AlphaDAO connection string
ui_msg_box() is pure desktop.
To run your xbasic code you'll be making an Ajax Callback to the Alpha Server. When that code is finished it will return Javascript to be executed back on the client... in this case A5.msgBox.show() which is the client/web version of ui_msg_box().

If you're sending out a bunch of emails... your example 62... then you should look at using the Mandrill Email Web service... baked into Alpha. Using Mandrill you build your emails in XBasic and then make one call to Mandrill.

[GGandhi]

Re: Hiding gmail password in an email xbasic function and a couple other xbasic questions

You can set up your profile for email
Go to view settings in top menu, email and set the email and test and see if it works correctly
Then go to web properties copy the same information in email
Then you have option of sending email via actionscripting or xbasic. in xbasic, email_send2 function works best for me.
In both the passwords are not shown.
Take a look.

As david said when lot of email need to be sent, mandrill is better option.

edit:you can use your alpha five db with web without any problem as far as i know, even though i use mysql backend. and table open is the way to go if using alpha five db.
on the website to pop inform the user, you send a javascript to the browser in your function before end function statement
emailSendSMTP = "alert('the email sent successfully');"

[twwtc]

Re: Hiding gmail password in an email xbasic function and a couple other xbasic questions

I watched a Webinar about sending out emails and copied most of the Xbasic from that. An example was also shown for Mandrill. I will start working with that example.

After watching the Webinar and seeing that the code was in Xbasic, I added the cylcle loop that someone suggested to me 5 years ago to allow Gmail time to send numerous emails.

I did find out that the service that was trying to login to my Gmail account was actually the server hosting my app. So, passwords are safe.

I did find a place to send back the alert that the emails have been sent using the ajax callback genie option. (but does not count, which I can live with)

I'm still having a hard time figuring out how to filter the people I want to send the emails to.
I am using SQL, it is a web app, but the emails are being sent using Xbasic. Very hard to wrap my head around combining all that!!


Thanks for helping
Tony

[GGandhi]

Re: Hiding gmail password in an email xbasic function and a couple other xbasic questions

if you are using sql then as david said table open is not correct, go to alphapedia and look into xbasic and sql you will find lots of help there.
it is not that difficult once you go thru that document.

[CharlesParker]

Re: Hiding gmail password in an email xbasic function and a couple other xbasic questions

I went through a situation with gmail and bulk email sending about 8 years ago - if I remember right you can send about 100 emails per send so 65 isn't going to be a problem - now that said I use the mandrill function myself and can say it works great! You may find though that your emails will sometimes end up in folks SPAM folder. I think you can purchase an IP that can help prevent that - but that's a financial decision.

[Davidk]

Re: Hiding gmail password in an email xbasic function and a couple other xbasic questions

Sorry... I see now that you're referencing e._currentRowDataNew... so you must be using a grid.

Here's a sample XBasic function that may help. You'll need to replace the AlphaDAO Connection string name with one that you create... which points to your SQL Server database.
The function shows how to pass arguments to your SQL Select statement and thereby filter your select.

This XBasic function returns an alert if there's an error somewhere. If there are records processed (or not) the function returns a call to a Javascript function which includes an email count as a parameter and pops up a message on the client side. This Javascript function is below, as well.

function emailSendSMTP as c (e as p)

debug(1)

	
dim cn as sql::Connection
dim flag as l
dim sqlStmt as c
dim rs as sql::ResultSet
dim args as sql::arguments
dim cntEmail as n = 0

'change this to your AlphaDAO connection string name
flag = cn.open("::Name::NWSQLServer")

if flag then

	args.set("argSelectEmail","Yes")
	sqlStmt = "SELECT email from email WHERE field_1 = :argSelectEmail;"
	
	'first get a record count
	flag = cn.Execute(sqlStmt,args)
	if flag then
		'ALL OK
		rs = cn.ResultSet
		while rs.NextRow()
			'send your emails
			cntEmail = cntEmail + 1
		end while			
		emailSendSMTP = "emailResult('" + cntEmail + "');"
		
	else
		'there was an error - close the connection and exit
		cn.Close()
		dim msg as c 
		msg = "Could not execute the query. Error reported was: " + cn.CallResult.text
		msg = js_escape(msg)
		dim jscmd as c 
		jscmd = "alert('" + msg + "');"
		emailSendSMTP = jscmd
		exit function
	end if  
	
else
	'there was an error - close the connection and exit
	dim msg as c 
	msg = "Could not open the connection. Error reported was: " + cn.CallResult.text
	msg = js_escape(msg)
	dim jscmd as c 
	jscmd = "alert('" + msg + "');"
	emailSendSMTP = jscmd
	exit function
end if

cn.FreeResult()
cn.close()	
	
	
end function

Client-side Javascript function

function emailResult(recCnt){

	var msg = recCnt + " Emails have been sent.";
	A5.msgBox.show('Email',msg,'o');

}

[twwtc]

Re: Hiding gmail password in an email xbasic function and a couple other xbasic questions

Thanks for all the replies, advice, and especially the specific code example! This will be a great help!
I looked into Mandrill and signing up is much more intensive after Dec 2015. Will try to tackle that another day.
Thanks again!
Tony

[twwtc]

Re: Hiding gmail password in an email xbasic function and a couple other xbasic questions

David
How do I get email addresses from into the pm.to =????
From my old example "pm.to = t.Email"
Thanks
Tony

[Davidk]

Re: Hiding gmail password in an email xbasic function and a couple other xbasic questions

The statement... "SELECT email from email WHERE field_1 = :argSelectEmail;" is returning just 1 column.

rs is set up as a ResultSet Object. Everything returned from SQL in in this object. One of the properties in rs is data.

pm.to = rs.data(1)

or

pm.to = rs.data("email")

[twwtc]

Re: Hiding gmail password in an email xbasic function and a couple other xbasic questions

David

I used your example and it appears to be working, thanks!

This all appears really complicated, but I would like to start picking up a little along the way.

This example is a little difficult with all the use of "email" in the code. (my mistake)
I highlighted each use of "email" and was wondering if you check my opinion on what each refers to:

1. table
2. field
3. arbitrary name

Thanks!
Tony



function emailSendSMTP as c (e as p)

debug(1)


dim cn as sql::Connection
dim flag as l
dim sqlStmt as c
dim rs as sql::ResultSet
dim args as sql::arguments
dim cntEmail(3) as n = 0

'change this to your AlphaDAO connection string name
flag = cn.open("::Name::NWSQLServer")

if flag then

args.set("argSelectEmail(3)","Yes")
sqlStmt = "SELECT email(1) from email(2) WHERE field_1(2) = :argSelectEmail(3);"

'first get a record count
flag = cn.Execute(sqlStmt,args)
if flag then
'ALL OK
rs = cn.ResultSet
while rs.NextRow()
'send your emails
cntEmail(3) = cntEmail(3) + 1
end while
emailSendSMTP = "email(3)Result('" + cntEmail(3) + "');"

else
'there was an error - close the connection and exit
cn.Close()
dim msg as c
msg = "Could not execute the query. Error reported was: " + cn.CallResult.text
msg = js_escape(msg)
dim jscmd as c
jscmd = "alert('" + msg + "');"
emailSendSMTP = jscmd
exit function
end if

else
'there was an error - close the connection and exit
dim msg as c
msg = "Could not open the connection. Error reported was: " + cn.CallResult.text
msg = js_escape(msg)
dim jscmd as c
jscmd = "alert('" + msg + "');"
emailSendSMTP = jscmd
exit function
end if

cn.FreeResult()
cn.close()


end function

[Davidk]

Re: Hiding gmail password in an email xbasic function and a couple other xbasic questions

Just keep sticking with it... and you'll see very soon that it really makes sense. Here's your code... commented... but with some corrections. You've got the table and field reversed. You usually select fields from a table... so it actually is Select emailfield from tblemail

dim cntEmail(3) as n = 0 this is just setting up a count variable... to hold the number of emails we process

'change this to your AlphaDAO connection string name
flag = cn.open("::Name::NWSQLServer")

if flag then

args.set("argSelectEmail(3)","Yes") this is just an argument variable name... I like to give my argument names something a bit meaningfull.
sqlStmt = "SELECT email(1) from email(2) WHERE field_1(2) = :argSelectEmail(3);" here email(1) is the field you want, email(2) is the tablename and email(3) is that argument we just created. Alpha replaces the argument with the value (in this case "Yes") when the SQL Statement gets parsed.

'first get a record count
flag = cn.Execute(sqlStmt,args)
if flag then
'ALL OK
rs = cn.ResultSet
while rs.NextRow()
'send your emails
cntEmail(3) = cntEmail(3) + 1 here we just add 1 to our processed email counter
end while
emailSendSMTP = "email(3)Result('" + cntEmail(3) + "');" when all done, the ajax callback send back this client-side javascript command... to run the Javascript function called emailResult... and we give this function a parameter... cntEmail... which the Client-side can read and use.

[twwtc]

Re: Hiding gmail password in an email xbasic function and a couple other xbasic questions

David
Thanks for taking the time to help!
Tony