Sending Individual Emails

[Judith]

Hi, I have been asked to design a table and form which someone will sit at the pc and phone each person in the table and ask if it's ok to email them.

I have designed the form and used the email link on the email address field which opens up the email facility. I have saved the email document in drafts and I hoped I would be able to open the saved email document automatically which doesn't appear to be an option, the bigger problem is each time I open the email document I have to retype the subject line. I have tried entering an expression in the subject line and when I tested the email it showed the condition expression rather than the result, can anyone tell me why this would happen?

Regards
Judith

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Sending Individual Emails

Take a look at email templates in the webhelp.

[Bill]

Re: Sending Individual Emails

Not sure why you're seeing expression instead of result. Perhaps posting an example or your code will help get you helped.:)

I do something similar to what you're describing. I have a form which contains an email address field. When an email address is entered in that field, the OnDepart event gathers 2 variables, the email address just entered (veNow), and the record number for that client (veCurrentRecord). It saves the record, then it generates an email to that client. This automatically enters the email address as the recipient's address. It enters the subject line and it includes a message in the body of the email. It also attaches a report that is personalized to that client.

I did all this with action scripting (I suck at code) but I've converted it to xbasic because I don't know how to send you the action scripting:

'Get 'Value' property of 'Email0' in Form 'Mktg_Current_Agents' .
DIM GLOBAL veNow AS c
veNow = parentform:Email0.value
'Get 'Value' property of 'Record_number' in Form 'Mktg_Current_Agents' .
DIM GLOBAL veCurrentRecord AS n
veCurrentRecord = parentform:Record_number.value
'Save record in current form at parent level.
topparent.commit()
'Send a report, label, letter, form or browse layout as an attachment to an e-mail message. You can specify which records to send.
'Check to see if you are running the script from within a Form
dim flag_error as l
flag_error = .f.
if is_object(topparent.this) then
p = topparent.this
if p.class() = "Form" then
DELETE Parameter1
'Set the Parameter variable to the object's .value property
Parameter1 = eval("P:Record_number.value")
else 'Not in a Form. This is an error condition.
flag_error = .t.
end if
else
flag_error = .t.
end if
if flag_error then
ui_msg_box("Error","You can only run this script from within a Form",UI_STOP_SYMBOL)
end
end if

filter = "Record_number = [varN->parameter1]"
query.filter = replace_parameters(filter,local_variables())
query.order = ""
to_param = a5_eval_expression("=EMAIL0.value",local_variables())
cc_param = a5_eval_expression("",local_variables())
bcc_param = a5_eval_expression("",local_variables())
subject_param = a5_eval_expression("=alltrim(Agent_First_Name)+\", \"+\"here's your new fax form\"",local_variables())
message_param = a5_eval_expression("=alltrim(Agent_First_Name)+\", "+chr(13)+chr(10)+"\"+\"Attached is a new fax form I personalized to you. I created it in Word so you can quickly and easily change it to suit your individual or specific needs. Please keep it on file and feel free to update it whenever your needs or personal info changes."+chr(13)+chr(10)+"Thanks,"+chr(13)+chr(10)+"Bill\"",local_variables())

:Report.Send("agent fax form","RTF",query.filter,query.order,"default",to_param,subject_param,message_param,cc_param,bcc_param)


Hope this helps or gives you other ideas.

[Judith]

Re: Sending Individual Emails

Thank you for your help, I have had a go using Action Scripting which I haven't used before and I have put a button on the form which brings up the email complete with the subject line BUT now I have to fill in the TO field on the email.

Bill, I looked at the xbasic you sent and I have picked out the line below:

param_to = alltrim(a5_eval_expression(em.send_to_temp))

Would I be right in guessing that somewhere in that line I could put the field name of the email address and it would automatically fill with the email address of the current record. Or am I being too optimistic :)

[Bill]

Re: Sending Individual Emails

I don't see what you're referencing from my code, but what you need to do is capture the email address as a variable and insert that result into the to_param = a5_eval_expression("=EMAIL0.value",local_variables()) part of the code. In my case that is the EMAIL0 variable.

[RobPolley]

Re: Sending Individual Emails

Judith, did you figure this out? I'm an Alpha rookie, and I was able to make it work this summer. I will have to dig to remember how, so if you got it, I won't. It's a very useful feature, as you can imagine.

Hang in there.

--Rob

[Bill]

Re: Sending Individual Emails

Stan Mathews was kind enough to send me the following message privately. I assume Stan was trying not to embarrass me publicly. Thanks Stan.

I believe you might be mistaken. EMAIL0 would seem to be a form field rather than a variable, hence the need to use the syntax EMAIL0.value.

Despite Stan's valiant and considerate effort, I am an idiot.
Email0 is a field on my form. The variable is called veNow. Course I can't remember anything about either; naming conventions, how variable was created or where it is stored, etc., but I hope this helps.

Thanks again for your kindness Stan, but I'm OK with being a doofus, as long as I learn something from having it brought to my attention.:D

[CALocklin]

Re: Sending Individual Emails

Despite Stan's valiant and considerate effort, I am an idiot.

WRONG! Idiots are the one's who can't figure out that they could be wrong. We've all met them. They were the ones centuries ago that were running around saying the world was flat even after it was proven to be round. Today they're the ones saying we never actually made it to the moon. And, unfortunately, many, many, many other lesser "offenses to intelligent life." Of course, their solution to the problem is to just ignore all logic and continue insisting they are right. (I don't put myself in that category because I readily admit that I made a mistake once.:D)

[Judith]

Re: Sending Individual Emails

Sorry I haven't replied before now, it was a day off yesterday. Still trying to get my head around this, so will wade through my other work and then give my action scripting another go this afternoon. Because what I have just tried this morning didn't work

[Judith]

Re: Sending Individual Emails

Hi,

Well I have spent a good 40 minutes trying things out on xbasic, I have included the following line:

param_to = alltrim(a5_eval_expression("=director_email.value",local_variables()))

When I try to run it, I get the following error message

Script:secondtest line:28
param_to = alltrim(a5_eval_expression("=director_email.value",local_variables())
Too many parameters

I can't see what the problem is in that line, any suggestions gratefully accepted.

[RobPolley]

Re: Sending Individual Emails

Judith,

I'm sure I didn't use xbasic to do this - just action scripting; I'll check tonight and I'll get back to you on it.

Thanks!

--Rob

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Sending Individual Emails

I can't see what the problem is in that line, any suggestions gratefully accepted.

You can often check this sort of thing in the interactive editor window. Your construction seems sound.

EMAIL0.value = "Tom Smith"

to_param = a5_eval_expression("=EMAIL0.value",local_variables())
? to_param
= "Tom Smith"

director_email.value = "Tom Smith"

param_to = alltrim(a5_eval_expression("=director_email.value",local_variables()))
? param_to
= "Tom Smith"

[Judith]

Re: Sending Individual Emails

Hi Its me again!!!! Sorry but:

I have used action scripting and I am nearly there (I think). I have managed to produce an email complete with subject line and message text, but the Send to:field doesn't fill in, if I were to put an expression in the Send to line would that make it pick up the email from the current form, and if that is right can someone give me a clue as to what I should type in for the expression.

I have attached a print of the screen shot, were I'm thinking the expression should be put.
I am sorry to be such a pain, but I really am right at the bottom of the learning curve.:(

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Sending Individual Emails

Experimenting here I think all you need is

clcik the x-y button at the right of the Send To: box
enter or choose the field holding the email address (no equals sign)
ok out of the expression builder and you should see Alpha has filled in the equals in front of the field name

Should be good to go.

[Judith]

Re: Sending Individual Emails

Hi Stan,

The Expression Builder doesn't seem to like field names I only have the option of selecting from Function, Variable or Library Entry.