Hello All,

Im in the process of updating all our FileMaker files to be in 8.5.
Most of the files are web enabled, and in FM6dev I was using the SMTPit
plug in, a lot.

We were hoping to not use a plug-in for 8.5, but I just read the help
file for the Send Mail script step and it clearly states: "This script
step is not web-compatible".

I guess my question is, is there anyway around this ? (Im still working
on the web interfaces for 8.5 so havent tested as yet). And if there is
no way around it, what do most ppl use to email from FileMaker -
through web interface..?

thanking youse in advance..

ta,
Maria

An easy-as-1-2-3 solution is to use the PHP mail() command in connection
with the web viewer:

1) Get a server with PHP set up. It doesn't even have to be the one that
FileMaker is running on.

2) Put a simple one-line "mailme.php" file with the script

<?php mail ( $mailto, $subject, $body ); ?>

on the server.

3) Construct a url in FileMaker in the format:

http://www.yourserver.com/mailme.php...t&body=Message

When you go to that link (i.e., via a web viewer, which is sized 1 pixel x 1
pixel so people won't see it), the email is automatically mailed out by the
web server.

Ok, it's a little more complicated in that you'll have to encode characters,
and Internet Explorer limits the URL length to about 2,000 characters, but

a) This is a super-easy solution for short mails

b) The basic concept can be extended to handle more complex scenarios.



"mariat_t" <mariat (AT) cse (DOT) unsw.edu.au> wrote

Bill Marriott schrieb/wrote:

4) Secure the server running the PHP setup to prevent it from being
abused by spammers.

Gruss,
Christian
--
Christian Schmidt | Germany | ChriSchmiLi (AT) gmx (DOT) de
No HTML Mails, please!!
De eene hett 'n Rittergut, de annere ritt 'n Gitter rut.

What Bill suggests is very valid if you need to send mail without the
user's email window popping up (I think that's what his method does).

But a simpler way can be achieved without the php script.

Add a "link" or FileMaker button that runs a script that uses the Open
URL step and use as the url:

mailto:someone (AT) anydomain (DOT) com&subject=Test&body=Message



mariat_t wrote:
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Howard Schlossberg (818) 883-2846
FM Professional Solutions, Inc. Los Angeles

FileMaker 8 Certified Developer
Associate Member, FileMaker Solutions Alliance

Yes Howard's method works much like the Send Mail [with dialog] script
step and will result in the user's email application opening up with a new
message window ready-to-send. The PHP method I described is for sending mail
"silently" -- which is a better option for notifications of new records or
confirmation emails, that sort of thing.

However, one small typo; the correct form is:

mailto:someone (AT) anydomain (DOT) com?subject=Test&body=Message

(The first "&" should be a "?")

It's also subject to the URL length limit of ~2000 characters.

"Howard Schlossberg" <howard (AT) antispahm (DOT) fmprosolutions.com> wrote