Best method to send multiple e-mails

[48Highlander]

I am developing an app for sale and I want to be able to allow my customers to use Outlook Express or similar e-mail clients (does this mean MAPI compliant?) for mass e-mails. I want them to be able to have an attachment and preferably the message body could be in HTML.

I have read in FAQ 705-537 about using “shell32.dll” and in faq181-5705 about using a CDO reference. I have also read in

http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/email.htm

about using Winsock and MAPI. I don’t understand the pros and cons of each of these methods for sending e-mail. Can someone provide a quick summary or recommendation?


Bill J

 

[jrbarnett]

CDO Mail (via SMTP) will work whatever email client they have, you just need to get the client to enter a server DNS name or IP address in a configuration setup.
Sending email via CDO won't store copies of it though, unless you keep it in the database.
SMTP is an international standard, so CDO will work regardless of your email system, provided that the PC the system is on can connect to the SMTP server.

Using MAPI will automate an email client (such as Outlook), so you can use address books accessible to the client.
As a result of having access to the client API, any messages sent through it will get stored in the Sent Mail folder.
To use a different client (eg if you wanted to use Eudora) you would need to rewrite the connectivity and message sending code.

Its your call as to which is better in your situation.

John

 

[mp9]

You can find an example of automating Outlook, which shows how to handle priority, attachments, voting buttons and lots of other stuff above and beyond the usual "To, Cc, Subject and Message" approaches, at

http://www22.brinkster.com/accessory/modules/005.shtml

Whether this approach could be adapted to work with Outlook Express, well, I don't know.

 

[sxschech]

Where could I find a good example of code for use with Eudora?

 

[jrbarnett]

The Eudora forums, for example

http://eudorabb.qualcomm.com/showthread.php?t=8332&goto=nextnewest

or the Eudora forum on Tek Tips?

John

 

[HughLerwill]

An example of the MAPI approach at

http://www.vb-helper.com/howto_vba_email_mapi.html

HTH Hugh