My Boss going crazy: database access via email

[uladzik]

Dear gurus,

First of all, I hope it's not too mch off-topic, because I think this problem that we have can be implemented in VBScript and ASP.

So here the situation. We have a Web-based application for our consultants (a virtual helpdesk). There are two groups of users: experts (or consultants) that answer questions on-line, and normal mortal users who ask those (sometimes stupid ) questions.

An expert goes to a special Web page protected by password, looks through all the questions and answers some of the them in a Web-based form. His/her answer gets stored to the database and also a copy of the answer gets sent to the user who asked the question.

Experts are not very computer-friendly and they would like to answer questions exactly the way they did before, i.e. via e-mail. So my boss asked if it's possible to setup a special e-mail account on the mail server that would handle emails from our experts, somehow analyze it and store appropriate data in the database.

I think I am aware of all the difficulties involved, but I would be happy to hear your own comments regarding the whole scheme. How do you envision the whole thing? How would you setup such an automated email account? What techonologies/protocols/languages would be involved? Has anyone done this thing before? Is there anything related on the Web?

Just FYI, the original Heldesk application runs on Windows NT, IIS, and it's implemented in ASP and VBScript (so that's basically what I know); Access and SQL Server as backend.

Thank you very much in advance!

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http://www.geocities.com/uladzik/

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[RobSchultz]

You could probably use SQL Mail and a DTS transform to import it into your database. This should work but I personally have never done this.

Regards, Rob
robschultz@yahoo.com
-Focus on the solution to the problem, not the obstacles in the way.-

 

[esearing]

I have an application which does the following:

REQUEST FORM.asp
your email [textbox]
your question [textarea]
[Submit Button] * posts question to DB*
-------------------------------------
EXPERTS QUESTION LIST.asp
(SQL Query of DB where reply isempty)
Q1 How Do I... [Reply button] *link to email reply form*
Q2 What is... [Reply button] *etc...
*Reply button calls Email Reply Form
*Maintain needed database fields as hidden objects on the forms. i.e requestors email.
---------------------------------
EXPERTS EMAIL LIKE REPLY FORM.asp
display requester question:
"Q1 How do I..."

To: [textbox autopopulated with requestors email]
From: [textbox - default emailaddress]
Subject: [textbox autopopulate with requestors subject]
Response:[text area]

[send button]
---------------------

On submit calls asp page which posts reply to database, and updates response fields. Scheduled database macro sends email. You could use the suggestion above for SQLMail to send email at the same time.

Redirect expert to response complete page then back to Questions page.


Eric Searing
eric.searing@wcom.com