iSeries Email

i5 - ISeries (i5) Email

This is a PC server program that send emails out. Here is how it works.

The iSeries writes to a native file.
FTP sends the data from the iSeries to the PC server.
FTP can evoke the server program to execute
The PC program that Reads the file, calls MS Outlook, and the email is sent.
FTP Deletes the file from the PC
The file is deleted on the iSeries

The server program is written in ASNA Visual RPG (AVR). The source code is supplied but is not needed. There is an executable program will run on any Windows PC, so long as the run time module has been installed. The run time module is free, but must be acquired from www.asna.com. You can download the deployment module or order a CD. Only the runtime deployment module must be installed. If you are a Visual Basic Programmer, you could convert this program easily, it is less than 50 lines of code that looks like VB.

The program is hard coded to read the X: drive. Map the X drive to the directory on the server where you are going to FTP the data. You could map the X drive to the IFS. If you FTP to execute the program, you will want to change the FTP attribute (CHGFTPA), Inactivity timeout . . . . . . . to more then 300 seconds (5 minutes), to 36000 (1 hrs) or longer.

Most of Microsoft’s programs are callable, including Outlook. The AVR program calls Outlook passing it parameters, through a COM interface.

The file layout

1-5. Command

6-245 Data

Commands

TO (required) Put email address in data
SUBJ (required) Put Subject in data
PLAIN (required) Put plain text in Data. May have several lines.
HTML (Optional) Html text in data. Newer email programs will ignore the plain text message, and display the HTML. Older email programs will display the plain text and ignore the HTML. May be several lines.
ATTAC (Optional) URL location of attachment
SEND (required) Sends the email