henryzhang

Hi, not sure where this thread should go, but hear me out.

I posted yesterday requesting help for an automated emailing system.

Further investigation has lead to me discovering that the problem isnt really with the emailing program, but the way our database works.

Our database contains our customers info (over 20,000 customers, constantly updated everyday), and we can offload their info as a .csv file. What I need is for this .csv file to be imported into an emailing program so that the address book is updated everyday, automatically. After this, I need the email program to recognise a parameter within the .csv file ('email type') and thereby send the correct email to the customer. The scheduling of the emailing is possible in many programs, but the actual importing of the .csv file is still manual.

I was wondering if anyone knows how to make the importing of the file automatic, perhaps program it so that it does it everyday, maybe one hour before the email schedule.

Is this possible with php/java/c++ etc? Can it be used in collaboration with an existing emailing program, such as Outlook or Mach5? I don't really know about coding myself, so any help is greatly appreciated!

Regards,

Henry
www.mobal.com

mackenga

If I wanted to do bulk mail, what I'd do would depend on the platform. If, as I'd guess, you're on Windows, I'd probably just use VBScript or JScript.

This could cut out the middle man by reading the CSV file itself (using a Scripting.FileSystemObject and probably the Split() function to break up the records; this kind of trivial solution will usually only work if none of the fields have a comma in them, but as long as none that the program is interested in do it should work OK).

To actually send the email, I wouldn't bother using an external email program. You /can/ automate the likes of Outlook (and with tricky hacks with SendKeys you can automate pretty much any program on Win32) but it's quicker and easier to have JScript or VBScript send email itself using CDO.

You'll need to get someone with a little Windows scripting know-how to write this for you but it's not going to be difficult; even if they've never met CDO or the FileSystemObject they can acquaint themselves with these pretty quickly with a skim of Microsoft's website.

Oh, and this isn't the right place - Not sure off the top of my head what would be but I think batch/shell scripting or some category like that. I'm sure a moderator will move it to where it ought to be before long; don't worry about it anyway I'm sure nobody will mind

Oh, and if I'm wrong and you're on Unix rather than Windows, this could be done with a small, simple shell script (or Perl, Tcl or Python or any one of a range of languages; whatever someone nearby knows) and sendmail.

__________________
"I'm not a genius. Why do I have to suffer?"

Narfco

Do you mind if the Aplication is Java based.
If not email me at
Store@narfco.com and give me the details. I think I can help.

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