Mail Robot - Faxchange 6.x

Mail Robot

Mail Robot serves as a universal module for sending faxes from any application - it defines the parameters, enables a simple integration of fax sending into information system which for some reason (e.g. MSDOS application FoxPro…) cannot use the MAPI application library. The basic description of Mail Robot's function is described in "FaxChange API".

How does Mail Robot works ?

Mail Robot periodically searches working directory (%inst_path%\robot\in by default) where it tries to find a file with the CTL extension (*.ctl). Whenever such file is found, it reads the contents and sends the fax specified in the given CTL file. After sending the fax, the CTL file is deleted, just as all referenced files (message text and attachments). (Non)delivery reports are sent to the mailbox belonging to the user profile for Mail Robot.

Installation

Run setup.exe on the installation CD located in the directory /faxchnge/fxapi/mailrobot/setup. The installation program asks for the user account and password under which context Mail Robot will run. Also select a target directory for installation and MS Exchange profile which program will use.

Warning: Owner of the MS Exchange profile must be the same as user account which was set up during installation as the account which Mail Robot will use. So you should log on under this account and configure the MS Exchange client / Outlook and then install Mail Robot. If Outlook client is used, Outlook address book service must not be used in the mail profile.
During installation Faxchange.Mailrobot service is created.

CTL file format

A CTL file has the structure of INI Windows file - it contains sections and entries. For comments use the character ";". For description of CTL file structure comments are used. The titles of the sections are in square brackets, the name of the entry in the given section always begins on a separate line and its value is presented after the symbol "=".
Remember: the text entered is case sensitive.

[system]
type=fax
; Required value

[to]
type=fax
; Required value, other values in this section are required too
name=John Smith
; Recipient name
comp=Smith Flowers i.n.c.
; Company
dept=Sales
; Department
number=5464521
; Faxnumber
priority=normal
; Priority of the fax - low, normal or high

[message]
subject=Flowers delivery
; Subject
text=xxx.txt
; name of file containing fax message body.
attachs=2
; Count of attachments, 0 means no attachments.

attach.1=profit_chart.gif
attach.2=budget.doc
; attachment file names.

[props]
preview=0
; Non required value, preview=0/1 - fax will be sent without/with preview

On the installation CD in the directory \faxchange\FXAPI\mailrobot\sample you will find the sample CTL file with all files connected to the given CTL file.

Warning: The program, which is creating a CTL file and files referenced by a CTL file, should first create all related files and at the end create the CTL file itself (for example by renaming file). This is necessary to prevent Mail Robot from trying to send files which are referenced by CTL but which not yet exist or are used by other application.