Use of Collaboration Data Objects for Microsoft Windows NT Server (CDONTS) to send e-mail from Active Server Pages (ASP) pages has become very common. By using CDONTS along with other technologies, you can create a Web-based interface that allows users to send attachments with their e-mail. CDONTS executes on the server so the file attachment must be uploaded to the server before it can be attached to the e-mail.
The file upload can be accomplished through the Microsoft Posting Acceptor. The Posting Acceptor is installed on the server and enables a client to post a file to the Web server from the user's computer. This file can then be sent as an attachment to e-mail.
NOTE: The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) service must be enabled and configured in order to use CDONTS. (See the Internet Information Services documentation for details.)
Steps to Attach a File to a Message
- Create a new Web application project called myEmailWebApp in Microsoft Visual InterDev on the Web server with the Posting Acceptor installed.
- Add an ASP page called Default.asp to the project.
- Delete the code that comes with the page by default.
- Add the following code to the page:
<%@ Language=VBScript %>
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<%
Dim strServerURL 'Server Name including http:// protocol
strServerURL = "http://" + Request.ServerVariables("SERVER_NAME")
Dim strServerURLFull 'Path to subweb directory
strServerURLFull = strServerURL & "/myEmailWebApp"
Dim strTargetURL 'Directory where we will upload our file to
strTargetURL = strServerURLFull & "/uploaded_files"
Dim strRepostURL 'Path to the page we will display after our file uploads
strRepostURL = strServerURLFull & "/SendMail.asp"
Dim strPathToPA 'Path to the cpshost.dll
strPathToPA = strServerURL & "/Scripts/cpshost.dll"
Dim strPostingURL 'Action path for our form
strPostingURL = strPathToPA + "?PUBLISH?" + strRepostURL
%>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgcolor="white">
<!--The Form must include the enctype properties set to "multipart/form-data" or the upload will fail. -->
<FORM enctype="multipart/form-data" action="<%=strPostingURL %>" method="post" id="form1" name="form1">
<INPUT type="hidden" name="TargetURL" value="<% = strTargetURL %>">
<!--This hidden field is used to determine if a file post is being made.-->
<INPUT type="hidden" name="bolAttach" value="true">
<CENTER>
<TABLE bgcolor=Gray border=1>
<tr>
<td>From:</td>
<!--Who is this message from.-->
<td><INPUT id="FromBox" name="FromBox" maxlength="50" value="myEmail@myDomain.com"></td>
<tr>
<tr>
<!--Who is this message To.-->
<td>To:</td>
<td><INPUT id="ToBox" name="ToBox" maxlength="50" value="myEmail@myDomain.com"></td>
<tr>
<tr>
<!--This message's Subject.-->
<td>Subject:</td>
<td><INPUT id="SubjectBox" name="SubjectBox" maxlength="50" value="Email with attachment.">
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<!--This message's body.-->
<td colspan="2"><br><br>Message:<br>
<TEXTAREA cols="40" id="MessageArea" name="MessageArea" rows="10">Here is the text for this message.</TEXTAREA>
<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="Left" valign="center">
Specify File Attachment Paths:
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<!--Path to the file to attach to this message.-->
<td colspan="2" align="right" valign="center">
<INPUT name="my_file" type="file" size="20">
<br><br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<!--This message's importance.-->
<td colspan="2" ><br>Importance Level:
<INPUT type="radio" id=optImpo name=optImpo value=0 checked>Low
<INPUT type="radio" id=optImpo name=optImpo value=1>Medium
<INPUT type="radio" id=optImpo name=optImpo value=2>High
<br></td>
<tr>
<tr>
<!--Validating Submit Button.-->
<td colspan="2" align="right" valign="center">
<INPUT type="button" value="Send" id="button1" name="button1" LANGUAGE="javascript" onclick="return button1_onclick()">
<INPUT type="reset" value="Reset" id="reset1" name="reset1">
</td>
</tr>
</TABLE>
</CENTER>
</FORM>
<SCRIPT ID="clientEventHandlersJS" LANGUAGE="javascript">
<!--
function button1_onclick() {
//Determine if there is a From address at all.
if(form1.FromBox.value =="")
{
//No from Address -Stop Submission
alert("You have not typed a From: Address.");
return;
}
//Determine if there is a To address at all.
if(form1.ToBox.value =="")
{
//No To Address -Stop Submission
alert("You have not typed a TO: Address.");
return;
}
//Determine if there is a subject at all.
if(form1.SubjectBox.value =="")
{
//No Subject - Question Submission
//Determine if they care.
var bolCancel = confirm("You have not typed a Subject continue?\n");
if(bolCancel==false)
{
//User clicked Cancel -Stop Submission
return;
}
}
if(form1.MessageArea.value =="")
{
//No Message - Question Submission
//Determine if they care.
var bolStop = confirm("You have not typed a Message continue?\n");
if(bolStop==false)
{
//User clicked Cancel -Stop Submission
return;
}
}
SubmitForm();
}
function SubmitForm()
{
//File counter for the number of files on the Form
var FileNumber = 0;
//FormMain is set to the form1 of the document
var FormMain = document.forms("form1");
//Loop counter
var i;
//Start at zero and loop until i is equal to the number of
//elements in the page. Step i +1 per loop through
for (i=0;i<FormMain.elements.length;i++)
{
if (FormMain.elements[i].name == 'my_file' && FormMain.elements[i].value.length > 0)
{
FileNumber++;
}
}
//If there are files being posted then send the file to the Posting Acceptor
//If not, skip to the send mail page with the Attachment boolean set to false.
if(FileNumber==0)
{
form1.bolAttach.value = "false"
form1.action = 'SendMail.asp';
//The encoding must be set to a different type in order to not
//use the posting acceptor.
form1.encoding = 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded';
form1.submit();
}
else
{
//There are files attached use normal submit.
form1.submit();
}
};
//-->
</SCRIPT>
</BODY>
</HTML> - In Visual InterDev right-click the project name in the Project Explorer and choose New Folder from the pop-up menu.
- Name the new folder Uploaded_files.
- Open the Internet Service Manager Console and browse to the Uploaded_files folder that you created.
- Right-click the folder, and then click Properties.
- On the Directory tab select read/write permissions, and then click OK.
- Close the Internet Services Manager.
- Open Windows Explorer and browse to the MyEmailWebApp folder under the Root:\Inetpub\Wwwroot directory.
- Right-click the Uploaded_files folder, and then choose Properties.
- On the Security tab make sure that the Internet guest account has read/write/change permissions on the folder.
- Click OK, and then close Windows Explorer.
- In Visual InterDev, add a second page named SendMail.asp to the Web application.
- Delete the code that comes with the page by default.
- Add the following code to the page:
<%@ Language=VBScript %>
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>E-mail Sent Confirmation</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<HR>
<%
'Dim Message Variables
Dim objMsg, strFrom, strTo, strSubject,lngImportance
'Get the values to use with the message from the post.
strFrom = lcase(Trim(Request.Form("FromBox")))
strTo = lcase(Trim(Request.Form("ToBox")))
strSubject = Request.Form("SubjectBox")
lngImportance = CInt(Request.Form("optImpo"))
'Create the Message Object
Set objMsg = Server.CreateObject("CDONTS.NewMail")
'Set the properties of the Message
objMsg.From = strFrom
objMsg.To = strTo
objMsg.Subject = strSubject
'Use the actual Request Object so that you do not over load the string Data type.
objMsg.Body = Request.Form("MessageArea")
objMsg.Importance = lngImportance
'Determine if we need to attach a file.
Dim bolAttachmentPosted
bolAttachmentPosted = CBool(Request.Form("bolAttach"))
If bolAttachmentPosted Then
'If do then where on the server can we get it
FilePathOnServer= Server.MapPath("/myEmailWebApp/uploaded_files")
FilePath_Name = FilePathOnServer & "\" & Request.Form("FileName") & Request.Form("FileExtention")
'Attach it
objMsg.AttachFile FilePath_Name
End If
'Send Message
objMsg.Send
'Destroy the object
Set objMsg = Nothing
'Determine if there is a file on the server to delete.
If bolAttachmentPosted Then
Dim FSO
'Create a File System Object
Set FSO = server.CreateObject ("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
'Delete the file from the server
FSO.DeleteFile FilePath_Name
'Destroy the object
Set FSO = Nothing
End If
'Write out results
Response.Write "The following message was sent via CDO for NTS:" & "<br>"
Response.Write "From: " & strFrom & "<br>"
Response.Write "To: " & strTo & "<br>"
Response.Write "Subject: " & strSubject & "<br>"
Response.Write "Importance: " & lngImportance & "<br>"
Response.Write "Body: " & Request.Form("MessageArea") & "<br>"
%>
</BODY>
</HTML>
- Click Save All on the toolbar.
- Right-click the Default.asp file, and then select View in Browser.
222618
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/222618/EN-US/
)
Using ASP and User Names with Posting Acceptor
260317
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/260317/EN-US/
)
Configuring the Posting Acceptor to Upload to Remote Servers
189651
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/189651/EN-US/
)
Uploading a File to IIS Using a Browser
250384
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/250384/EN-US/
)
Posting Acceptor AllowAnonymous Upload Repost Failure on Windows
186204
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/186204/EN-US/
)
How To Use CDONTS to Collect and Mail Information from a User
177850
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/177850/EN-US/
)
INFO: What is the Difference Between CDO 1.2 and CDONTS?
189945
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/189945/EN-US/
)
How To Send HTML Formatted Mail Over SMTP Using CDONTS
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