I have seen many discussions about sending email from the database. In fact, I came to this forum earlier this week for some ideas. I would like to share what I have been able to make work even though I am just a beginner with PERL. Here is what I have done to send an email of an added record to a recipient identified by a field using blat on NT:

I added parts to db.cgi under sub add_record (compare the two to see the differences):

if ($status eq "ok") {
open (DB, ">>$db_file_name") or &cgierr("error in add_record. unable to open database: $db_file_name.\nReason: $!");
open (MAIL, ">$db_blat_file") or &cgierr("error in add_record. unable to open database: $db_blat_file.\nReason: $!");
if ($db_use_flock) {
flock(DB, 2) or &cgierr("unable to get exclusive lock on $db_file_name.\nReason: $!");
flock(MAIL, 2) or &cgierr("unable to get exclusive lock on $db_blat_file.\nReason: $!");
}
print DB &join_encode(%in);

# Put the information from the database form into a temp file - blat
# sends the contents of a file via email. If you don't store it as a file first, it
# won't send the mail - you will get an error telling you the file
# does not exist.

print MAIL "Subject: NJVCCC Registration\n\n";
print MAIL "The following $in{'County'}";
print MAIL " county student has registered for your provided course:\n\n";
print MAIL "$in{'Subject'}";
print MAIL " : $in{'Course'}";
print MAIL " - $in{'Section'}";
print MAIL " for the $in{'Semester'}";
print MAIL " Semester\n\n";
print MAIL "Social Security Number: $in{'Social'}\n";
print MAIL "$in{'First_Name'}";
print MAIL " $in{'Last_Name'}\n";
print MAIL "$in{'Address'}";
print MAIL " $in{'Apartment'}\n";
print MAIL "$in{'City'}";
print MAIL ", $in{'State'}";
print MAIL " $in{'Zip_Code'}\n";
print MAIL "$in{'Phone'}\n";
print MAIL "$in{'email'}\n\n";
print MAIL "Have a great day!\n\n";
print MAIL "Amy Shelton\n";
print MAIL "Atlantic Cape Community College\n";
print MAIL "\n\n";

close DB; # automatically removes file lock
close MAIL; # automatically removes file lock
if ($db_key_track) {
open (ID, ">$db_id_file_name") or &cgierr("error in get_defaults. unable to open id file: $db_id_file_name.\nReason: $!");
if ($db_use_flock) {
flock(ID, 2) or &cgierr("unable to get exclusive lock on $db_id_file_name.\nReason: $!");
}
print ID $in{$db_key}; # update counter.
close ID; # automatically removes file lock
}
&auth_logging("added record: $in{$db_key}") if ($auth_logging);
&html_add_success;

#Send the mail here

$in{'recipient'} =~ s/\//\\/g;
$db_blat_file =~ s/\//\\/g;

system "blat.exe $db_blat_file -t $in{'recipient'} -q";


}
else {
&html_add_failure($status);

}


}


And to default.cfg you must add the following:

# Full Path and File name of the blat file to be emailed.
$db_blat_file = $db_script_path . "/blat.txt";

to the file and URL's section.

Hope this helps someone.....


Amy Shelton
Atlantic Cape Community College

[This message has been edited by shelton (edited March 27, 2000).]

No problem! You help so many people! It is the best feeling in the world when a program I have been working on actually does what I want it to do!

The only thing I would like to add about blat is that the only way I have been able to get blat to work is to put it in the same directory from which I am running the program. The -s, -noh2, and -noh switches haven't worked for me either.

Enjoy the day! It is getting warm here!

Amy

Thank you, Amy. I've never worked with NT or blat or anything like that, so I have been at a loss when folks asked. Now I can point them to this topic.

You have made my life much easier. Thank you again!!


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JPD