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SamC
White Water Yakist
3467 Posts |
 Posted - 2004-07-30 : 11:19:04
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I'm running out of ideas for interesting subjects.  But this thread may not be your cup of Java, so consider the subject fair warning.I'm going to lay the requirement (as suggested by the customer), and if you have any ideas, lemme hear 'em.We do a web-based course with usage reporting. I've got a customer with a niche requirement: This customer has several manned outposts which are connected to the internet for about 10 minutes a day. We deliver a CD-based version of the course to these outposts which allows them to browse the course without being tracked. To record the completion of the course, we have implemented a process on our website that these users can email to signify their having taken the required training.These outposts have primitive browsers (Netscape 4.7) and some kind of email spooler that allows them to queue email which is later sent during the 10 minute window of internet uptime.Everything is working moderately well, except for a couple of special cases: (1) Some users don't have an email address so it isn't possible for them to email a registration. (2) Some users email a registration with a minor type-o that causes the registration to fail.I've been asked to investigate whether I can somehow bypass the client-side email package and develop a FORM that queues email to the smtp server all on it's own with no server-side code. The inspiration for this idea was the recent virus running around the internet that sent email without using an email package (or for that matter, without using an SMTP server).So that's this week's development request that I've got to respond to. Can I build a form page with a SEND button that can build an email and queue it to the outpost's SMTP server without using server side code. I presume that JavaScript is the only option? Has this been done before, can it be done?We may need to deep six this request.Sam |
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Kristen
Test
22859 Posts |
Posted - 2004-07-30 : 12:44:58
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| Do they have HTTP: when they are "on line"?You can make a PDF FORM which can do an HTTP POST. So they could fill that in, and then "post" when online.Kristen |
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AjarnMark
SQL Slashing Gunting Master
3246 Posts |
Posted - 2004-07-30 : 13:54:28
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| Why do you keep repeating "without using server side code"? If there going to view a web form, then there must be a server somewhere, even if it's their local machine. In which case, you could write code that would build the email and queue it up.Another approach would be to build a small app with InfoPath or even VB (or whatever your choice of dev language) which would build a registration file (XML? CSV?). Then you could schedule a task to email it as an attachment or FTP it to you. Or, for that matter, you could create an email from within the app, and check it for errors before sending.-----------------------------------------------------Words of Wisdom from AjarnMark, owner of Infoneering |
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drymchaser
Aged Yak Warrior
552 Posts |
Posted - 2004-07-30 : 14:04:00
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Sam, did they make an offer you couldn't refuse?  |
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SamC
White Water Yakist
3467 Posts |
Posted - 2004-07-30 : 14:46:06
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| As usual, I've managed to confuse everyone. Who has that tagline: "Chaos, disorder, panic... my work is done here."This is a client PC. There's no http access since the internet is accessible for only 10 minutes a day.There is a SMTP spooler somewhere at the facility that is setup to spew everything forth in that 10 minute window. Sort of a once a day email facility.There are no FORMs in the CD version of the course now, no POSTS, no nutten... Just HTML. It's a requirement that this CD run on a client PC. No server installation allowed.I could build a form, but there's nothing to POST to, unless I write maybe a JavaScript. But if I collect all the form data in JS, how do I SMPT it to the local SMTP server?I suppose a JavaScript programming "master" might be able to queue or write an outbound email to the local SMTP server. Of course, addressing each facility's SMTP server will be unique. Some setup (some assembly required) would be needed.I want to retreat to SQL and let someone else do this. If there were a sample JavaScript that did something like this, I might be able to take it from there...Sam |
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ditch
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker
1466 Posts |
Posted - 2004-07-31 : 04:38:08
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quote:
Originally posted by SamC
As usual, I've managed to confuse everyone. Who has that tagline: "Chaos, disorder, panic... my work is done here."
That would be Regan (Wanderer)Duane. |
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