Re: Scripting OS X Mail app
Re: Scripting OS X Mail app
- Subject: Re: Scripting OS X Mail app
- From: email@hidden
- Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2002 19:39:56 EST
Wow, lotta responses! Thanks!
First of all, I need to use an email client under OS X (I've made the switch,
don't want to go back now) that is compatible with Filemaker Pro's Send Mail
script step. To the best of my knowledge (but please let me know if I'm
wrong) this limits me to Apple's built-in Mail client, Entourage, or the
Eudora X beta. Filemaker Pro does not say it's compatible with PowerMail,
thanks for the referral, but I assume that won't work for me with my scripts.
Ditto for Mailsmith, again, to the best of my knowledge. I wish those
Filemaker folks would add a few more applications here. Maybe in the future.
I was using Entourage, but I wasn't having any luck scripting it either, and
I like the Mail client's ability to send messages as they are being
generated. If I send all my messages in one big clump, some servers
interpret them as spam and bounce them, and that was previously causing me
much grief. (And no, no, no, hell no I'm not sending spam. Via subscription
only. I solemnly swear.) I thought maybe I could figure out how to script
Entourage to send the messages in small batches, pause, then send more until
done, but I think with Mail I won't have to bother doing that after all. But
I'd still like to be able to switch default email addresses for the SENDING
of the mail (not just the return address) in the middle of the night . . . oh
. . it's good to dream . . . <grin>
I also agree with the opinion expressed that it's good to support Apple
products (or even just products made by anyone other than Microsoft) for
reasons of keeping Apple going and "resisting the monopoly." But I'm also a
practical and often impatient woman, so ultimately I'll end up using whatever
serves my needs most efficiently. But it sure would be swell if that turns
out to be the Mail client. (Off topic to AppleScripting, but since I'm
discussing Mail and since I've posted this question via Apple Discussions and
am not getting much of anywhere, I can no longer "go offline and "go online,"
not with my entire internet connection, but just with the Mail client (option
under Mailbox menu). Yesterday, I could (giving me the option of letting the
mail generate in the Outbox then sending it instead of sending all as
generated), but today I can choose that option all I want but the mail just
keeps sending no matter what. Short of unplugging my DSL, anyone know how to
fix this? Another question . . is Mail making an individual SMTP connection
for each and every email message? That's what it looks like in the "Activity
Window." To the best of my knowledge (or merely ability to observe) that
would be different from any other client I've used.)
I'm not even in the ballpark of being talented enough with scripting yet to
be able to do the solution suggested by Steven Angier. My solution, at least
for the time being, is going to have to be simpler. But AppleScript is
interesting me more and more, I may just learn eventually.
I've also tried a Filemaker plug-in, but I like the security of using a full
application because I can then watch its progress, verify that messages were
sent just by looking in the Sent folder, and I can send the mail later if I
lose my connection in the middle of a script. I was trying to implement some
windows with the plug-in to view messages and tell me the status of things,
then I realized that what I was essentially doing was trying to write my own
email client, which started to feel just plain silly. For me. Especially
because it wasn't going well. (lol)
Re: <<There is a free unix utility for mail, called sendmail. It is complex,
but intended for industrial scale mailings. It is installed on my
version of X.
/Michael>> could you tell me what extra details this accomplishes for you?
And when you say "for mail" you do mean the Apple Mail client, not just email
in general?
Again, thanks for everyone's input.