SMTP/POP3/IMAP Email Engine
Library for Xbase++
Programmer's Manual
(SEE4XB)
Version 5.0
May 30, 2008
This software is provided as-is.
There are no warranties, expressed or implied.
Copyright (C) 2008
All rights reserved
MarshallSoft Computing, Inc.
Post Office Box 4543
Huntsville AL 35815
Voice : 1.256.881.4630
email : info@marshallsoft.com
Web : www.marshallsoft.com
MARSHALLSOFT is a registered trademark of MarshallSoft Computing.
1 Introduction
1.1 Features2 Library Overview
1.2 Documentation
1.3 Example Program
1.4 Installation
1.5 Uninstalling
1.6 Pricing
1.7 Updates
2.1 Dynamic Link Libraries3 Compiler Issues
2.2 Keycode
2.3 Win32 STDCALL and DECLSPEC
2.4 Error Display
2.5 Adding SEE4XB to a Project
3.1 INCLUDE Files4 Example Programs
3.2 Compiling and Linking Programs
3.3 Xbase++ Compiler
4.1 Connectionless Example Programs5 Revision History
4.2 SMTP Email Example Programs
4.3 POP3/IMAP Email Example Programs
4.4 IMAP-Only Example Programs
The SMTP/POP3/IMAP Email Engine for Xbase++ (SEE4XB) library is a powerful toolkit that allows software developers to quickly develop SMTP and POP3 email applications in Alaska Xbase++. The SMTP/POP3/IMAP Email Engine (SEE) is a component library of functions providing direct and simple control of the SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol), POP3 (Post Office 3), and IMAP 4 (Internet Message Access Protocol) protocols.
A straightforward interface allows sending and receiving email, including multiple MIME base64 and quoted-printable encoded attachments. Knowledge of Winsock and TCP/IP is not needed.
The SMTP/POP3/IMAP Programmer's Manual provides information needed to compile and run programs in an Xbase++ programming environment.
The SMTP/POP3/IMAP Email Engine for Xbase++ component library supports and has been tested with Alaska Xbase++ version v1.3 through and Xbase++ v1.9. SEE4XB includes numerous example programs that demonstrate SMTP and POP3/IMAP functions to help software developers easily build software applications using the SEE4XB library.
SEE4XB runs under all versions of Windows (Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows 2003, Windows NT, Windows XP and Windows Vista). The SMTP/POP3/IMAP Email Engine SDK DLL (SEE32.DLL) can also be used from any language (C/C++, .NET, Visual Basic, VB. NET, VBA, Delphi, Visual FoxPro, COBOL, PowerBASIC, dBase, etc.) capable of calling the Windows API.
When comparing SMTP/POP3/IMAP Email component library against our competition, note that:
MarshallSoft also has versions of the SMTP/POP3/IMAP Email Engine library for C/C++ (SEE4C), Delphi (SEE4D), PowerBASIC (SEE4PB), Visual FoxPro (SEE4FP), Visual dBASE (SEE4DB), and Visual Basic (SEE4VB). All versions of the SEE library use the same DLL (SEE32.DLL). However, the examples provided for each version are written for the specified programming language.
The latest versions of SMTP/POP3/IMAP Email Engine (SEE) can be downloaded from our web site at
http://www.marshallsoft.com/email-component-library.htm
Our goal is to provide a robust SMTP/POP3/IMAP email component library that you and your customers can depend upon. A fully functional evaluation version is available. Contact us if you have any questions.
Some of the many features of the SMTP/POP3/IMAP Email Engine component library are as follows:
Royalty free distribution (no run-time fees) with your compiled application
The complete set of documentation consists of three manuals in two formats. This is the first manual (SEE4XB) in the set.
Each manual comes in two formats:
The SEE_4XB Programmer's Manual is the language specific (Xbase++) manual. All language dependent programming issues such as compiling, compilers and example programs are discussed in this manual. Read this manual first.
The SEE User's Manual (SEE_USR) discusses email processing as well as language independent programming issues. Purchasing and license details are also provided.
The SEE Reference Manual (SEE_REF) contains details on each individual SEE function as well as SEE error codes.
Use Microsoft Word or Microsoft WordPad to print the document files. The online documentation can be accessed on the SMTP/POP3/IMAP Email Engine for Xbase++ product page at:
http://www.marshallsoft.com/xbase-email-component.htm
The following example segment demonstrates the use of some of the SMTP/POP3/IMAP Email for Xbase++ component library functions:
#INCLUDE "DLL.CH"
#INCLUDE "KEYCODE.CH"
#INCLUDE "SEE32.CH"
*** PROGRAMMER: Edit these strings [use host name or IP address for server] ***
SmtpServer = "10.0.0.1"
SmtpFrom = "<mike@10.0.0.1>"
SmtpReply = chr(0)
SmtpTo = "<mike@10.0.0.1>"
DiagFile = ".\HELLO.LOG"
*** END PROGRAMMER ***
? "HELLO 5/30/2008"
Code = seeAttach(1, SEE_KEY_CODE)
if Code < 0
? "Cannot attach SEE"
return
endif
Code = seeStringParam(0, SEE_LOG_FILE, @DiagFile)
*** set maximum connect wait to 20 seconds
Code = seeIntegerParam(0, SEE_CONNECT_WAIT, 20000)
*** connect to SMTP server
? "Connecting to " + SmtpServer
Code = seeSmtpConnect(0, @SmtpServer, @SmtpFrom, @SmtpReply)
if Code < 0
Temp = SPACE(128)
Code = seeErrorText(0,Code,@Temp,128)
? Left(Temp,Code)
else
*** send email message
? "Sending email to " + SmtpTo
Code = seeSendEmail(0,SmtpTo,"","","Hello from Xbase++","Hello from Xbase++","")
if Code < 0
Temp = SPACE(128)
Code = seeErrorText(0,Code,@Temp,128)
? Left(Temp,Code)
else
? "Email has been sent."
endif
endif
? "Done."
Code = seeClose(0)
Code = seeRelease()
return
In the example program above, seeAttach is called to initialize SEE and then seeSmtpConnect is called to connect to the SMTP mail host. The SMTP server host name and your email address are required, while the "Reply-To" entry is optional.
seeSendEmail is then called, passing the addressee lists. The primary addressee is provided in the "To List". The CC ("Carbon Copy") lists additional recipients, as does the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) list. The subject contains the email subject line. The message text is next. If it starts with the '@' symbol, it is considered the name of the file containing the email message. Lastly, the filename of any ASCII or binary attachment is specified. All fields, except the first, in seeSendEmail are optional.
After returning from seeSendEmail, the seeClose function is called to close the connection to the SMTP server. Lastly, seeRelease is called to perform SEE termination processing and release the Winsock.
Note that the install process does not modify the Windows registry.
Uninstalling SEE4XB is very easy. SEE does not modify the registry or any Windows system files.
First, run UINSTALL.BAT, which will delete SEE32.DLL from your Windows directory, typically C:\WINDOWS for Windows 95/98/Me/XP/Vista or C:\WINNT for Windows NT/2000.
Second, delete the SEE4XB project directory created when installing SEE4XB.
A developer license for SEE4XB can be purchased for $115. Purchasing details can be found in Section_1.4 "How to Purchase" in the SEE User's Manual (SEE_USR.HTM). Also refer to INVOICE.TXT provided with the evaluation version or order directly on our web site at
http://www.marshallsoft.com/order.htm
Registration includes one year of free updates and technical support.
When a developer license is purchased, the developer will be sent a registered DLLs plus a license file (SEExxxxx.LIC, where xxxxx is your Customer ID). The license file can be used to update the registered DLL for a period of one year from purchase. Updates can be downloaded from
http://www.marshallsoft.com/oem.htm
After one year, your license must be updated if you want to be able to download updates,
although the registered DLL never expires. Your license can be updated for $30 if ordered
within one year of the original purchase (or previous update). Between one year and three
years, licenses can be updated for $55. After one year, licenses can be updated for
$75.
As noted above, the registered DLL's do not expire
Also see file UPDATES.TXT.
The SMTP/POP3/IMAP Email component library includes a Win32 dynamic link library (DLL). A DLL is characterized by the fact that it need not be loaded until required by an application program and that only one copy of the DLL is necessary regardless of the number of application programs that use it. Contrast this to the traditional static library that is bound to each and every application that uses it at link time.
An important advantage that DLL's have over other "popular" library formats such as VBX or OCX is that DLL's are callable by all Windows applications. Since DLL's are the building blocks of the Windows Operating System, they will not be replaced by a "newer technology".
The SEE32.DLL has a keycode encoded within it. Your keycode is a 9 or 10-digit decimal number (unless it is 0), and will be found in the file KEYCODE.CH. The keycode for the evaluation version is 0. You will receive a new keycode and a new SEE32.DLL after purchasing or updating a developer license. The KEYCODE must be passed to SeeAttach.
If you get an error message (value -74) when calling SeeAttach, it means that the keycode in your application does not match the keycode in the DLL. After registering and before installing the registered version, it is best to remove the evaluation version of the SEE32.DLL from the Windows search path or delete it.
SEE32 is written in ANSI C and is compiled using the _stdcall and _declspec keywords. This means that SEE4XB uses the same calling conventions and file naming conventions as the Win32 API. In particular, function names are NOT decorated. There are neither leading underscores nor trailing "@size" strings added to function names.
Any Windows application program may call the SEE32 library provided that the proper declaration file is used.
The error message text associated with SEE error codes can be displayed by calling seeErrorText. Each sample program contains examples of error processing.
Also see the file seeErrors.txt for a list of all Winsock and SEE error codes.
It is straightforward to add SEE to both console mode and GUI Xbase++ programs. First, add
#INCLUDE "KEYCODE.CH"
#INCLUDE "SEE32.CH"
after any other $INCLUDE statements in the Xbase++ program.
Then add
nCode = seeAttach(1 SEE_KEY_CODE)
If nCode < 0 Then
? "Cannot attach SEE"
return
endif
as the first executed SEE function.
The keycode (contained in KEYCODE.CH) is 0 for the evaluation version and is a 9-digit number for the purchased version. Rather than include KEYCODE.CH as shown above, the keycode can be pasted directly into the call to seeAttach.
Lastly, link your program with SEE32.LIB. Refer to the example programs in the SEE4XB/APPS subdirectory.
SEE4XB has been compiled and tested with Xbase++ version v1.3 through and Xbase++ v1.9. The SETUP installation program will copy the Lib's and SEE32.DLL to the Windows directory. Refer to Section 1.4 "Installation".
All example programs include two files: KEYCODE.CH and SEE32.CH. The file SEE32.CH contains all the necessary constants and function declarations for SEE4XB, while the file KEYCODE.CH contains your keycode (license key), as discussed in Section 2.2.
The Alaska Xbase++ include file DLL.CH is also required. For example,
#INCLUDE "DLL.CH"
#INCLUDE "KEYCODE.CH"
#INCLUDE "SEE32.CH"
The above files can be copied to the Xbase++ INCLUDE directory (where Xbase++ can find it) if so desired.
Note that each function is declared with the prefix character of 'X'
Before compiling any of the example programs, edit each program with your TCP/IP email parameters, as shown in the example program in Section 1.3 above. Server names can be IP addresses (in decimal dot notation) or the host name. Email addresses must be enclosed in angle brackets.
More details on each of the example programs are provided in Section 4.0, "Example Programs.
To compile and link console mode programs, such as STATUS.PRG, use
XPP STATUS.PRG
ALINK STATUS.OBJ SEE32.LIB
To compile and link windows GUI programs, such as FROM.PRG, use
XPP FROM.PRG
ALINK /SUBSYSTEM:WINDOWS FROM.OBJ SEE32.LIB
If you don't have the Alaska Software Xbase++ compiler, you can find it on the web at
http://www.alaska-software.com
Each example program, with the exception of SEEVER.PRG and CODETEST.PRG, must be edited with your TCP/IP email parameters before compiling. Refer to the SMTP/POP3/IMAP Email User's Manual (SEE_USR) for details.
Refer to Section 3.2 above for information on compiling and linking the example programs.
Be sure to edit the example programs with your email parameters before compiling. Before writing your own programs, compile and run several of the example programs.
Two SEE4XB example programs do not require a connection to a server.
This simple program displays the SEE library version number and registration string taken from SEE32.DLL. Its purpose is display the SEE version, build, and registration string as well as to verify that SEE32 is being found and loaded by Windows. The SEEVER program does not connect to your LAN (or the Internet).
This is the first program that you should compile and run.
The CODETEST example program demonstrates how to use seeEncodeBuffer and seeDecodeBuffer, which BASE64 encodes and decodes several test strings. The CODETEST example program also demonstrates the use of seeEncodeUTF8 and seeDecodeUTF8.
There are eleven SMTP email example programs. SMTP programs send email using an SMTP server.
AUTHEN is an example program that connects to an SMTP server using SMTP Authentication. You must connect to a SMTP server that allows authentication.
AUTHEN.PRG must be edited with your email parameters before compiling.
AUTO ("auto-responder") uses two channels concurrently to automatically respond to all new email. AUTO will read (but not delete) all email on your server and reply to each that "your email was received".
AUTO.PRG must be edited with your email parameters before compiling.
The BCAST example program emails the same message (BCAST.TXT) to a list of addresses taken from the file, BCAST.EML, containing one email address per line. Along with your SMTP server and your email address, you must create the file containing the email message to send, and create another file containing the list of recipients.
The GB2312 example program sends a text message that is GB2312 (simplified Chinese) encoded. The recipient's email client will be able to display the email message using the specified GB2312 character set provided that it is capable of identifying GB2312 MIME parts (such as MS OutLook).
The HELLO program emails a short message. HELLO.PRG must be edited with your email parameters before compiling. Compare with the MAILER example program.
The HTML example program connects to an SMTP server and emails an HTML file (HTML.HTM) containing inline graphics (IMAGE1.GIF and IMAGE2.GIF). The graphics files are attached to the HTML email message.
HTML.PRG must be edited with your email parameters before compiling.
The ISO8859 example program sends a text message and subject line that are ISO-8859 encoded. The recipient's email client will be able to display the email message using the specified ISO character set provided that it is capable of identifying ISO-8859 MIME parts (such as MS OutLook).
The MAILER example program emails a message, including an optional MIME attachment. MAILER.PRG must be edited with your email parameters before compiling.
The MAILER2 example program operates the same as the MAILER program, except that it uses the "indirect" method. MAILER2.PRG must be edited with your email parameters before compiling.
The MParts example program sends a multipart MIME email in which the programmer specifies the Content-Type headers for each attachment.
The two attachment types specified in this example are a sound file (.wav) and of PDF file (.pdf).
The FORWARD example program forwards an email message to a new recipient. Only undecoded email messages can be forwarded.
Undecoded email message can be downloaded using the GETRAW and READER example programs.
There are eight POP3/IMAP example programs. These examples read email using a POP3 or IMAP server. Each example program, except for the FROM program, must be edited with your email parameters before compiling.
AUTO ("auto-responder") uses two channels concurrently to automatically respond to all new email. AUTO will read (but not delete) all email on your server and reply to each that "your email was received".
AUTO.PRG must be edited with your email parameters before compiling.
The FROM program operates like the STATUS example program, except that it uses an Xbase++ form to enter the POP3 server, user, and password.
The FROM program must be linked as a GUI (rather than console mode) application:
XPP FROM.PRG
ALINK /SUBSYSTEM:WINDOWS FROM.OBJ SEE32.LIB
GETRAW is an example program that downloads a specified email message without decoding it (in "raw" format). This is used to see what the email looks like on the server. GETRAW.PRG must be edited with your email parameters before compiling.
READER can read email, including multiple MIME attachments, from your POP3 server, deleting each email after being read. READER.PRG must be edited with your email parameters before compiling.
The READER2 example program operates the same as the READER program, except that it uses the "indirect" method. READER2.PRG must be edited with your email parameters before compiling.
STATUS reads the number of email messages waiting on your POP3 server, and displays the "DATE:", "FROM:", and "SUBJECT:" header fields from each email. STATUS.PRG must be edited with your email parameters before compiling.
The STATUS2 example program operates the same as the STATUS program, except that it uses the "indirect" method. STATUS2.PRG must be edited with your email parameters before compiling.
The Pop3Read example program uses the seePop3Source function to specify an (undecoded) email message file to be read and decoded. There is no connection to any server.
Undecoded email message can be downloaded using the GETRAW and READER example programs.
There are two IMAP-only example programs. These examples access the IMAP server.
The ImapFlag (IMAP Flags Test) example program tests the manipulation of flags on the IMAP server. It reads, sets, and deletes certain flags for the specified email message on the IMAP server.
IMAP flags are:
\Seen Message has been read
\Answered Message has been answered
\Flagged Message is "flagged" for urgent/special attention
\Deleted Message is "deleted" for removal by later EXPUNGE
\Draft Message has not completed composition (marked as a draft).
\Recent Message has arrived since the previous time this mailbox was
selected. ["\Recent" may be fetched but not stored]
The ImapSrch (IMAP Search) example program tests IMAP search capability.
See ImapSearch.txt or http://www.marshallsoft.com/ImapSearch.htm for a complete list of all IMAP search strings.
Example search strings as passed to seeImapSearch():
SEEN
SEEN NOT ANSWERED
FLAGGED SINCE 1-Feb-2008 NOT FROM "Smith"
LARGER 10000 NOT SEEN
The SMTP/POP3/IMAP Email Engine DLL (SEE32.DLL) is written in ANSI C. All programming language versions of SEE (C/C++, Visual Basic, PowerBASIC, Delphi, Visual FoxPro, Visual dBase, Xbase++, COBOL, and Fortran) use the same identical DLL.
Version 3.2: February 21, 2000.
Version 3.3: November 20, 2000
Version 3.4: August 14, 2001
Version 3.5: April 10, 2002
Version 3.6: April 28, 2003
Version 3.7: February 10, 2005.
Version 4.0: July 24, 2006.
Version 5.0: May 30, 2008 (Win32 Version only)