E-mail and Fax-Enabling Progress
Joe Drouillard 
Principal/Consultant
Avenue Systems
(248) 894-7093
www.avenue-systems.com

It is fairly easy to e-mail and fax from a Progress 4GL program.  And, it can often be done without any additional software or hardware.  E.g.: in one run you could e-mail and fax all P/Os for suppliers who desire e-mail or fax transmission.    Here is a fast tip to get you started.   It all begins with using  the existing e-mail services already available (although, perhaps dormant) on your Progress platform.  If you are running Progress on a UNIX box, you might not even be aware that it has e-mail capabilities, but it almost certainly does.  From your Windows environment, you may be able to use your normal e-mail program.

First, experiment with whatever e-mail facility is available on the same platform as Progress, to send an e-mail from the command line.  In UNIX, this would often be the "mailx" command, from the system prompt.  It may take some UNIX system management to enable this command.  In Windows, see if your e-mail facility will let you send a simple e-mail from the DOS prompt.  This may take a little digging, or you may need to find some low-budget or free software to enable this simple operation.   Your goal is to be able to send a simple e-mail to yourself from the command line with the message body from a simple text file.  Once this is working, you are half-way (or more) there.

Next, develop a simple maintenance screen to store e-mail addresses in a file accessible by Progress.  Normally, I use the usrw_wkfl, using one field for the supplier, customer, or employee-id, another field for type (customer, supplier, etc.), and a third for the actual e-mail address.  (This will work for faxes, too, but first get it working for e-mail alone.).  

Then, when in a program where e-mail is to be sent, the text message or report (perhaps a single or multi-page P/O) is stored in a text file, using the "output to" command.   Then, the appropriate system command (often "mailx" in UNIX environments) is called using the required syntax with the text/report file name and recipient's e-mail address.   This is done iteratively in the program until all messages (say, a P/O to every supplier receiving one that day) have been sent.  Naturally, if the supplier has no e-mail address, then it is assumed that the supplier is not set up for e-mail, and that P/O is bypassed.   Hint:  The UNIX "mailx" command offers no direct way of creating attachments.  To do this, use the UNIX "uuencode" command to direct one or many files into a single file, that when directed to the mailx command, will create as many attachments.


Faxing:
Once e-mails are working, faxing can be implemented using an e-mail fax server.  This is done by e-mailing the fax server the text message, with the fax number sent as part of the e-mail address.  The format of the e-mail address will be specified by the particular fax server you have chosen.  But, it will always contain the destination fax number.   

Fax servers can be installed internally on your company network.  But, it is often more economical to use an external fax service company.  These typically have low setup charges, fast implementation, and low pre-minute phone charges.  There is often no need for additional hardware and software, since you simply e-mail  the fax data to the external fax service.  Here is a sample e-mail destination, when using a fax service:  
  
                    fax:248-669-1234@faxservice.com

In the above example, "248-669-1234" is the ultimate recipient's fax phone number, and "faxservice.com" is the e-mail server of the fax service (internal or external) that you are using. This is e-mailed to the fax service, which then faxes the document to the ultimate recipient. The P/O  or other text message is put in the body of the fax.  The fax topic is put into the e-mail topic field.  There is also normally a way to receive an e-mail notification of faxes sent with status and time received.

Here is a good Yahoo link to help you find and compare fax service companies:   Business and Economy > Business to Business > Corporate Services > Administrative Support > , then select Fax Services.   Most also offer the ability to receive faxes through e-mail, and fax broadcasting.

e-mail:  jad@avenue-systems.com
web-site:  avenue-systems.com

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Copyright Joseph A. Drouillard, 2002.  All rights reserved.