Access Reports Automatic Mailer (version 2.7. trial)
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Maximize this window to read the text with optimum ease
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Files for Access 97:
DnAutoMail.mdb, DnARAMRef.mde

Files for Access2K
DnAutoMail2K, DnARAMRef2K


Important notice: Users of previous versions will have to replace
both the library database and the emailing form, as the form has
new features and a modified design.

Contents

1. Purpose
2. Description
3. Installation
4. How to use the program
5. Requirements
6. Limitations
7. Duration
8. Special notes
9. Uninstall information
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1. Purpose
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The program allows you to send the reports from your Access database via
email. If you send a number of reports to certain recipients on a regular
basis (daily, weekly and so on), this program will store the information
and will do this work for you by its own, thus giving you some extra 
relaxation time. Of course, you can send any other reports at any time
and to anybody. No more expensive faxes, no more endless listings and a 
great level of reliability: the computer never forgets to execute a task!

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2. Description
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The software contains three tables, one form and one library database.
The tables:
a) 'ClEmail' stores the mail recipients (call it Address Book)
b) 'DefaultToSend' keeps the information about the reports you send
regularly, their recipients and when they should be delivered.
c) 'RepToSend' (call it Outbox) stores the information about which
reports are actually going to be sent, to whom and when. These are the reports
that are emailed when the time comes or when you press the button 
'Autosending in {number of} minutes (click to send now)'
Import these tables into your database or link them to it and
they will be ready! 
______________________________________________________________________

Notice! The mailing form will always check for the three tables. If they
do not exist in the database, they will be automatically created when you
open the form.
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The form:
It is called 'Email' and must be imported into your database. DO NOT OPEN
IT YET! If you do, the program will not work. You can rename the form and
give it whatever name you like afterwards.

The library database:
Its name is DnARAMRef.mde and provides all the functions to the 'Email'
form. You can rename the file, but you must keep the extension. Of course
you need to know the location where you copied this file.

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3. Installation
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a. Local installation

Unzip the DnAutoMail.mdb (or DnAutoMail2K.mdb) and DnARAMRef.mde (or DnARAMRef2K) file
in a folder of your choice on your hard drive. From DnAutoMail.mdb (or DnAutoMail2K),
import the forms DnEmail and MailerSetup into your database.
Open the form DnSetup to check if a reference has been set to the library database.
If not (new installation), it will display all possible files that can be used. Click on
the file from the location where you unzipped it, click 'Set Reference', then click 'Finish'.
The program will open the mailing form.
Note. This form can be also used to remove the reference to the library database.
If the reference is found, the button used for setting it can be used to remove it.


b. Network installation

Unzip the DnARAMRef.mde (or DnARAMRef2000.mde) and DnAutoMail(or DnAutoMail2K) on the
network server and make sure the location is accessible to any workstation that runs the
application. Then open your database program, open an existing module (no matter which of
them, could be even a new one), go to the 'Tools' menu and select 'References'. Click 
'Browse', locate the DnARAMRef.mde (or DnARAMRef2000.mde) file and click 'OK'. Make sure
that the check box next to this file is checked and then exit Microsoft Access and restart
it. Import the form 'Email' into your database file.
From now on, it will be available from the database window. If you want to make it 
available from the main switchboard, use the Command Button Wizard to create a command
button that opens it with a simple click.
From this moment, your program is ready to run. 

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4. How to use the program
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Open the form 'Email' (or the name you have given it). Starting from top to
bottom and from the left to the right, you will see the following boxes:

* Address Book. If you didn't delete the data in it, the address book 
should contain my e-mail address and my name as a sample. 

======== Adding addresses==========
Type the address you want in the drop-down list above the address book. If the address you
typed has already been included in the address book, the program will add it to the recipient
list. If not, you will be asked whether to add it to address book or not.

======= Deleting addresses==========
You can delete addresses one by one by selecting the address you want and clicking 'Delete Add'
or you can delete all addresses by clicking 'Delete all adds'. Whenever you attempt to
delete one or all addresses, you will be prompted to confirm the deletion.

======== Editing addresses==========

Click 'Open Address Book' and edit the records you want directly in the table. After
you have finished editing your contacts, close the table.

* Recipient list
The recipient list is located next to the address book. You can add a recipient to the list
either by typing it in the drop-down list ('Search/Add) or by double-clicking it in Address
Book.
To remove a recipient from the list, simply double-click the recipient. To clear the list,
click 'Clear' below the recipient list.
The progrm prevents you from entering the same recipient twice in the same list.
adding reports to Outbox

* Reports in the database.
This box lists all the reports in your database. You cannot add, modify or delete information
in this list.
The reports can be sent through this program in two ways:
a)-include them into a default list which will feed the outbox periodically
b)-include them directly in the outbox this causes them to be removed from outbox immediately
after sending

For either way, click the report you want to send

To include reports in the default list, follow the steps:

a)- check the days of the week you want the report to be sent on
b)- if you want to set a filter for the report, click 'Start filter'
c)- select the field you want to base your filter on from the Field drop-down
list
d)- select the value from the Value drop-down list (the program will list all
the values available in the field you have chosen)
e)- select the operand that suits your wish from the 'Is' drop-down list
f)- click 'Step OK' and the program will build the SQL statement that
makes the filter. For complex filters, use the paranthesis and operators
'And'/'Or' as necessary and repeat the steps from c to f.
g)- click 'Test'. The program will try to preview the selected report
by applying the defined filter. If there is any problem in the filter structure
you will be guided to correct it.
h)-click 'Filter OK'

Note: if you do not want to apply a filter, ignore steps b) to h)


i)-if you want to save a copy of the report after it has been sent, type it's desired
file name in the 'As' box next to the current report name
j)- select the drive from 'Path' drop-down list
k)- double click the subfolders one at a time from the subfolder list box. (To go one
subfolder back, click on the up arrow on the right side of 'Path').
l)-click -> (right arrow) on the left side of Default Reports

If you want the report to be sent within the current session, click 'Fill
Outbox'

From now on, the report will be sent to the recipients on all checked days,
at the default/specified sending time and will be saved every time by the name you
have given it (if any). Please note that the sending date in format yyyymmdd will be
automatically added to the file name. If you trigger the program more than once a day,
existing files will be overwritten.

To add another report to the default list, select another report and go to step a.

To remove a report from Default Reports list, double-click it or select it and click
the left arrow  on the left side of Default Reports. To change the sending properties
of any default report, click the 'Default Reports' command button and make your
changes in the table. Please note that such changes could cause certain unexpected
errors when trying to send the modified reports and in some cases the program can halt.
It is strongly recommended to avoid manual changes. It's usually safer to remove the 
report from the list and resume the proceeding from the beginning.


To add a report to Outbox just for one session (i.e. not as default report),
follow steps a) to l) and then click -> (right arrow) or double-click the
report name. You don't have to specify a sending day, as the current day will
be entered automatically.


To remove reports from Outbox

Double-click the report name in Outbox or select the name
and click <- (left arrow) on the left side of Outbox


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NOTE: When removing a report from the default list, it will NOT be 
automatically removed from the Outbox.If you want to remove it,
double-click its name in Outbox or select the name
and click <- (left arrow)
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* Outbox. This list displays the names of the reports that are waiting
to be sent, together with their mail recipients and the days when each of
them has to be delivered. When the form is opened, it automatically displays
the default reports and those reports that were not sent in the previous session.


* Report Formats. You can choose one of the following formats:
	- Snapshot format *.snp (default). For this format you need the 
	Snapshot Viewer (see 'Requirements')
	- HTML format *.htm
	- Text format *.txt
	- Rich Text Format *.rtf
	- Excel Format *.xls
The program remembers the last sending format. In this way, you can choose
or change the default format just by checking the appropriate option button.

* Sending the reports. The initial sending time of the program is 4:15 PM.
To change the sending time for the current session, just type the desired
sending time in the 'Sending Time' box. 
To change the default sending time, type the default sending time and click
'Change'



When the form is opened, the number of minutes to sending is displayed on the
'Send' command button and counts down every minute. During the last minute,
the number of seconds to delivery is showed. When the counter reaches 0,
the program starts sending the reports from the Outbox, aplying the filter set
for yeach of them (if any).
If you have not performed any manual operation such as including a report to
the Outbox for just one session, the program will quit Access after it has 
finished sending all the reports from the Outbox. In this way, your computer
can perform some other automatic operations, such as defragmenting the disk or
scanning/cleaning the disk.
To avoid quitting Access, click on the 'Autosending in nnn minutes'.

If you want to edit the email message yourself to make it more personal
click 'Edit message' and enter whatever message you feel appropriate
for all reports that are to be sent.



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5. Requirements
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Windows 9x, MS Access 97 or MS Access 2000, Snapshot Viewer (if you don't have
this software you can download it from:

http://www.microsoft.com/accessdev/articles/snapshot.htm

This link is provided automatically on the mailing form if you try to send
the reports in this format without having Snapshot Viewer installed on your
computer. Please note that your recipients must have this software installed
on their machines to view the reports. MS Access is not required on recipients'
computers.

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6. Limitations
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Both trial and registered versions: If you leave the program to run
automatically and it has to send a report based on parameters, it will
wait for you to fill in the parameter boxes before sending the report.
In such a case, the program doesn't move on to the next report.
This problem can be solved only by modifying the query or SQL that
provides the data for such report to get the parameters from the
mailing form, which implies a thorough analysis.

The filter capability is limited to 1000 characters (can be expanded on
request).


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7. Duration
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The trial version works for 30 days at no cost for you. 30 days after installation
date, you will be prompted to enter the registration key. To get the registration
key, click 'Register now' and send the email. After the payment will have been
verified, you will receive an email with the necessary key.

To get the registration key, send a check of USD 59 to the following address:

	Daniel Vlas
	Pacii Str., Bl. 9, et.3, Apt. 14
	Slatina
	0500 Olt
	Romania


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8. Special notes
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When using the mailer for the first time to send reports by email, the
program sends an email message to author:

"Evaluation period started on [date], within the file [Database file name]"
If you do not want to send such message, turn off the option of immediate
mail delivery in your email client when using the mailer for the first time. 
If you let the message go, it will be used to provide you with the latest
update of the program within the evaluation period at no cost for you.
No other information is collected by the program to be sent back to author
and no other message is created further on.

How to make the program to run without any human action (not even opening
Access manually)

Open the Autoexec macro in your database application.
Add a row at the beginning of the macro.
In the 'Action' field, enter 'Open Form'
In the 'Form Name' field, enter the name of the e-mailing form
In the 'View' field, enter 'Form'
In the 'Window mode' field, enter 'Normal'
Save and close the macro
In this way, whenever you open the application, the mailing form will
be opened automatically. If you want to do something else, just close it.

Open Task Scheduler and add a task to run Access at the desired time
In the new task, edit the run line and add the full path of your database
application at the end of the line. Leave a space between Access.exe and
the path of your application.

Example of run line:

C:\PROGRAM FILES\MICROSOFT OFFICE\OFFICE\MSACCESS.EXE C:\AUTOMATIC\YourDb.MDB

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9. Uninstall information
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To uninstall the program, open the form MailSetup and click Uninstall. This action 
will delete the tables ClEmail, DefaultToSend and RepToSend, the form Email and the
reference set to the library database.
The MailSetup form must be deleted manually.


Please feel free to email me any suggestions you may have, as doing so would
lead to a better development of the program in such a way that it meet as many
requirements as possible.


Enjoy!

Dan Vlas