Automatic Email Script

[WSaxton]

Ok got another good one

Here is the basics , I am running file maker server 11 , which is hosting a database which is password protected , Database runs fine,

I have been asked to generate an automatic email based of the experation date of a contract inside the data base So for example in plan english ;

Every morning at 8 am

System does a search of the database

Compares the Current date to Date_End on the specified layout

Finds all records that match the above calculation

If the Date_End is with in 60 days of current date

Go to another layout and go to field Staff email and locate there email address

Send email to Person Staff member as well copy persons , A,B,C

For each found record

The only way for the system to stop sending this email on a daily basis would be for them to enter the new contract dates which would take the end date out side of the 60 Day window

I hope that makes sense i see it in my head but cant figure how to do it on the computers

[David McQueen]

To fully automate this process you probably require a couple of plugins. The first would be an email plugin that would send out the mail without requiring an email client intermediary. The second is probably a scheduling plugin to automatically call the script at 8:00 each morning.

It has been quite awhile since I did any serious work with plugins. A long time ago I used both POP3it and SMTPit for mail (sending and receiving). Off hand I cannot point you to a scheduling plugin. What you are looking for is the same sort of plugin that allows you to set up alerts in a contact management program. These work at a level below FileMaker which is working at the application level.

Aside from these things, you original post seems to have the process you need to implement.

HTH

Dave McQueen

[dansmith65]

I disagree with David; what you're asking can all be done within FileMaker 11 Pro/Server.

The Send mail script step can be configured to send mail via an SMTP server. However; the options available in this script step are extremely limited compared to an email plug-in, so if you want html emails, for example you will need a plug-in.

Then, to have the script run every morning at 8:00, you can create a FileMaker Server schedule to run a script from your database.

But, as David said; the basic logic you have should work; you just need to convert that into a script (be aware that not all script steps are compatible with FileMaker Server, and using one will cause your script to fail).

[WSaxton]

humm , Ok So i am familer that i can set up the Server to have its own email address since we are useing exchange so thats easy, So my next question is how do i A ) convert my logic to script and set the server to run that script?

[dansmith65]

You're going to have to learn to write scripts in FileMaker. (or hire someone that already know's how)