Send mail with variable PDF

[Per Waagø]

Hi Forum! 

I have a script which sends an email to [current record] . Now I want to attach a PDF to the email automatically using the script.

So far I have tried with ... filewin:/$driveLetter/$targetDir/$[name_of_unique_field_from_FM]  as variable file path. But nothing is attached when I run the script. 

I hope you can help. 

Edited November 23, 2015 by Per Waagø

[Wim Decorte]

The window where you specify the path to the attachment is not a calc window so you can not mix strings and variables.

It can take a variable but only the variable, so the variable has to contain the full path and file name.

 

 

[Per Waagø]

Hi there!

 

Thank you for your quick answer!

I am not sure I totally have made my problem clear. I dont believe I am using a calculation. 

Right now I have specified the attached file as:

filewin://GCteam/Shared Documents/John Smith.pdf

Where John Smith in this case is the [name_of_unique_field_from_FM]. That name of course varies from record to record.

So are you saying that it is not possible to make the path relative? 

 

 

 

[Wim Decorte]

Yes you can but not like this:

filewin://GCteam/Shared Documents/$someVariable

In your script use Set Variable to set $someVariable to "filewin://GCteam/Shared Documents/[name_of_unique_field_from_FM].pdf"

Then in the window where you specify the attachment, just use:

$someVariable

 

 

[Per Waagø]

Thank you very much! 

 

It work totally fine now! 

[Smiley]

Hi tried to send out email with variable pdf.however i get the attached error message

 

 

My script is as follows

 

Any idea where i am going wrong and what is causing this error.

 

p.s THe button is on the record i ewant to attach

[bcooney]

Can't see the full script step, but do not use . in a table occurrence name, but rather an underscore.

[steveald]

I'm having somewhat of the same issue.

bcooney, your demo from 2009 (http://fmforums.com/forum/topic/65699-emailing-a-pdf-form-from-fm-9/?p=311349) helped a great deal. But I can't seem to get the email attachment filepath right.

The purpose of my script is to:

1) go to each record in the database

2) save the layout for the current record as a pdf in a folder on my desktop - that pdf will have a filename derived from record data

3) send the pdf file in an email addressed using record data

4) go to the next record and repeat the process until all records have been processed

Everything works except there is no attachment in the email that is sent. Here is my script. What am I missing?

Edited July 8, 2016 by steveald

[bcooney]

Use Get (DesktopPath) & "Files/" &  KCL Master PrePrint::Combined Employee Name & ".pdf"

Just a suggestion, spaces are not your friend. Use underscores in table and field names.

[steveald]

No joy. Still no attachment in the email.

Do I need to specify different paths for saving the file and then for retrieving it to email?

Here is the script after making the changes you suggested (assuming I did it right).

 

[bruceR]

Here's a simple example file.

PDF_export.fmp12

[steveald]

It looks like to key might be setting more variables. Thanks for the suggestion, BruceR. I'll give it a try first thing Monday.

[bruceR]

"It looks like to key might be setting more variables."

It isn't strictly necessary. But sometimes it can help clarify your thinking about what chunk of code does what.

[steveald]

No joy.

Thinking the mail process might need new variables other than the ones used to create the file in the first place, I came up with the following. But there is still no attachment in the sent email. My guess is the issue is somewhere in the path for where to get the file to attach to the email. I thought it might be because the file wasn't saved to the folder yet when the Send Mail command was invoked, but adding a Pause didn't help.

Also, can someone remind me what character is used within the Send Mail options to force carriage returns in the body of the email message?

Ignore the last bit. Char(13) is what I was looking for.

Edited July 11, 2016 by steveald

[bcooney]

What is the value of $filename? Does it contain a character that is causing the path to be invalid?

[steveald]

You may be onto something. It's the first and last name of the intended recipient. With a SPACE in between! Let me replace that with an underscore and try again.

[steveald]

No luck.

Even after I took it one step further. EmpCombinedNameNoSpace is the recipient's first and last name with nothing in between. So, an example of the name of the file saved to the folder would be "JohnSmith.pdf". Which means the path to the file should be /Users/Me/Desktop/Files/JohnSmith.pdf for both saving and sending the file.

Do the requirements for the path syntax for Send Mail differ from those for Save Records as PDF?

Here is my current script.

[bcooney]

No, creating the path is identical. Are you seeing pdfs in the Files folder? You could simply this by writing them directly to the desktop. I actually use Get (TemporaryPath) for this.

[steveald]

My concern with that is, I will be applying this script to literally thousands of records. So I felt the folder was necessary.

[bruceR]

Well, it appears that the thinking was not clarified.

You have established the full PDF path once. That's all you need.

[steveald]

That makes sense. But it looks like I'm back to the first revised script. And still no attachment in the sent email.

 

[bruceR]

Does the PDF get created?

Also, can you please stop posting screen shots and actually post your script? 

[steveald]

Yes. In the "Files" folder on my Desktop.

[bruceR]

I wonder about adding a pause between save and send. Also, while testing, turn show dialog on for the send mail step.

[Lee Smith]

Hi steveald,

On November 23, 2015 at 5:41 AM, Per Waagø said:

filewin://GCteam/Shared Documents/John Smith.pdf

It is so simple in 14 to do this. Select the script in the Workspace and the use the button at the top right. Copy to Text, and the paste the result in your Body of the post.

 

[steveald]

Lee Smith, I don't see a Copy to Text button anywhere on my Script Workspace screen. Is it because I am using FMPA 15 now? Sorry, I forgot to update my Profile. (I was quite confused about this since your screenshot didn't appear at first for some reason. But that Copy Script Text button is not there in my Script Workspace.)

Sorry BruceR, I missed your screenshot comment.

I tried it with and without a 2 second pause again and With dialog On and Off. The pause had no effect. But the With dialog On resulted in the attachment appearing in the email as desired. So, it works - sort of.

My only concern with that is having to click Send on every email message that appears. And, as I mentioned, there will be thousands. Thoughts?

Edited July 11, 2016 by steveald

[Lee Smith]

I don’t have version 15 so I can’t verify this. Perhaps they changed the button?

The old fashion way, is to print to Preview and then copy and paste that to your post.

[steveald]

That's odd. I still had FMPA 14 on my computer, so I tried that - and still no Copy Script Text button. Print > Open PDF in Preview worked though:

Save Records to Folder 3

Go to Record/Request/Page

[ First ] Loop

Set Variable [ $fileName; Value:KCLMasterPrePrint::EmpCombinedNameNoSpace & ".pdf" ] Set Variable [ $folderPath; Value:Get (DesktopPath) & "Files/" & $fileName ]

Save Records as PDF [ File Name: “file:$folderPath”; Current record ]
[ Document - ]
[ Pages - Number Pages From: 1; Include: All pages ]
[ Security - Printing: High Resolution; Editing: Any except extracting pages; Enable copying; Enable Screen Reader ] [ Initial View - Show: Pages Panel and Page; Page Layout: Single Page; Magnification: 100% ]

[ Restore; No dialog ]

Send Mail [ Send via E-mail Client; To: KCLMasterPrePrint::EmpEmail; Subject: "Requested File"; Message: "Dear " & KCLMasterPrePrint::Emp First Name & "," & Char (13) & Char (13) & "Attached is your file." & Char (13) & Char (13) & "Thank you," & Char (13) & Char (13) & "Steve" & Char (13) & Char (13); Attachment: “file:$folderPath” ]

Go to Record/Request/Page

[ Next; Exit after last ] End Loop 

[bruceR]

Many problems can be solved by having fewer customers.😀

[steveald]

My company might disagree - from a staying-in-business perspective.

Does that mean that you believe the only way I can do this is with the dialog box appearing for each invocation of the Send Mail script step?

[bruceR]

No. It was attempted humor.

But there is something going on here regarding ensuring that the PDF gets generated and cache flushed. Perhaps others will have some ideas.

[steveald]

Humor attempt acknowledged. Thanks for your help thus far.

[Lee Smith]

47 minutes ago, steveald said:

 

That's odd. I still had FMPA 14 on my computer,

 

AFAIK, this is the same for both versions. I looked up a video on the new Script Workspace in 15 YouTube script workspace FileMaker 15 and it shows in the workspace still. If you are using FileMaker Pro Advance, then it should be in both. Not sure if it is different in client, or you have a problem with your setup.

One more thing. Do you have Admin access to this file?

[steveald]

It appears to be part of the MBS FileMaker Plugin 6.2 (http://www.portagebay.com/blog/2016/4/25/mbs-plugin-dev-highlights.html).

I have Admin access, just no plugins installed.

[bcooney]

“file:$folderPath” 

Looks like it's in quotes! Should simply be $folderPath.