How to get Formatted Mail Content through Java Application

Question

I am using a mail sending function in my applet code which is listed below:
Main content is fetched from a format tool bar in JSP Page and it is passed as parameter to applet and it is used inside the mail content.
Same content when passed and executed in a JSP page, the formatted content is not lost and it is included in mail content as what it is fetched from Format Tool Bar.
Format is lost when it is used inside the Java Application mail sending function.
The below code I have used to send mail:
package com;
import java.util.HashSet;
import java.util.Properties;
import java.util.Set;
import javax.mail.BodyPart;
import javax.mail.Message;
import javax.mail.Multipart;
import javax.mail.Session;
import javax.mail.Transport;
import javax.mail.internet.InternetAddress;
import javax.mail.internet.MimeBodyPart;
import javax.mail.internet.MimeMessage;
import javax.mail.internet.MimeMultipart;
class mailsendClass
public void sendmail(String from,String host,boolean debug,String msgText)
     try
          Set tomailsid = new HashSet();
          Set ccmailsid = new HashSet();
          //to mail ids           
          tomailsid.add("[email protected]" );          
          tomailsid.add("[email protected]" );
          tomailsid.add("[email protected]" );
          //cc mail ids
          ccmailsid.add("[email protected]" );
          ccmailsid.add("[email protected]" );
          String mailarray[]= (String[])tomailsid.toArray(new String[tomailsid.size()]);
          String ccmailID[]= (String[])ccmailsid.toArray(new String[ccmailsid.size()]);
          Properties props = new Properties();
          //props.put("mail.smtp.port","425");
          props.setProperty("mail.smtp.host", host);
          if (debug) props.setProperty("mail.debug", ""+debug);
          Session session = Session.getInstance(props, null);
          session.setDebug(debug);
          String mailsubject = "Mail Subject";
          // create a message
          Message msg = new MimeMessage(session);
          msg.setFrom(new InternetAddress(from));
          javax.mail.internet.InternetAddress[] toAddress=new javax.mail.internet.InternetAddress[mailarray.length];
          for (int i=0;i<mailarray.length ;i++ )
          toAddress=new javax.mail.internet.InternetAddress(mailarray[i]);
          System.out.println ("id inside to address loop " + i + " is "+ mailarray[i]);
          System.out.println ("toAddress " + i + " is "+ toAddress[i]);
          msg.setRecipients(Message.RecipientType.TO, toAddress);
          msg.setSubject(mailsubject);
          try
               javax.mail.internet.InternetAddress[] CCAddress=new javax.mail.internet.InternetAddress[ccmailID.length];
               for (int i=0;i<ccmailID.length ;i++ )
                    CCAddress[i]=new javax.mail.internet.InternetAddress(ccmailID[i]);
                    System.out.println("CC Array is ===> " +CCAddress[i] );//          
          msg.setRecipients(Message.RecipientType.CC,CCAddress);
          catch(Exception ss)
               System.out.println("CC mail Exception is ====>"+ ss);     
               msg.setSentDate(new java.util.Date());
//          Multipart multipart = new MimeMultipart("relative");
               Multipart multipart = new MimeMultipart("alternative");
          BodyPart messageBodyPart = new MimeBodyPart();
          messageBodyPart.setContent(msgText, "text/html");
//          messageBodyPart.setContent(msgText, "text/plain");
          multipart.addBodyPart(messageBodyPart);          
               msg.setContent(multipart);
          Transport.send( msg );
     catch (Exception e)
          System.out.println("The Exception is ------>"+e);
public class SendMail {
public static void main(String[] args)
     System.out.println("before Mail Send ");
     mailsendClass mail = new mailsendClass();
     String from="[email protected]";
     String host="172.16.2.6";
     String msgText="<p><strong>Index</strong><br />I have posted the following PDFs (Second Pages) as mentioned to start producing the Index:<br />• Engage<br />• Chapters 1–6<br /><a title='ftp:///Index' href='ftp://index/'>ftp:///Index</a><strong><br />XML Coding - Files with errors</strong><br />• Engage<br />• Chapters 1–6<br /><a title='ftp:///XML_Coding_Need%20Fixing' href='ftp://xml_coding_need%20fixing/'>ftp:///XML_Coding_Need%20Fixing</a></p>";
     mail.sendmail(from,host,true,msgText);
     System.out.println("after Mail Send ");
Content placed in format tool bar is as follows:
Index
I have posted the following PDFs (Second Pages) as mentioned to start producing the Index:
• Engage
• Chapters 1–6
ftp:///Index
XML Coding - Files with errors
• Engage
• Chapters 1–6
ftp:///XML_Coding_Need%20Fixing
Content fetched from format tool bar inside JSP page is as follows:
<p><strong>Index</strong>
I have posted the following PDFs (Second Pages) as mentioned to start producing the Index:
&bull; Engage
&bull; Chapters 1&ndash;6
<a title="ftp:///Index" href="ftp://index/">ftp:///Index</a><strong>
XML Coding - Files with errors</strong>
&bull; Engage
&bull; Chapters 1&ndash;6
<a title="ftp:///XML_Coding_Need%20Fixing" href="ftp://xml_coding_need%20fixing/">ftp:///XML_Coding_Need%20Fixing</a></p>
Fetched Content inside Java Application through parameter and it will use as input for mail content is as follows:
<p><strong>Index</strong>
I have posted the following PDFs (Second Pages) as mentioned to start producing the Index:
• Engage
• Chapters 1–6
<a title="ftp:///Index" href="ftp://index/">ftp:///Index</a><strong>
XML Coding - Files with errors</strong>
• Engage
• Chapters 1–6
<a title="ftp:///XML_Coding_Need%20Fixing" href="ftp://xml_coding_need%20fixing/">ftp:///XML_Coding_Need%20Fixing</a></p>
Actual mail received after Java Application execution is as follows:
Index
I have posted the following PDFs (Second Pages) as mentioned to start producing the Index:
? Engage
? Chapters 1?6
ftp:///Index
XML Coding - Files with errors
? Engage
? Chapters 1?6
ftp:///XML_Coding_Need%20Fixing
Unicode characters in the mail content are replaced by “?”.
In the function listed above I have used the MIME Setting as
Multipart multipart = new MimeMultipart("alternative");
I have tried by using “relative” MIME format also as
Multipart multipart = new MimeMultipart("relative");
But I am not getting the actual format passed as input to the Java Application in the mail content.
Can anybody let us know how to overcome this problem?
Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

You need to really understand how the different multiparts work instead of just guessing.
But for your application, you don't need a multipart at all. Just use msg.setText(msgText, null, "html");
Although that doesn't explain your problem, it will simplify your program.
How are you determining that the mail received doesn't have the formatting? Are you viewing it in a
mail reader (e.g., Outlook)? Or are you fetching it with JavaMail?
Are you using an Exchange server? Exchange will often reformat your message to what it thinks you meant.