How to use Forms10g to send mass email to users via MS Outlook?

Question

Does anyone has tried to write a Forms that retrieve emails from a database schema and then send mass emails to these users viad Microsoft Outlook? If yes, would you like to share your valuable experience with us?

Answer 1

i would be easier to depend on database packages for achieving this result, whether you create procedures or database triggers, you can still invoke these construct form your form. If you database is a 10g database, it is easier to handle mass email since there is an already built-in package for this.
below is an example
Using UTL_MAIL (only for Oracle 10g)
make sure that the UTL_MAIL package is installed
SQL>start utlmail.sql
SQL>start prvtmail.plb
both can be found under $ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/admin
utl_mail.send(
sender IN VARCHAR2 CHARACTER SET ANY_CS,
recipients IN VARCHAR2 CHARACTER SET ANY_CS,
cc IN VARCHAR2 CHARACTER SET ANY_CS DEFAULT NULL,
bcc IN VARCHAR2 CHARACTER SET ANY_CS DEFAULT NULL,
subject IN VARCHAR2 CHARACTER SET ANY_CS DEFAULT NULL,
message IN VARCHAR2 CHARACTER SET ANY_CS DEFAULT NULL,
mime_type IN VARCHAR2 CHARACTER SET ANY_CS DEFAULT 'text/plain;
charset=us-ascii',
priority IN PLS_INTEGER DEFAULT 3);
Example
declare
vSend VARCHAR2(30) := '[email protected]';
vSubj VARCHAR2(50) := '10g new mail package';
vMesg VARCHAR2(4000);
vMType VARCHAR2(30) := 'text/plain; charset=us-ascii';
BEGIN
vmesg:= 'Hello mail 10g worked';
utl_mail.send(vSend, '[email protected]', NULL, NULL, vSubj,
vMesg, vMType, NULL);
END ;
Note: for this to work, you need to set the SMTP Server
SQL>ALTER SYSTEM SET smtp_out_server ='smtp.realsoft-me.com' scope=spfile ; -- added Aug 15,2005
-- Use your own smtp server name
Re-bounce the instance for the changes to take place
If you database is oracle 9i, then you have to depend on packages like UTL_SMTP , UTL_TCP. i have another example that uses the sames sample code that Mark refered to and you can find such example at my website
http://www.e-ammar.com/Oracle_TIPS/oramail.htm
The code my seem a bit complex, but you many not need to use it all, additionally, it makes a difference if you are going to use attachments or not.
hope this helps
Ammar Sajdi
www.e-ammar.com
www.palco-me.com
www.realsoft-me.com
Amman - Jordan Oracle certified partner
Partner, CEO and consultant