All comments most gratefully received:)


This thread is carried over from the thread
Re: Nigel Coates MAPI Class or Outlook class which should I use
because Nigel answered the original question.

I am hoping to write an application that transfers Zipped DBFs as attachments.

The idea behind the application is the my app will pass these DBFs back and forth beween remote locations using the Email system without any involvement in the process required by the user.

Ideally the user will remain completly unaware of what is happening. New data will just start to appear in his app every so often.

The application would be distrbuted to hundreds of external contractors and they would use it to receive tenders/works orders from ourselves and use it to complete these tenders/works orders and return the information on them to ourselves.

The main advantages and disadvantages of the differing methods seem to be as follows.

1. SMPT Control

Advantages.
By using just classes that deal with SMTP the application will be acessible to the widest possible number of users. SMTP classes will not care what email client the user is using because it will be not be using it.
SMTP will be around forever just about.

Disadvantages
Corporate users may not be able to connect to the SMTP server through their firewall. I cant find any stuff on receiving SMTP mail that has a VFP slant.
ie I might have to do it all myself:(

2. MAPI Control

Advantages.
Many users will have a MAPI complient Email client but there is chance this may change in the forseable future (Office XP according to our network guys)
The users will not require MS Outlook on their PCs

Disadvantages
There may be a problem in trying to retrieve an attachment when those attachments are stored in MS Exchange rather than on the PC it self. HELP!

3. Outlook Control
Advantages
Using the Outlook control provides access to the Outlook folders so the mail can be deleted after the attachments have been read. This will provide a much tidier solution for the user than MAPI.

Disadvantages
All the people who use the system must also have MS Outlook on their machine so there are licence issues involved even assuming that they are happy to have Outlook sitting there upsetting their existing mail system:(

There are a few of us trying to achieve this in UT at present and a good discussion in this area will open this technique up to many.

Thanks

Mark