Skip to main content  
  Easy400   |       IBM System i home   |   RSS feed
Public Source
 
Introduction
Main utilities
5250 utility
Windows Utility
Commands
Service program
Sample code
CGI support
FAQ
Bibliography
Index
 
Download
 
 

 
Search   
MIME & Mail for IBM System i
Windows Utility

This is a friendly Windows utility including about all the features of the 5250 utility. This Windows utility was developed by Jonas Temple,jtemple@innovativesys.net.

To install this utility:

  1. Copy iSeries IFS file /mmail/winMMail/MIMEMailV140.zip to a directory of your Windows computer
      Note- If you have already installed the AS/400 library MMAIL, and you just want to download the latest version of this Window utility:
    • press this link to download the zip file
    • perform the installation as per the following steps no. ii) and iii)
    • replace member WSENDMAIL in source file MMAIL/QRPGLESRC with the contents of file wsendmail.rpgle (exploded from the zip file)
    • run the following commands
      - ADDLIBLE MMAIL
      - CRTRPGMOD MODULE(MMAIL/WSENDMAIL) SRCFILE(MMAIL/QRPGLESRC)
          SRCMBR(WSENDMAIL) DBGVIEW(*SOURCE)
      - CRTSRVPGM SRVPGM(MMAIL/WSENDMAIL) MODULE(MMAIL/WSENDMAIL)
          EXPORT(*ALL) SRCFILE(MMAIL/QSRVSRC) OPTION(*DUPPROC)
  2. Unzip this file. You will obtain the following files:
    • iSeries.ico
    • MIMEMail.chm
    • mimemail.exe
    • setup.exe
    • wsendmail.rpgle
  3. click on file setup.exe to install this utility on your PC.

Highlights

  • Requirements
    • iSeries library MMAIL
    • IBM iSeries Access for Windows

Operating the Windows utility

  1. Starting the utility
  2. Working with the Address Repository
  3. Working with MIME Files Repository
  4. Creating a MIME File
  5. Sending a MIME File



  1. Starting the utility
  1. Start OpsNav
  2. Right-click the system you're trying to connect to
  3. Select "Properties" from the popup menu
  4. On the resulting dialog, select the "Connection" tab
  5. Under the "Signon Information" section, select the "Use default user ID, prompt as needed" radio button.
  6. Click "Okay"
  7. Start the "MIMEMail utility"

As soon as the MIMEMail is started, it tries to connect to the iSeries server via iSeries Access fcor Windows.
If more than one iSeries was defined to iSeries Access for Windows, you will be asked to select one of them:
 
Figure 1- Selecting the iSeries

Next, you are asked to sign on:
 
Figure 2- Signing on via iSeries Access for Windows

The utility then appears as follow:
 
Figure 3- The three subwindows of the utility


The utility contains three subwindows:

  1. Addresses Repository.
    It contains a public "Address Book" and a public "Group Book". The "Address Book" is used to register / retrieve single addresses. The "Group Book" is used to make up distribution lists.
  2. MIME Files Repository (MFR).
    This is a public repository of MIME messages ready to be mailed. You may add other existing MIME messages to this repository or create new ones
  3. Workarea.
    It is used to create, browse, and edit MIME messages.
 

About the menubar

There are three menus in the menubar:

  1. File
    • Send - Send a MIME message
    • New - Define a new MIME message
    • Properties - Display/change properties of a selected object
    • Delete - Delete a selected object
    • Display - Display a selected MIME message
    • Edit - Edit a selected MIME message
    • Open - Open a selected MIME message via Outlook. This feature allows for an immediate test of a MIME message.
    • Save - Save an edited MIME message
    • Exit - Exit the application
  2. Edit - to be used when editing a MIME message
    • Undo, Copy, Cut, Paste, Select all
  3. Help
    • Contents: a nice online user manual
    • About: general information about this program
 

About the toolbar

The tool bar is made of thirteen buttons divided in four groups. From left to right:

  • Group 1
    1. Create a new item
      • File document- Document an existing MIME message into the MIME messages archive
      • MIME file - Create a new MIME message
      • Address - Create a new Address entry
      • Group - Create a new Group entry
  • Group 2- Actions on a selected item
    1. Send the selected MIME message
    2. Display the properties of the selected MIME message
    3. Display the selected MIME message
    4. Edit the selected MIME message
    5. Open the selected MIME message via Outlook
    6. Delete the select item (MIME message, address or group): confirmation requested
    7. Save the MIME message currently being edited
  • Group 3- Actions while editing a MIME message
    1. Undo the last operation performed on the MIME message currently being edited
    2. Copy selected text from the MIME message currently being edited
    3. Cut selected text from the MIME message currently being edited
    4. Paste clipboard into the MIME message currently being edited
  • Group 4-
    1. Exit application



  2. Working with the Address Repository
 
Figure 4- Address Repository

2.a - Single Addresses
  To define a single address
  1. click on the "Addresses" tab (Figure 4)
  2. click right in the middle of the subwindow: the pull down "New, Properties, Delete" appears
  3. click on "New" to display the "Address Properties" box, fill in the data, and press the "Okay" button (Figure 5)
 
Figure 5- Address Properties box

This is the way to populate the Address Book.
 
Figure 6- A populated Address Book

To update a single address

  1. select the address, by left click, until it is shown on a blue background
  2. right click to display the pulldown "New, Properties, Delete"
  3. select "Properties" to display the "Properties" box (see Figure 5)
  4. change the data as appropriate and press the "Okay" button
Another way would be that of just double clicking on the address line.

To remove a single address

  1. select the address, by left click, until it is shown on a blue background
  2. right click to display the pulldown "New, Properties, Delete"
  3. select "Delete" to display the "Confirm Address Delete" box

2.b - Groups
  A group Distribution List) is a collection of single addresses. Up to 1,000 addresses are allowed in a group.

To define a group

  1. click on the "Group" tab (see Figure 4)
  2. click right in the middle of the subwindow: the pull down "New, Properties, Delete" appears
  3. click on "New" to display the "Group Properties" box, fill in the data, and press the "Okay" button (Figure 7)
     
    Figure 7- Properties of a group

To add entries to a group

  1. click on the "Group" tab (see Figure 4)
  2. click to select the group you want to work with (its background becomes blue)
  3. click right to display the pulldown "New, Properties, Delete" and select "Properties"
  4. scroll down to the last entry (the one with blank fields)
  5. click on "Last name" and enter the last name, tab to "First name" and enter it, tab to "Address" and type it, then tab again to create a new empty line.
  6. add more entries, if you need to
  7. click on the "Okay" button when you are finished.
You may also click on the "Addresses" button and check the single addresses to be added to the group.

To change / remove an entry from a group

  1. click on the "Group" tab (see Figure 4)
  2. click to select the group you want to work with (its background becomes blue)
  3. click right to display the pulldown "New, Properties, Delete" and select "Properties"
  4. scroll until the entry you are looking for (you may click left on each the header line column to order the entries in ascending or descending mode)
  5. update the fields as needed, or blank them all to remove the entry
Another way to apply a change would be that of double clicking on a group line.



  3. Working with MIME files Repository
The "MIME files Repository" is a public repository of MIME messages ready for being mailed to anyone.
Facilities are provided to create, document, remove, and mail repository messages (files).

MIME files on the iSeries are IFS (stream) files containing messages MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) compliant.
MIME files may of course exist in any IFS directory.
In this utility, the MIME File Repository cares only for

  • MIME files in path /mmail/mime
  • MIME files in other paths, which are documented to the repository through the utility itself.
Note 2. All MIME files created via this utility are saved in path /mmail/mime. They therefore belong to the MIME File Repository.

3.a - Documenting an existing MIME file
  Documenting a MIME file (existing in a path different from /mmail/mime) allows it to be available to the public through the MFR (Mime File Repository). To do it:
  1. right click in the MFR area (see Figure 1) to display the pulldown "Send, New, Properties, Delete, Display, Edit, Open"
  2. select "New", then "File document" to display the "Add New File Document" box
  3. fill in the data and click the "Okay" button (see Figure 7)
(instead of steps "i" and "ii", you could more simply select "File -> New -> File document" from the menubar)
 
Figure 8- Documenting an existing MIME file

3.b - Changing MIME file properties
  To change the description and / or the author of a MIME file documented in the MFR:
  1. click to select the file in the MFR area (see Figure 2): the line background turns to blue
  2. right click to display the pulldown "Send, New, Properties, Delete, Display, Edit, Open"
  3. select "Properties" to display the "MIME File Properties" (see Figure 9) change them as appropriate and click the "Okay" button
A second way would be that of just double clicking on the MIME file line.  
Figure 9- Changing properties of a MIME file

3.c - Testing a MIME file
  Usually, to test a MIME file you should e-mail it to you and check how it is displayed by your mailer. However, if have installed Outlook or Outlook-Express, you may more easily open your file through it in order to perform an immediate test.
Operate as follow:
  1. click to select the file in the MFR area (see Figure 3): the line background turns to blue
  2. right click to display the pulldown "Send, New, Properties, Delete, Display, Edit, Open"
  3. select "Open" to start Outlook versus this MIME file
 
Figure 9a- Testing a MIME via Outlook

3.d - Deleting a MIME file
  To remove a MIME file from the MFR:
  1. click to select the file in the MFR area (see Figure 3): the line background turns to blue
  2. right click to display the pulldown "Send, New, Properties, Delete, Display, Edit, Open"
  3. select "Delete" to display the "Confirm File Delete" box. Select "Yes" to un-document the file from the MFR
  4. you will receive the "Confirm Delete IFS object": if you select "Yes" the file will also be deleted.
(Instead of steps "ii" and "iii" you could more simply select "File -> Delete" from the menubar)

3.e - Displaying a MIME file
  To display a MIME file documented in the MFR:
  1. click to select the file in the MFR area (see Figure 3): the line background turns to blue
  2. right click to display the pulldown "Send, New, Properties, Delete, Display, Edit, Open"
  3. select "Display": the MIME file is displayed in the work subwindow (see Figure 10)
(Instead of steps "ii" and "iii" you could more simply select "File -> Display" from the menubar)
 
Figure 10- Displaying a MIME file

3.f - Editing a MIME file
  This function allows to edit (update) a MIME file documented in the MFR. Editing a MIME file is a rather dangerous operation, as it could result in the MIME message not working any longer.
  1. click to select the file in the MFR area (see Figure 3): the line background turns to blue
  2. right click to display the pulldown "Send, New, Properties, Delete, Display, Edit, Open"
  3. select "Edit": the MIME file is edited in the work subwindow (see Figure 11) where you can change the text the way you like it.
(Instead of steps "ii" and "iii" you could more simply select "File -> Edit" from the menubar.)
Please note that buttons in the toolbar allow the following operations:
  • Edit the selected MIME message
  • Save the MIME message currently being edited
  • Undo the last operation performed on the MIME message currently being edited
  • Copy selected text from the MIME message currently being edited
  • Cut selected text from the MIME message currently being edited
  • Paste clipboard into the MIME message currently being edited
Similar functions - plus a "Select all" - are provided from the "Edit" pulldown in the menubar.
 
Figure 11- Editing a MIME file  

Assigning Content-ID references
There might be cases where the text of the MIME message needs to reference attachments. This is usually done in the MIME text with tags like
    <img src="cid:content_id">
and in the attachments with
    Content-ID: <content_id>
where content_id are unique identifiers that make up the link.
Within MIME & MAIL, these identifiers have the format
    nnn@mime.mail    (nnn=1-999)
(see also here).
When editing a MIME file, you may click right to display the pulldown
Undo, Copy, Cut, Paste, Select All, Content ID Resolution .
If you are using the Content-ID technique, by selecting "Content ID resolution", you will start a routine that:

  1. finds out all the Content-ID's of the attachments
  2. goes across all the "src=cid" tags in the text, and for each of this prompts you the links resolution, in such a way that you may very easily change the link to anyone of the available attachments.



  4. Creating a MIME file

4.a - Identifying the MIME file
 
  1. right click in the MFR area (see Figure 1): to display the pulldown "Send, New, Properties, Delete, Display, Edit, Open".
  2. Select "New", then "MIME file" to display the "Create a New MIME File" box (Figure 12)
  3. Type the name of the file, without specifying its path and extension (the file will be created on the iSeries in path /mmail/mime and will be given the extension .txt)
  4. Type the subject of the message
  5. Select the desired values for "Importance", "Priority", and "Sensitivity"
(Instead of steps "i" and "ii" you could more simply select "File -> New -> MIME file" from the menubar.)
 
Figure 12- Identifying a new MIME file

4.b - Adding contents
 
  1. right click in the area indicated in Figure 12 to display the pulldown ("Open", "Add", "Delete")
  2. select "Add" to display the list of available content-types (Figure 13)
    Note 3. Special content-types
    While some content-types are obvious, other deserve some explanations.
    • text/plain is for monospace characters, and is very easy to use
    • text/html allows you to key in your message as if it were an HTML page
    • text/source-member allows to pick up an iSeries source member
    • text/database-file allows to pick up an iSeries database file (leftmost 2,000 bytes)
    • text/spool allows to pick up an iSeries spool file
    • other allows to specify any other non-selectable type of binary object, as an example, an iSeries save file.
text/plain
text/html
text/quoted-printable
text/source-member
text/database-file
text/spool
image/gif
image/g3fax
image/ief
image/jpeg
image/tiff
audio/basic
audio/32kadpcm
video/mpeg
other
Figure 13. Available content-types
  1. For instance, suppose you selected content-type text-plain. You would then receive the box in Figure 14, where you have to specify
    • path and name of the file to embed / attach. You may use the button "..." (in the blue circle) to browse and select the file you want. Both local and network files can be specified
    • whether you want to embed or attach the file  
    • an optional Content-Id(entifier); content identifiers are integers greater than zero and are used to reference objects within a MIME file (see also here).
    Click the "Okay" button to embed / attach this piece of contents.
     
    Figure 14- Embedding/attaching a piece of contents

  2. Assume now that you want to attach an image residing on the iSeries. Select type "image/jpeg" and use the button "IFS" to select the appropriate file from the IFS (Figure 15)
     
    Figure 15- Embedding/attaching another piece of contents

  3. You should notice that any time a new piece of contents is added, it is listed in the MIME file status area (Figure 16)
     
    Figure 16- Current status of the MIME file being created

  4. Should you care for displaying / editing a piece of contents
    1. click to select it
    2. right click to display the pulldown ("Open", "Add", "Delete") and select "Open"
  5. Should you change your mind and want to remove a piece of contents
    1. click to select it
    2. right click to display the pulldown ("Open", "Add", "Delete") and select "Delete"
  6. When you are finished adding contents, click on the "Okay" button to generate the MIME file.



  5. Sending a MIME file
  1. Right click on the MIME file to send, and select "Send" from the pull down. The following shows up:  
    Figure 17- Send a MIME file

  2. Fill in the sender's name:
    it would be correct to enter your name, but any name is valid, provided it is not blank.
  3. Fill in the sender's e-mail:
    it would be correct to enter your e-mail address (exspecially if you are looking for replies), but any e-mail address is valid, provided it has the appropriate syntax (xxx@yyy.zzz)
  4. Check the options you want:
    1. Return receipt:
      if you check this box, when a recipient opens your message, a receipt will be returned to the sender's e-mail
    2. Close after sending:
      check this option to close this box after sending (uncheck this option if you want the box to stay open for further sendings)
    3. Collapse groups:
      if you are sending this message to groups check this option in order to avoid all the individual addresses in each group be displayed to recipients. This is what you need to protect privacy and prevent spamming.
  5. Specify the recipients of this message.
    There are three ways you can specify recipients:
    1. "Ad hoc" recipients, by clicking on the "Single address" tab
    2. Selecting recipients from the Address Book, by clicking on the "Addresses" tab
    3. Selecting Groups, by clicking on the "Groups" tab
  6. For each recipient or Group selected, you must specify the destination type, by clicking one of the buttons
    • "To>"
    • "CC>"
    • "BC>"
    By doing this, recipients are copied to the distribution subwindow (bottom right)
  7. To remove a single recipients from distribution, select it and press the "<" button
  8. To clear the whole distribution, right click on the distribution subwindow and select "Remove all"
  9. When finished, press the "Okay" button to perform the sending.

    Contact