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Class com.oreilly.servlet.MailMessage

java.lang.Object
   |
   +----com.oreilly.servlet.MailMessage

public class MailMessage

extends Object

• Send submitted form data to interested parties
• Send an email page to an administrator in case of error
• Send the client an order confirmation

This class is an improvement on the sun.net.smtp.SmtpClient class found in the JDK. This version has extra functionality, and can be used with JVMs that did not extend from the JDK. It's not as robust as the JavaMail Standard Extension classes, but it's easier to use and easier to install.

It can be used like this:

 String mailhost = "localhost";  // or another mail host
 String from = "Mail Message Servlet ";
 String to = "to@somedomain.com";
 String cc1 = "cc1@somedomain.com";
 String cc2 = "cc2@somedomain.com";
 String bcc = "bcc@somedomain.com";
  
 MailMessage msg = new MailMessage(mailhost);
 msg.from(from);
 msg.to(to);
 msg.cc(cc1);
 msg.cc(cc2);
 msg.bcc(bcc);
 msg.setSubject("Test subject");
 PrintStream out = msg.getPrintStream();
  
 Enumeration enum = req.getParameterNames();
 while (enum.hasMoreElements()) {
   String name = (String)enum.nextElement();
   String value = req.getParameter(name);
   out.println(name + " = " + value);
 }
  
 msg.sendAndClose();
 

Be sure to set the from address, then set the recepient addresses, then set the subject and other headers, then get the PrintStream, then write the message, and finally send and close. The class does minimal error checking internally; it counts on the mail host to complain if there's any malformatted input or out of order execution.

An attachment mechanism based on RFC 1521 could be implemented on top of this class. In the meanwhile, JavaMail is the best solution for sending email with attachments.

Still to do:

• Figure out how to close the connection in case of error

Version:

1.1, 00/03/19, added angle brackets to address, helps some servers

Author:

Jason Hunter, Copyright © 1999

MailMessage()

Constructs a new MailMessage to send an email.

MailMessage(String)

Constructs a new MailMessage to send an email.

bcc(String)

Sets the bcc address.

cc(String)

Sets the cc address.

from(String)

Sets the from address.

getPrintStream()

Returns a PrintStream that can be used to write the body of the message.

sendAndClose()

Sends the message and closes the connection to the server.

setHeader(String, String)

Sets the named header to the given value.

setSubject(String)

Sets the subject of the mail message.

to(String)

Sets the to address.

 public MailMessage() throws IOException

Constructs a new MailMessage to send an email. Use localhost as the mail server.

Throws: IOException

if there's any problem contacting the mail server

 public MailMessage(String host) throws IOException

Constructs a new MailMessage to send an email. Use the given host as the mail server.

Parameters:

host - the mail server to use

Throws: IOException

if there's any problem contacting the mail server

 public void from(String from) throws IOException

Sets the from address. Also sets the "From" header. This method should be called only once.

Throws: IOException

if there's any problem reported by the mail server

 public void to(String to) throws IOException

Sets the to address. Also sets the "To" header. This method may be called multiple times.

Throws: IOException

if there's any problem reported by the mail server

 public void cc(String cc) throws IOException

Sets the cc address. Also sets the "Cc" header. This method may be called multiple times.

Throws: IOException

if there's any problem reported by the mail server

 public void bcc(String bcc) throws IOException

Sets the bcc address. Does NOT set any header since it's a *blind* copy. This method may be called multiple times.

Throws: IOException

if there's any problem reported by the mail server

 public void setSubject(String subj)

Sets the subject of the mail message. Actually sets the "Subject" header.

 public void setHeader(String name,
                       String value)

Sets the named header to the given value. RFC 822 provides the rules for what text may constitute a header name and value.

 public PrintStream getPrintStream() throws IOException

Returns a PrintStream that can be used to write the body of the message. A stream is used since email bodies are byte-oriented. A writer could be wrapped on top if necessary for internationalization.

Throws: IOException

if there's any problem reported by the mail server

 public void sendAndClose() throws IOException

Sends the message and closes the connection to the server. The MailMessage object cannot be reused.

Throws: IOException

if there's any problem reported by the mail server

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