Hi All.
I have an small, cross platform application (linux and win32). I just wonder how can I implement universal function to sending mails to me. Of course by default mail program.

win32 - is simple
ShellExecute(Handle,'open','mailto:?Subject=Subject', nil, nil, 1);

But is there any universal method that works fine in linux and win32?

2008/12/10 Ireneusz Wygl?da?a :

But is there any universal method that works fine in linux and win32?

Linux is easy as well! ;-)
If your target Linux system has xdg-utils you can use the following command: xdg-email

-----------------------------------------------
$> xdg-email
xdg-email - command line tool for sending mail using the user's preferred e-mail composer

Synopsis

xdg-email [--utf8] [--cc address] [--bcc address] [--subject text] [--body text ] [--attach file] { mailto-uri | address(es) }

xdg-email { --help | --manual | --version }

Use 'man xdg-email' or 'xdg-email --manual' for additional info. -----------------------------------------------

If your target linux distro doesn't include Xdg-Utils, it is recommended that you deploy it with your application (help promote the idea and make live easier for software developers). If very simply to do and is described in the following website.
http://portland.freedesktop.org/wiki/

Regards,
- Graeme -

_______________________________________________
fpGUI - a cross-platform Free Pascal GUI toolkit
http://opensoft.homeip.net/fpgui/

Graeme Geldenhuys wrote

Linux is easy as well! ;-) If your target Linux system has xdg-utils you can use the following command: xdg-email

I forgot to mention: xdg-email --manual
will explain in details how to use it, return values and what they mean and even a link to help the user setup there mail if it doesn't work.
http://portland.freedesktop.org/wiki/EmailConfig

Regards,
- Graeme -

_______________________________________________
fpGUI - a cross-platform Free Pascal GUI toolkit
http://opensoft.homeip.net/fpgui/

So. I should use defines {IFDEF ... and two different methods for both OS? I had hopes that exist one universal way to use mailto: ? OK. I do it.
Thanks a lot.

2008/12/10 Ireneusz Wygl?da?a

By the way.
Is any similar method for opening HTML files without using application name eg. firefox.

2008/12/10 Ireneusz Wygl?da?a

OK. I just checked -> xdg-open ;)
Sorry

2008/12/10 Ireneusz Wygl?da?a :

What I have done, is to abstract that those calls, so my application doesn't need to contain the IFDEF's. I have one "utilities" unit that contains any IFDEF and *no* other place.

Something like the following

    -------[ MyCoolUtilitiesUnit.pas ]--------------
    uses
       {ifdef windows}
         MyWindowsUtilities,
       {endif}
       {ifdef unix}
          MyUnixUtilities,
       {endif}
       SysUtils;
     functions SendEmai(....): integer;
     begin
       {ifdef windows}
         WindowsSendEmail(...);  //   <---  located in MyWindowsUtilities unit
       {endif}
       {ifdef unix}
          UnixSendEmail(...);  //  <--- located in MyUnixUtilities unit
       {endif}
     end

So now anywhere in your application you can simply include the 'MyCoolUtilitiesUnit' in the uses clause and call SendEmail() - without IFDEF. :-)

One can't always avoid ifdef's but you can limit them to a single unit in your application.

Regards,
- Graeme -

_______________________________________________
fpGUI - a cross-platform Free Pascal GUI toolkit
http://opensoft.homeip.net/fpgui/

2008/12/10 Ireneusz Wygl?da?a :

Yes, xdg-open works for many mime types, not just HTML.

eg:
xdg-open URL ---> Uses a web browser
xdg-open PATH ---> Uses you file manager
xdg-open FILE ---> A text editor or email program etc... ....

Regards,
- Graeme -

_______________________________________________
fpGUI - a cross-platform Free Pascal GUI toolkit
http://opensoft.homeip.net/fpgui/

2008/12/10 Ireneusz Wygl?da?a :

By the way. Is any similar method for opening HTML files without using application name eg. firefox.

Just thought I would mention. I applied the same abstraction as I described before, but for opening URL's as well. So again, by application simply calls OpenURL(...) no matter the platform it runs on.

Regards,
- Graeme -

_______________________________________________
fpGUI - a cross-platform Free Pascal GUI toolkit
http://opensoft.homeip.net/fpgui/

By the way. Is any similar method for opening HTML files without using application name eg. firefox.

As others pointed out xdg-open will do that.
You might take a look at my BrowserDetection unit, which uses xdg-open if available, or tries some other options if it is not there. AFAICT it should also run under Darwin (MacOSX).
It's at: http://home.tiscali.nl/~knmg0017/software/fpc_laz/browserdetection.tgz

Comments are welcome.

It should be easy to expand this for email use also.

Bart