Digital Workshop

I need to send data over the web to an administrator from a questionnaire. I need it to work in the simplest way possible as I have no web experience. I am a video director / editor / designer who produces multimedia content as well, so I am not a programmer but my OpusScripting is ok from being forced to use it over the last few years!

I've tried reading this:
http://www.digitalworkshop.com/Resource ... ata1.shtml
But I can't follow it. It doesn't help that my CMS work website does not have database facilities.

I've tried reading about FTP file transfer:
viewtopic.php?p=5426&highlight=email+action#5426
But couldn't figure out how that was supposed to be done either.

I read about Perl, and thought, hey I just need a couple of commands, after reading this:
viewtopic.php?t=2896&highlight=perl
But once I checked out Perl and realised I'd have to learn a language just to send some data, especially when I need to finish this thing this week, I thought best not.

I've tried using Action/Email, but that doesn't work either. It either points to a web-based email like Yahoo (depending on the setting in options of the web browser) and opens up a web page for the user to log on - or - I forced Windows Explorer to use Outlook Express - it didn't throw up any windows, but then it didn't send the email either. I want the email to send silently. But then I read about email-worms! Apparently the end receiver email may think the email is bad without the usual stuff. I tried adding on the options 'show mail dialog' and 'prompt MAPI log on if required' to see if that would help, but it just throws up a window expecting the trainee to know his POP and server info - too complicated.

I am using Opus Pro XE v2.7 (2002) - I am happy to send the data in the easiest way possible - variables; attached document (Access/Text file) - so long as it works I'm happy! - but the data does need to be encrypted so the user can't tamper with it - an attached Access file would be good with a password - I have these - anyone know a simple way of doing this that will just work?

Hi Steve,

We've done this for several customers and there are different ways depending on your exact requirements. Opus has built-in email which can include an attachment and most of which runs from variables making it very flexible.

BUT - you hit the old problem that a valid MAPI account needs to be active on the machine which will launch a program such as Outlook, etc. Web mail such as Yahoo works differently.

Alternatively, if you have PHP set-up on your web server then you can use Opus' post data to send the details and email this via PHP - the issue with this is that only string data can be sent and attachments won't work.

If you have access to an FTP account, it is possible to get Opus to upload any type of file that you create. There are various method to acheive this but I think that the wput & wget programs have been discussed here before.

Mack

I couldn't find any good info on wput and wget, any pointers? I checked out
viewtopic.php?t=3385&highlight=wput+wget
but that didn't really spell it out. Also the example posted on there is on a newer version of Opus, so I couldn't check it out unfortunately.

I downloaded Filezilla client and filezilla server hoping for some easy pointers over what to do with them, but I don't think it is an actual place you can put files, just the software to help you to do so. Is there a decent FTP site out there? I've never been near the things up until now.

I also checked out
http://wput.sourceforge.net/wput.1.html
which tells you what you're supposed to do with WPUT, but it doesn't tell you where you put the command line or how you communicate with it (when you are in Opus). I can't imagine how Opus goes about it at present.

Hi Steve,

I'm afraid I skipped 2.7XE - so I've no idea what functionality you have in that version. Below is list of actions from v6 that if present in your edition will allow you to achieve one of the method I stated earlier:

Launch File - this would work with wput in the same way as the wget example you highlighted. It basically passes information from Opus to another program. You will need access to an FTP account. These are more likely to come with personal web space these days as they have been superseded by the likes of rapidshare (which won't work)

Post Web Data - this works with PHP or ASP to send data in the same way that you see on the likes of Google & Amazon in the address bar of you browser. Again you need access to a web server with PHP installed - there are some free ones about - but they weren't great last time I checked.

E-Mail - Easy option but doesn't work with web mail.

Mack

Would be helpful here to understand really what the constraints are. Is the Pub going to be run on many different Users' machines... so you can't count on them having email_client? Is that it? Also, you need this done 'seemlessly', so you don't ask them to 'finish' and then send 'xyz' attachment via email?

Reason I ask is there are plenty of 'collaboration tools' out there now. From Google Docs to more involved sites like eGroupware. Someone recently mentioned a website that allows one account to 'Receive' files from many others. (I can't locate it now)

If the pub has to be absolutely seemless, you may want to pursue getting your Administrator to enable Database on the host website, and then use the Postwebdata/Getwebdata Mack suggests. (I'm assuming you want to automate some processes on the receiving end to aggregate the data).

Good luck.

Here's the wget example done in Opus 2.81.

Paul

The previous poster - Google documents - hmm, that might work, it has a specific email address you can send to - wonder if this will work with Email on Opus? Or is it Web Mail.

And the other query - it is a multimedia tool used by lots of people on lots of machines.

I just tried doing EMAIL TO and the Google Docs email account but it doesn't seem to have worked.

Hi Paul, thanks for the download. I had a look at the content of the button i.e.

Launch file: wget.exe
with parameter: ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/wget/wget-latest.tar.gz

Sadly I don't understand FTPs and the parameter, so it's all a bit beyond me. I think if I'm going to get any further I will need the children's Ladybird book version of how to send files to the internet (age 6 and upwards).

If there is an easy way to do this then that would be great. I have looked into this before but ended up using php on my server. For an advanced method someone may be able to use this to create something:
http://www.codeproject.com/KB/IP/SendMa ... count.aspx

Hi Jez,

Nothing so complicated is needed. A simple VBS or AutoIT script will do this.

Mack

Steve,

There are some step by steps here in an old Post. It still means some administrator needs to verify what your target server can do.
viewtopic.php?t=400&highlight=text+input+paste