Summary: VBScript to send HTML (and plain text) email.
It's 2013 and apparently there are no tools that would allow you to easily send
HTML-formatted email.
Don't get me wrong: of course,
Outlook,
Thunderbird,
Gmail, or whatever client you use, allows (and sometimes forces) you to send email in HTML format, but what if you want to test a format of a message that your application (code) and not you (person) sends? What do you use? Sure, both Outlook and Thunderbird allow you to insert an HTML file as the body of the text, but as soon as you do, they
alter your HTML source in a way you you would not imagine, so that the delivered message will show little resemblance to the original.
After wasting several hours with existing email clients and trying available scripting samples (e.g. the ones written by
Paul Sadowski and
Rob Vanderwoude), I decided to do it the right way and wrote a little
utility that would take your HTML file and send it without making any changes to the source code. Lo and behold, here is a VBScript file that you can use for sending email messages:
IMPORTANT: This script requires the helper
Common.vbs file to be located in the same folder (or in the PATH).
SendMail.wsf script takes email
body from
command line or retrieves it
from a file. It supports both
HTML and
plain text formats. You can send your message via a remote
mail server or using the
local SMTP service. You can also include
attachments with the message.
Here is the
usage info (you can get this output by running the script with the
/? or
/h command-line switch):
cscript //nologo SendMail.wsf /h
DESCRIPTION:
Sends an email.
USAGE:
cscript SendMail.wsf [/option[:parameter[;...]]] [...]
OPTIONS:
from
Email From address.
to
Email To address. Use comma to separate multiple addresses.
cc
[Optional] Email CC address. Use commas to separate multiple addresses.
bcc
[Optional] Email BCC address. Use commas to separate multiple addresses.
subject
[Optional] Email Subject line.
[Default: TEST]
body
Plain text, HTML text, or path to file containing email message.
smtp
[Optional] SMTP server.
[Default: localhost]
port
[Optional] SMTP server port.
[Default: 25]
html
[Optional] Indicates whether email message format is HTML.
[Values: yes|no|y|n|true|false|t|f]
[Default: no]
file
[Optional] Indicates whether the [/body] parameter points to a file.
[Values: yes|no|y|n|true|false|t|f]
[Default: no]
charset
[Optional] Specifies character set of the email text (or HTML text).
[Default: utf-8]
add
[Optional] Indicates paths to file attachments.
Multiple files must be separated by semicolons.
This is how you would invoke the script:
Example 1: Send HTML-formatted email with email body defined in a file and with two JPEG file attachments using local SMTP service
cscript SendMail.wsf /from:me@mail.com /to:a@b.com /cc:"b@c.com,c@d.com" /subject:"Hey!" /body:Test.html /html:y /file:y /add:"a.jpg;b.jpg"
Example 2: Send plan text email using a remote SMTP server
cscript SendMail.wsf /from:me@mail.com /to:a@b.com /cc:"b@c.com,c@d.com" /subject:"Hey!" /body:"How are you?" /html:n /file:n /smtp:"smtp.server.com"
TIP: If you reference files when invoking the script (such as attachments or file containing message body), make sure that you use ether absolute path or path relative to the current directory; otherwise you may get the "File not found" error.
And here is the source code, in case you need to take a peek at the logic:
<!-------------------------------------------------------------------
-- DESCRIPTION
-- Sends email message with optional attachments.
------------------------------------------------------------------>
<package>
<job ID="SendMail">
<script Language="VBScript" Src="Common.vbs" />
<script Type="text/vbscript">
Option Explicit
Const SWITCH_FROM = "from"
Const SWITCH_TO = "to"
Const SWITCH_CC = "cc"
Const SWITCH_BCC = "bcc"
Const SWITCH_SUBJECT = "subject"
Const SWITCH_BODY = "body"
Const SWITCH_SERVER = "smtp"
Const SWITCH_PORT = "port"
Const SWITCH_HTML = "html"
Const SWITCH_FILE = "file"
Const SWITCH_ADD = "add"
Const SWITCH_CHARSET = "charset"
Const SWITCH_ADD_DELIMETER = ";"
Wscript.Quit(Main())
'--------------------------------------------------------------------
' Method
' Main
'
' Description
' Performs the main operation.
'--------------------------------------------------------------------
Function Main()
Dim strFrom, strTo, strCc, strBcc, strSubject, strBody
Dim strServer, nPort
Dim bIsHtml, bIsFile
Dim strCharset
Dim arAttachments
Dim i
Main = -1
' Make sure the script is executed via cscript (not wscript).
RevertToCscript(False)
' Show help if needed.
If (IsHelpMode(False)) Then
ShowHelp()
Main = 0
Exit Function
End If
' Initialize run-time parameters.
If Not Initialize _
( _
strFrom, strTo, strCc, strBcc, strSubject, strBody, _
strServer, nPort, bIsHtml, bIsFile, strCharset, _
arAttachments _
) Then
Exit Function
End If
' Make sure that all files (if any) exist.
If (bIsFile) Then
If Not FileExists(GetAbsolutePath(strBody)) Then
WScript.Echo "File '" & strBody & "' does not exist."
Exit Function
End If
End If
If GetArraySize(arAttachments) > 0 Then
For i = LBound(arAttachments) To UBound(arAttachments)
If Not FileExists(GetAbsolutePath(arAttachments(i))) Then
WScript.Echo "File '" & arAttachments(i) & "' does not exist."
Exit Function
End If
Next
End If
' Get contents of the message body from a file.
If (bIsFile = True) Then
strBody = ReadTextFromFileEx(GetAbsolutePath(strBody), strCharset)
End If
SendEmail _
strFrom, strTo, strCc, strBcc, _
strSubject, strBody, strServer, nPort, _
bIsHtml, strCharset, arAttachments
Main = 0
WScript.Echo "Done."
End Function
'--------------------------------------------------------------------
' Method
' SendEmail
'
' Description
' Sends email using CDO.
'
' Parameters
' Self-explinatory
'--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub SendEmail _
( _
ByVal strFrom, _
ByVal strTo, _
ByVal strCc, _
ByVal strBcc, _
ByVal strSubject, _
ByVal strBody, _
ByVal strServer, _
ByVal nPort, _
ByVal bIsHtml, _
ByVal strCharSet, _
ByRef arAttachments _
)
' Standard housekeeping
Dim i, oEmail
' Create an e-mail message object
Set oEmail = CreateObject("CDO.Message")
' Fill in the field values
With oEmail
.From = strFrom
.To = strTo
If Not IsEmptyString(strCc) Then
.Cc = strCc
End If
If Not IsEmptyString(strBcc) Then
.Bcc = strBcc
End If
.Subject = strSubject
If bIsHtml = True Then
.HTMLBody = strBody
.HTMLBodyPart.charset = strCharset
Else
.TextBody = strBody
.TextBodyPart.charset = strCharset
End If
If GetArraySize(arAttachments) > 0 Then
For i = LBound(arAttachments) To UBound(arAttachments)
.AddAttachment Replace(GetAbsolutePath(arAttachments(i)), "\", "\\" ), "", ""
Next
End If
If Not IsEmptyString(strServer) Then
With .Configuration.Fields
.Item( "http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendusing") = 2 ' cdoSendUsingPort
.Item( "http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserver") = strServer
.Item( "http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserverport") = nPort
.Update
End With
End If
' Send the message
.Send
End With
' Release the e-mail message object
Set oEmail = Nothing
End Sub
'--------------------------------------------------------------------
' Method
' Initialize
'
' Description
' Processes command-line switches and initializes run-time
' parameters.
'
' Returns
' True on success; otherwise, False.
'
' Parameters
' Self-explinatory
'--------------------------------------------------------------------
Function Initialize _
( _
ByRef strFrom, _
ByRef strTo, _
ByRef strCc, _
ByRef strBcc, _
ByRef strSubject, _
ByRef strBody, _
ByRef strServer, _
ByRef nPort, _
ByRef bIsHtml, _
ByRef bIsFile, _
ByRef strCharset, _
ByRef arAttachments _
)
Initialize = False
Dim strValue, strErrMsg
strErrMsg = "Missing required parameter: "
strFrom = GetParamValue(SWITCH_FROM)
If (IsEmptyString(strFrom)) Then
WScript.Echo strErrMsg & SWITCH_FROM
Exit Function
End If
strTo = GetParamValue(SWITCH_TO)
If (IsEmptyString(strTo)) Then
WScript.Echo strErrMsg & SWITCH_TO
Exit Function
End If
strCc = GetParamValue(SWITCH_CC)
strBcc = GetParamValue(SWITCH_BCC)
strSubject = GetParamValue(SWITCH_SUBJECT)
If (IsEmptyString(strSubject)) Then
strSubject = "TEST"
End If
strBody = GetParamValue(SWITCH_BODY)
If (IsEmptyString(strBody)) Then
WScript.Echo strErrMsg & SWITCH_BODY
Exit Function
End If
strServer = GetParamValue(SWITCH_SERVER)
strValue = GetParamValue(SWITCH_PORT)
If (IsEmptyString(strValue)) Then
nPort = 25
Else
nPort = CInt(strValue)
End If
strValue = GetParamValue(SWITCH_HTML)
If (IsEmptyString(strValue)) Then
bIsHtml = False
Else
strValue = UCase(strValue)
If (strValue = "YES") Or (strValue = "Y") Or _
(strValue = "TRUE") Or (strValue = "T") Then
bIsHtml = True
Else
bIsHtml = False
End If
End If
strValue = GetParamValue(SWITCH_FILE)
If (IsEmptyString(strValue)) Then
bIsFile = False
Else
strValue = UCase(strValue)
If (strValue = "YES") Or (strValue = "Y") Or _
(strValue = "TRUE") Or (strValue = "T") Then
bIsFile = True
Else
bIsFile = False
End If
End If
strValue = GetParamValue(SWITCH_CHARSET)
If (IsEmptyString(strValue)) Then
strCharset = "utf-8"
Else
strCharset = strValue
End If
arAttachments = GetParamValues(SWITCH_ADD, SWITCH_ADD_DELIMETER)
Initialize = True
End Function
'--------------------------------------------------------------------
' Function
' ShowHelp
'
' Description
' Displays help and usage info.
'--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub ShowHelp()
Dim strMsg ' help message
' We know that user wants to see help, so generate help message.
strMsg = _
"DESCRIPTION:" & vbCrLf &_
vbCrLf &_
" Sends an email." & vbCrLf &_
vbCrLf &_
"USAGE:" & vbCrLf &_
vbCrLf &_
" cscript " & Wscript.ScriptName &_
" [/option[:parameter[" & SWITCH_ADD_DELIMETER & "...]]] [...]" & vbCrLf &_
vbCrLf &_
"OPTIONS:" & vbCrLf &_
vbCrLf &_
" " & SWITCH_FROM & vbCrLf &_
" Email From address." & vbCrLf &_
vbCrLf &_
" " & SWITCH_TO & vbCrLf &_
" Email To address. Use comma to separate multiple addresses." & vbCrLf &_
vbCrLf &_
" " & SWITCH_CC & vbCrLf &_
" [Optional] Email CC address. Use comma to separate multiple addresses." & vbCrLf &_
vbCrLf &_
" " & SWITCH_BCC & vbCrLf &_
" [Optional] Email BCC address. Use comma to separate multiple addresses." & vbCrLf &_
vbCrLf &_
" " & SWITCH_SUBJECT & vbCrLf &_
" [Optional] Email Subject line. " & vbCrLf &_
" [Default: TEST]" & vbCrLf &_
vbCrLf &_
" " & SWITCH_BODY & vbCrLf &_
" Plain text, HTML text, or path to file containing email message." & vbCrLf &_
vbCrLf &_
" " & SWITCH_SERVER & vbCrLf &_
" [Optional] SMTP server." & vbCrLf &_
" [Default: localhost]" & vbCrLf &_
vbCrLf &_
" " & SWITCH_PORT & vbCrLf &_
" [Optional] SMTP server port." & vbCrLf &_
" [Default: 25]" & vbCrLf &_
vbCrLf &_
" " & SWITCH_HTML & vbCrLf &_
" [Optional] Indicates whether email message format is HTML." & vbCrLf &_
" [Values: yes|no|y|n|true|false|t|f]" & vbCrLf &_
" [Default: no]" & vbCrLf &_
vbCrLf &_
" " & SWITCH_FILE & vbCrLf &_
" [Optional] Indicates whether the [/" & SWITCH_BODY & "] parameter points to a file." & vbCrLf &_
" [Values: yes|no|y|n|true|false|t|f]" & vbCrLf &_
" [Default: no]" & vbCrLf &_
vbCrLf &_
" " & SWITCH_CHARSET & vbCrLf &_
" [Optional] Specifies character set of the email text (or HTML text)." & vbCrLf &_
" [Default: utf-8]" & vbCrLf &_
vbCrLf &_
" " & SWITCH_ADD & vbCrLf &_
" [Optional] Indicates paths to file attachments." & vbCrLf &_
" Multiple files must be separated by semicolons."
Wscript.Echo strMsg
End Sub
</script>
</job>
</package>
I did use the script to complete my project, but I did not thoroughly test it, so if you run into problems, please let me know.
