# Automated Birthday Emailer



## smooth (Sep 26, 2005)

Hey everyone 

Here at the office, they want to be able to have an automated email to go out when it is an agent's birthday.

Should I use ASP (since my host uses that) and integrate it withing my web space, or is there a program that I can use to do this? 

I know I will probably need a database if I do it within my webspace.

Anyone have any ideas?


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## 1002richards (Jan 29, 2006)

Hi,
One of my friends has this system set up within his Gmail account, would that system be any use to you?

richard


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## smooth (Sep 26, 2005)

I'm not sure really, I'll have to look into that. The only problem I would see with that is I want to be able to send html emails out, and I can't seem to get those to work within Gmail.

Right now I am sending emails using Thunderbird (Mozilla), and sending them as Plain Text/HTML, so ones that can't receive HTML still get the plain text of the message. I'll definitely look into Gmail though :up:

Any other suggestions?


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## knight_47 (Mar 15, 2006)

I'm pretty sure this can be done in PHP pretty easily, i'm not that good with php yet, so I'll probably write one up with sloppy code:


```
<?php
$date = //some way of determining the date, i'm pretty sure there is a function, but i can't look that up right now, i have to leave to school in a few mins.
$tom = "January 1, 2007";
$stacy = "January 3, 2007";

if $date == $stacy
{
echo "Happy birthday stacy!";

//insert email code here
}

?>
```


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## smooth (Sep 26, 2005)

That's a good start knight :up: That gives me a few ideas on how to possibly implement it.

I was thinking of using a database, though, since I'll have around 200 or more birthdays to check, and I already have the login script, with each individuals username and password. I'm guessing I could also just add to that database, a field for birthday.

I'm also using ASP, but the code above gives me a good starting idea. I think that's on the right track though.

Any other suggestions?


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## namenotfound (Apr 30, 2005)

smooth said:


> I'm not sure really, I'll have to look into that. The only problem I would see with that is I want to be able to send html emails out, and I can't seem to get those to work within Gmail.
> 
> Right now I am sending emails using Thunderbird (Mozilla), and sending them as Plain Text/HTML, so ones that can't receive HTML still get the plain text of the message. I'll definitely look into Gmail though :up:
> 
> Any other suggestions?


Well I know if you sent an html attachment to a gmail address, it uses that attachment as the body of the email (or it did last time I tried, which was a year ago). But you'd have to bank on your agents having gmail


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## smooth (Sep 26, 2005)

namenotfound said:


> Well I know if you sent an html attachment to a gmail address, it uses that attachment as the body of the email (or it did last time I tried, which was a year ago). But you'd have to bank on your agents having gmail


Yeah, I don't think but about 3 of them have gmail  

I would like something similar to Birthday Alarm, but where it sends out a email that is wishing a Happy Birthday, rather than reminding me of a birthday.


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## jimredbaron (Jan 9, 2007)

Ok.. I found another separate thread that may help you build something. http://forums.phplist.com/viewtopic.php?t=2789


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## smooth (Sep 26, 2005)

Thanks for the link jim 

It gives me a good idea, like the post above, of what to basically start with. Unfortunately, I need ASP, since my Web Host uses that.


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## namenotfound (Apr 30, 2005)

I'm guessing you have a windows server? If you want, you can install PHP on a windows server. If interested, you can give this a quick read:

http://us2.php.net/install.windows


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## smooth (Sep 26, 2005)

Thanks for the link namenotfound  I'll have to see about doing that as well on the in-house server 

I know the web host I have is a windows server, running ASP, so I mainly need ideas using ASP, since I can't install php on their server.


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## smooth (Sep 26, 2005)

bump


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## redivivus (Mar 30, 2006)

You could do this with C++ though I'm not exactly sure how to send complex emails.


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## MMJ (Oct 15, 2006)

A user on a different forum who asked the same question. It should help:

http://forums.asp.net/thread/1257561.aspx

Since you want it in a db and you are on windows then this should be just right for you. 
=====

This should be a good starting place:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=asp+birthday+script&btnG=Google+Search

===
Other:

http://www.devasp.net/net/articles/display/434.html


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## smooth (Sep 26, 2005)

Thanks for all the suggestions given :up:

Thank for the links MMJ, I'll check them out later on today


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## MMJ (Oct 15, 2006)

No problem.


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