Sending email from a webpage

[keystroke17]

I have a web application which people connect to and I generate an
output file for users when they click on a link. Currently, they are
saving this file and then emailing it inside their organization to
other staff members.

I would like to automate the process so they can click the link and
have an email automatically sent off. However, I cannot do this
serverside for security reasons, all emails have to be sent *by the
user* using their internal mail server.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Laurent Bugnion [MVP]]

Hi,

I have a web application which people connect to and I generate an
output file for users when they click on a link. Currently, they are
saving this file and then emailing it inside their organization to
other staff members.

I would like to automate the process so they can click the link and
have an email automatically sent off. However, I cannot do this
serverside for security reasons, all emails have to be sent *by the
user* using their internal mail server.

You mean, you want to send an email from the client? Ouch.

For obvious (I think) security reasons, JavaScript cannot access the
client's email system. If permissions are lowered (which might be an
option for an Intranet application), then JavaScript has the possibility
to automate Outlook, for example, but that won't be possible in normal
security conditions.

You may create a new email message using the "mailto:" syntax in a link.
However, specifying anything else than the recipient's email address is
likely to fail in some browsers (for example, some people enter a
subject and even body in a mailto: link; that's not a good idea)

Sorry to be so negative
Laurent