Mass mailer w/ attachments (no cron job)

[PeterGutniak]

Since we´re on a hosted server solution, we can´t run cron jobs, hence not send mass emails to our customers. Furthermore, there wasn´t any possibility of attaching files to such an email, or for that matter, any possibility to erase whatever email marketing that was created.

But now there is!

We´ve developed a very simple solution that doesn´t change any of the original code at all, adds one directory (with a subdirectory) inside modules, as well as one single file in root. To that, we add one table in SQL, and we have a functioning system!

Works like this:
First you create your email template (no attachments, just design). Then you create your campaign, add prospect lists, contacts, leads or whatever. After that, create your Email Marketing, which in fact only gives you the chance to specify From Names and Email Address and what template to use.

When you´re done, you should see the Email marketing displayed as In Queue. Now, go to My Portal, and add a new site, pointing to http://your.crm.url/netcliqMail.php (replace your.crm.url with actual info) placed in the root directory on your server. When added, a new tab will be displayed, named Email Marketing or whatever you prefer. This action needs only be done the first time, so if you´ve already done this, skip this step.

If you go to that tab, you´ll see your Email Marketing waiting for action. There you have the possibility to add an attachment as well as delete the entire marketing. The Send button will automatically send whatever marketing that is queued. The "Show all" tick box allows you to view whatever marketing emails that was sent before.

(This patch utilizes the information from Administration in regards to SMTP-server etc.)

EDIT: Uploaded version 1.1 of the upgrade. Go ahead and try it! Just unzip the contents of the zip-file in root and run the sql-file provided. We´re not replacing any files, just adding one in root as well as one directory within modules. One table is also created (by running the sql-file). I haven´t been able to create a manifest.php, but those of you that are proficient in doing so perhaps could...?

Kind regards,

[rana]

Hi this is a very good develop... and it can solve my problem

[PeterGutniak]

Thread updated with files...

[rana]

Hi Peter, I have some difficulties to understand your statement "Now, go to My Portal, and add a new site (details forthcoming end of week, only needed to do the first time) pointing to a file that is included in the patch. When added, a new tab will be displayed, named Email Marketing or whatever you prefer."

Which file must I point?
How Ca I point a file using My Portal??

Thanks

[PeterGutniak]

Sorry Rana. I was a bit tired when I edited the thread. Please look at the instructions again.

[unvill]

Does this populate the emailee's name in the email by utilizing the contact info for the recipient?

[PeterGutniak]

Does this populate the emailee's name in the email by utilizing the contact info for the recipient?

Well, we´re not messing with any of Sugar´s original code.

Go to Email templates, create a new template where you specify the look and feel of your document (ie whatever the mail should look like), including such variables as contact name, company name etc. That is all included in Sugar´s standard stuff afaik.

Then, after you´ve created your campaign, you create "Email Marketing" and there you need to specify that you want to use the template you created before. After that, the mail marketing campaign is set as being in queue for delivery. That means it has to be triggered by something. This is where the portal comes in. Here you add possible attachments, and it´s also here that you press the send button.

[Ericmuc]

Hi,

After installing I started a test e-mail marketing and run your netcliqMail.php

Then I want to attach the file Company.txt, but I have the following error:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Warning: move_uploaded_file(/var/www/modules/netcliqMail/files/Company.txt): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/eric/www/sugar/modules/netcliqMail/index.php on line 222

Warning: move_uploaded_file(): Unable to move '/tmp/phprCf822' to '/var/www/modules/netcliqMail/files/Company.txt' in /home/eric/www/sugar/modules/netcliqMail/index.php on line 222

Here is some more debugging info:Array
(
[userfile] => Array
(
[name] => Company.txt
[type] => plain/text
[tmp_name] => /tmp/phprCf822
[error] => 0
[size] => 189250
)

)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do you have an idea?
Eric

[Ericmuc]

Hi,

After installing a new sugarcrm version, I am getting the same error like mentioned in the last message.

Could you check, whether you can find a general error?

Best regards
Eric

[PeterGutniak]

Hmmm....

Sorry for taking so long to answer this question.

There can be several explanations to this behaviour:
Do you have permissions to upload files to the directory ("files") that is supposed to have been created in the netcliqMail-module?

If not, make sure that you have the rights to do that.

If that is already the case, is your Sugar installation not in the root of your website?

If it isn´t, please go to line 222 in modules/netcliqMail/index.php, and change $uploaddir = $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . ’ **** insert catalogue structure here ****/modules/netcliqMail/files/';