the nightmare continues....aaahhh...help...

[eyedea]

oh no...not again...

I can't believe it...I thought I had solved my problem finally, after the help of 2 FKs (Gmf and Mark, thanks guys, but I'm still stuck...)

BUT IT'S BACK TO HAUNT ME... why!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!??!?!?!?!!?!??!??!?!? !?!!?!?!?

To cut a long story short:
e-mail address as button to launch e-mail application with new message window + given e-mail address
-> edited e-mail address as button
-> put into layer, instance: button, track as button
-> actions: on (release) {getURL ("mailto:prisca@painter.tc","_blank")}

PROBLEM: first browser gets launched and then e-mail application as expected...WHY?!?!?!?!
First I hadn't added the "_blank" and it worked ok while testing, after export though...above problem!!!???
After adding the "_blank" (thanks Mark) - it did work and launched netscape, even though I have IE as default, which was puzzling in itself but now after export/publish...above problem!?!?!?

HELP...ANYONE...I'M GOING INSANE...

PS: I'll post this in some of the other help sections, as well, sorry to bother you all... but I'm desparate!!!

[dangercorp]

sorry iM a little slow...

In know you abreviated the message but I don't quite get what you need.

Are you simply launching the associated email app with the users email address?

-t0dd

[eyedea]

Thanks for your reply, sorry that I didn't make myself clear, I've been posting this and thinking about it for so long.... that I'm just sooo stressed>

Let me explain:
I've done a CV/portfolio movie that I want to put onto a CD, to be sent to agencies. In my contact section I've edited my e-mail address as a button which is supposed to open up the default e-mail application with a new message window, including the given e-mail address, a pretty standard function in lots of websites and even CDroms...
I got some tips on it from the helpful people at FK & got it to work with the script as written before but only in the testing, after publish... It always opens up the browser first which I don't want...!!!
All I want is what you said in your Q: launch the e-mail appl with new window with my e-mail address.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, especially since I've been stuck with this for ages and don't seem to make any progress with it....
Thanks for your time, Prisca

[dangercorp]

seems kinda odd that you can't get it to work the way you have it. I have the following on lots of buttons and it works just fine. No browser window just the default email program with the email address already filled in.

I tested both of these with Win 95and 98 and they worked fine as exe's

This is from Flash 5

on (release) {
getURL ("mailto:dangercorp@iquest.net");
}


on (release) {
getURL ("mailtorisca@painter.tc");
}


Could you have buttons layered on top of one another that your unaware of? It's happened to me.


-todd

[schmicknick]

yeah, hi Prisca

When I tried to do this, I wanted to open the default email program from within a Visual Basic program. I had the same trouble, the browser window always opened before the email window.

I am afraid I cannot provide the solution. I thought, however, that I might note the fact that you can go to the start Menu and choose [run] and in the command line type the mailto command that you think might work.

The fact is that Windows interprets the command and thus the browsers popped for us both. Sending the command directly to the Windows Shell will give a good indication of the result (on the test platform anyway, but don't be dishearted)

I'm sure you've searched for mailto commands, but you might choose to take another look at the mailto souce code areas for VB, VBA, Java programmers and whatnot, because the solution maybe be out there.

P.S. Yes, this really isn't an issue when the browser is already opened. The trick might be to send a mailto command to the Windows Shell and then unload the browser window. (See what a [start],[run]"mailto:..." command does while a browser is opened. (mine opened both, but hid the browser window).

If I recognize further information, or an example of this working anywhere, I'll fwd it.

yours truly
~M

[The Master]

Wow.. what a weird problem I had no idea it existed..

It's tottally weird because I can't even get the mailto: GetURL command to work under Win 2k.. though I haven't rebooted yet to test other OS's (yet I've seen it work before)

Well.. Anyway, I have the solution for you.. use my program.. just as it works for files so does it work for websites, ftp address's and even yes the mailto: command

My program gives access to the windows shell or more specifcally the Shellexecute API

And schmicknick I suggest you access the Shellexecute API if you really want that mailto: command to work in VB the right way

My freeware program can be found here..
http://www.flashkit.com/board/showth...threadid=20493

And just in case you get confused by the commands.. it would be..

ftoolapp mailto:whoever@whereverhadlflasdjf.com

[Edited by The Master on 11-28-2000 at 07:18 PM]

[dangercorp]

dang master...now I wasted a whole 30 minutes writing one myself.

eh...no biggie

here's another email launcher along the same lines. example included.

but mine cost $100 dollars...Im going after the high-end market.
http://driveway.com/share?sid=9840d2...olorFun&view=1

email_launcher.zip


just kidding about the 100 bucks..it's free have at it.

-todd

[schmicknick]

After looking closely at the excellent materials offered by Danger and The Master, the problem seems to remain.

Let me add the caveat that those materials were excellently presented, well documented, concise, and in the case of ftools: just plain fantastic. I am glad simply to have learned what I have from exsposure to that ftool documentation. ftools is a solid accomplishment.

Now: I had forgotten how bad my system did behave when faced with the mailto: command line. Mine opens up
a) A Netscape Browser window with the email address
in the Location Bar
b) 2(Two)emails with correct address.
c) Frankly I think the browser window was doubled as well,
but I'm not going to shut all this down to check again.
So, unfortunately, mine might be a poor test arena. I was thinking that since I log onto my own desktop as one of two users (both me) that somehow it is generating a duplicate from that command line.

Master, I am surprised that a mailto: command doesn't work in Win2k, but I am unfamiliar with it. Try typing just [mailto:] (without brackets) in the Start|Run Command Line. That should generate the event we are referring to. And I believe this will also duplicate the effect that a similar command would have from within your program (correct me if I'm wrong).

(This is the Dialogue generated by Going to the Start Button on the Windows Task Bar and selecting Run from the dropdown, to be more concise)

Danger, yours created the same behavior. As mailto: strings passed to the Windows Command Line always seem to do outside of an active browser.

I would be interested to know if the mailto: command will bring up any microsoft email clients, or anything other than Netscape email. Pri indicated Microsoft was the default, but the client opened was Netscape.

And finally, Master, I must confess that I have avoided the use of API Calls in VB. My reason was that I needed to be sure that the applications would run in all environments (Win 95/98/2000/NT/Me) And I was concerned, mostly,that API calls would crash a program on NT. (?) They are cool, to be sure, and provide huge flexibility. (I am just dying to make some transparent forms.)

So nothing yet on the mailto: command, outside of an active browser; generating only the email window (and not the browser window)...unless you tell me otherwise. If you report success I will move my test to another computer. I am sure success isn't far away.

Yours truly,

~M

[schmicknick]

I decided I wanted to clarify that all browsers must be closed before entering the mailto: into the Run Command.

This is the test as I understand it. This mimics a click event from with FlashPlayer.

[eyedea]

Hi guys ,
thanks so much for your help... I'm almost glad that you had no easy and obvious answer either, I was beginning to doubt my own sanity ...

When I linked up to FK earlier I got some connection problems, so I could not get to the thread you quoted, master, I'll try later... dangercorp, I managed to get yours, thanks for that, but it's for PC and unfortunately I'm on a MAC... what a pain...

When you guys talk about cource code area like VB, VBA... I'm sorry to say you're losing me with those completely....I've been working in Flash only for about 3-4 months, and I'm still only learning about the scripting side of things, I must seem pretty stupid, I wish I had your knowledge when it comes to that!!! - That's why I'm so glad I found FK, there might be still hope out there for me, thanks to you all!

Lots of what you were saying was PC/windows specific, the mailto command shoud be very standard though, shouldn't it?!
The Start/Run command line... stupid question but - what is it? - Is that the first command line? Or do I have to literally put that in the script? Sorry, guys, I feel really silly asking these questions as they must be so simple for you pros... but as I said I'm only starting to come to grips with the AS in Flash.

Thanks for taking the time..., well appreciated, Prisca

[dangercorp]

eyedea....Oh ..you little turd!

that bit about the Mac might have been good to know from the getgo. Most, if not all of the helper apps for standlones are designed for the Windows Platform.

This Mac business is out of my league, I don't know the first thing about talking to the Mac os.

Im not raggin on you at all, but the approach would have been much different had we known that.

Your right about the mailto command however it should be cross platform standard. Apparently it's not.

May I suggest maybe it's time to look at another solution for your email. Maybe you could create an email form in HTML and launch that.

Let me ask you this...do you get the same results when you don't try to pass the email address?

Mac folks..where are you?

Cheers!
-todd

[The Master]

Master, I am surprised that a mailto: command doesn't work in Win2k, but I am unfamiliar with it. Try typing just [mailto:] (without brackets) in the Start|Run Command Line. That should generate the event we are referring to. And I believe this will also duplicate the effect that a similar command would have from within your program (correct me if I'm wrong).

I wasn't talking about my program that works fine.. I was talking about my flash button.. It works fine on Win9x platforms but on NT/2000 it won't active an email program.. pretty weird like I sad

Given that we now know it as a Mac there is one thing you might try and that's applescript..

[eyedea]

Todd,
sooooooooorrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyy........ I know .... you're right ...... ok,ok...if you want to call me a little turd .... fair enough ....
It's just that I've been posting this problem so many times that I just forgot this time around to mention it again... sorry!
Normally though, when I followed some of the tutorials on here or when I asked any other Flash questions, there was never much difference, PC or MAC, or if there was I could normally cope and re-think.

Sorry though, I didn't mean to waste your time!

I'm not sure what you mean by not passing the e-mail...?!?
As I said, I'm only a beginner when it comes to AS... If you mean just opening the e-mail appl without the given e-mail address, I wouldn't even know where to start...

Master, thanks for the tip, I'll try to find out more about it!!

Sorry again, and thanks for your time anyway....
Prisca

[dangercorp]

Yes this is what I was talking about. If you simply launch the email program without trying to fill in the email, does it work?


>>"I'm not sure what you mean by not passing the e-mail...?!?
As I said, I'm only a beginner when it comes to AS... If you mean just opening the e-mail appl without the given e-mail address,"

-t

[schmicknick]

Hi eyedea,

If you've solved this, I would like to know.

I noticed a solution that you might look at. I think it would become necessary for the user to have an active connection for this to work (maybe you could make that a part of the popup).

Here is a tutorial. I saw this on another Flashkit post:
http://www.virtual-fx.net/tutorials/html/sendmail1.htm

Yous truly,
~M

[eyedea]

Todd, sorry, you're talking to a scrpit idiot who's hoping to learn.... I wouldn't know how to launch the e-mail appl without the e-mail address... I've tried to look it up but I couldn't figure it out. The thing is that the project I'm talking about is my CV/portfolio with which I'm hoping to get work. Therefore I want to make it as easy as poss for people to contact me, ie ideally launching e-mail appl +address...

Schmicknick, thanks for the tutorial and thanks for helping me with my other problem about the central screen display, as well ! I'm busy all day today but I'll get on it when I get back, hopefully that'll solve my problem!

Thanks again, Prisca

[schmicknick]

Hi Prisca,

Yes, I was glad that the 'display center screen' thread looked to have ended in a solution.

However in regard to this mailto command offline issue, I noticed just now that when I use Winzip to zip up my files on a PC and then select the command "Mail Archive," (which opens an email with the attachment of the zip file already in place and the subject = the name of the zip file). This program, too, will open my Netscape browser along with a single email. This doesn't bode well.

The question for testing purposes is if you have a command line on your platform. (That would be like a dialogue box where you could type in a program name and it will run. I described the Windows command line earlier in this thread I think.) Then, if you type the single command "mailto:" in this command line (without a browser being open) ...what result do you get.

I am curious for any feedback on this. As of yet I haven't heard of anything other than Netscape popping up, and then with a browser.

So, in the end, you may have to bite the bullet on this. Pop a webpage instead. Or both. Or Popup some kind of .vcf or a saved contact file.

Yours truly,
~M

[eyedea]

schmicknick,
thanks for your reply. Sorry to say but my full screen center display still doesn't work, I've answered you back in that thread, thanks anyway!!

About the commands you're talking about:
it does sound very PC to my ears, I'm on a mac which I forgot to mention in the first place (and got told off for...rightly so) but I did menton it later.
And it also sound too advanced for my little brain, you seem to know a lot about programming...!!! You're lucky there, I'm so new to it, I don't even have a concept of it, just a vague idea...

By now I'm so down about this that I'm almost ready to give up on it... if people like you who know A LOT about it all , can't find the solution.... what chance do I have? - And I really want to send out those CDs, to get some work, I don't want to delay it for much longer....
Which doesn't mean in any way that I'm giving up on this problem, at all... if you find out anything what so ever about this. I'd still like to know....!

Thanks again, Prisca