DoCmd.SendObject and CDO (4 Viewers)

[mike60smart]

Can you use Application.Object with Thunderbird client so Access can manipulate incoming/outgoing mail?

Hi
All I have used it for is just to send Emails

 

[isladogs]

Is new outlook a browser based webmail site, or is it a client executable app installed on desktops?

Desktop

 

[BlueSpruce]

Hi
All I have used it for is just to send Emails

It's been installed on my PC's for 3 years and I have S/MIME email certificates setup with my email accounts for encryption and sender/recipient authentication, but I have never integrated Thunderbird with Access.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Can you use Application.Object with Thunderbird client so Access can manipulate incoming/outgoing mail?

According to my research, no. You CAN deal with inbound mail but it doesn't use a single "container" object for all of its data. It is more of a multi-file scenario. It uses SMTP for outbound (like Outlook and CDO) and uses either IMAP or POP3 for inbound mail. Thunderbird is apparently based on a Firefox "core" for a lot of its code, so you know it will have web-like controls. I've never used it but when I was still working for the Navy, they allowed Thunderbird on the government computers. To do that, you know it had to pass muster through some really picky IT guys & gals.

 

[BlueSpruce]

According to my research, no. You CAN deal with inbound mail but it doesn't use a single "container" object for all of its data. It is more of a multi-file scenario. It uses SMTP for outbound (like Outlook and CDO) and uses either IMAP or POP3 for inbound mail. Thunderbird is apparently based on a Firefox "core" for a lot of its code, so you know it will have web-like controls. I've never used it but when I was still working for the Navy, they allowed Thunderbird on the government computers. To do that, you know it had to pass muster through some really picky IT guys & gals.

I do like Thunderbirds security features, e.g. it generates OpenPGP keys that can be used for encrypting outgoing mail and decrypting incoming. It's too bad it cannot be integrated with Access.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

I have seen some articles that suggest you can control Thunderbird from Access via SHELL commands. Otherwise, unfortunately, no direct control.

 

[cheekybuddha]

Daniel Pineault has shown some exapmles:

VBA – Send E-mail Using Mozilla Thunderbird

VBA – Thunderbird Automation With Embedded Images

 

[spaLOGICng]

I wish MS would bring back the Access 2010 feature that sent emails to gather data entry and the email replies would automatically insert the data into tables. I used it a lot until MS deprecated it.

With M365 E3, I have opted to get the necessary end points using PowerAutomate, inserting the information into a List Table and then linking the List into Access.

 

[BlueSpruce]

With M365 E3, I have opted to get the necessary end points using PowerAutomate, inserting the information into a List Table and then linking the List into Access.

Glad that works for you, however, I'm not going to subscribe to an E3 plan to use PowerAutomate and SharePoint Lists just to collect data from remote users. I can roll my own VBA to ETL the data from PST and OST files.

 

[BlueSpruce]

Daniel Pineault has shown some exapmles:

VBA – Send E-mail Using Mozilla Thunderbird

VBA – Thunderbird Automation With Embedded Images

I didn't see anything in Daniel's posts about manipulating incoming Thunderbird emails, and SendMail via Thunderbird requires using pure HTML and SendKeys, which I am not fond of.

 

[dalski]

Some say that MS Access is still in development & going strong - then I read articles like this & it is clear to me that the effectiveness of the application is being greatly diminished.

 

[sonic8]

Some say that MS Access is still in development & going strong - then I read articles like this & it is clear to me that the effectiveness of the application is being greatly diminished.

Why do you attribute a change in Microsoft Outlook to Microsoft Access?
The absolute only built-in method in Access *potentially* affected by this change is DoCmd.SendObject. I say "potentially" because SendObject always required a (Simple)MAPI compatible email client. It always was the responsibility of the user to have such an application installed for SendObject to work. Also, Microsoft said (unfortunately, I don't have a reference) that they will add Simple MAPI support to New Outlook eventually.

Don't get me wrong. This change to Outlook is a slap to the face of all MsOffice developers and I'm as disappointed by it as everybody else here in the forum. However, it is not a change in Microsoft Access and you should not state that Access' effectiveness is diminished because the capabilities of an external application (Outlook) are diminished.

 

[dalski]

You know more than me Sonic8, & I'm pleased to hear your optimistic outlook, Access is a brilliant app, I pray it continues to be so. It just seems like they are reducing it's power to use other applications is my amateur perception.

 

[isladogs]

The change to Outlook equally affects all other Office apps such as Excel, Word and PowerPoint. As @sonic8 made clear, the effectiveness of Access itself is not being diminished.

 

[dalski]

Thanks, but the beauty of Access is also it's ability to control other apps also; is it not? Let alone the Microsoft suite. I'm not trying to be argumentative at all; merely debating. My knowledge is pale in comparison to you guys. I'm just trying to understand is all.
From a learner's perspective it seems it's getting harder to do so?

 

[Minty]

I think the effect is far more noticeable / undesirable within the Access ecosphere we inhabit, as developers we tend to leverage the ability to control Outlook a lot more than a majority of traditional users of of Word, Excel and PowerPoint do.

In my experience, even complex spreadsheet "apps" very rarely utilise the available email functionality.

 

[sonic8]

@dalski, if I would saw off the head of your hammer, does it reduce *your* ability to use a hammer?
No, it just reduces the capability of the hammer.

 

[BlueSpruce]

I think the effect is far more noticeable / undesirable within the Access ecosphere we inhabit, as developers we tend to leverage the ability to control Outlook a lot more than a majority of traditional users of of Word, Excel and PowerPoint do.

In my experience, even complex spreadsheet "apps" very rarely utilise the available email functionality.

Agreed, great observation! I wonder how many Access apps broke as a result of the changes made to Outlook? And what were the reasons for MS changing it?

 

[RonPaii]

Agreed, great observation! I wonder how many Access apps broke as a result of the changes made to Outlook? And what were the reasons for MS changing it?

Not only Office apps but thousands of other programs that utilize COM with Outlook to send email.

 

[BlueSpruce]

Not only Office apps but thousands of other programs that utilize COM with Outlook to send email.

I'm wondering if MS knew the impact of making the change. They must've had a strong reason, like security, for making the change.