Table of contents

Although directmail is a host-based e-mail system, you also have the comfort you know from common PC applications. Besides sending texts, attachments to e-mails are a widespread and common way to attach any PC documents to an e-mail.

directmail supports you here with the Attachments function, with which you can send any PC documents such as Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, EXE files, to name just a few examples. In addition to PC files, you can also use directmail to attach IBM i spool files in various formats, or IBM i objects such as programs, files, folders, or complete libraries:

The Attachments function is available from the creation of an e-mail by pressing function key 10, or from the mailbox by entering selection 10 before an e-mail.

Depending on whether you have already entered attachments, pressing F10 from within an e-mail will display an overview of the attachments, otherwise it will be displayed immediately below.

Note: If options are displayed in blue, this is because access to these types is not allowed in the mail account definition, page 3.

0089 - Select attachment file type

Description of the selection options

1=PC documents - Use this option to attach PC documents from the IFS. See chapter PC-Dokumente anhängen (Auswahl 1)

2=spool file - Use this to attach IBM i spool files to an e-mail. See chapter Spooldateien anhängen (Auswahl 2)

3=SAVOBJ backup file - Use this to attach IBM i objects. See chapter IBM i-Objekte anhängen (Auswahl 3)

4=SAVLIB backup file - Attach an IBM i library. See chapter IBM i-Bibliotheken anhängen (Auswahl 4)

5=IBM i database - Attach an IBM i database file or table. See chapter IBM i-Bibliotheken anhängen (Auswahl 5)

Attach PC documents (selection 1)

PC documents come from a variety of sources. Either you have PCs in your company with which you create documents that are later to be sent via directmail, or you receive PC files as attachments to received e-mails that are also to be distributed.

Common to all sources is the storage space of the PC documents that are to be further processed with directmail. All PC documents are temporarily stored in the IBM i Integrated File System (IFS). In addition to being accessible from directmail, this also has the advantage that if you include the IFS in your daily backup, all PC documents from this area will be stored in your daily backup.

You can attach PC documents with selection 1 from the "Select file type" display.

0090 - Select IFS file

Here you have the possibility to branch into the desired directory with selection 3.

0091 - Select file

With selection 1 you take over one, or several files at the same time as an attachment into the e-mail.

After selecting the PC files, the overview of the attachments is displayed:

0092 - Attachments overview

Description of the selection options

1=Export

Allows you to detach attachments from the e-mail and convert them to the appropriate source format. See chapter Attach IBM i database file

If an e-mail contains an e-mail mime file as an attachment, it can be displayed and exported to the inbox.

0093 - Working with attachments

Select export type

If an attachment is exported, the corresponding export type must be selected.

0303 - Select export type

Description of the selection options

1 PC file system *IFS

2 Spool file *SPL

3 Backup file *SAVF

4 Certificate *CERT

E-mail (inbox) *EML

Selection

Input of the export type.

Export to PC file format IFS

0383 - Save IFS file

4=Delete

For deleting attachments from an e-mail. See chapter Deleting attachments (selection 4).

5=Display

To display the text part of an attachment. See Chapter Displaying attachments (selection 5).

7=Rename

Allows you to assign a new name for the attachment See Chapter Rename attachment (selection 7).

8=Attributes

Displays the attributes of the attachment. See Chapter Attachment attributes (selection 8).

9=Compress

You can compress an attached file. See Chapter 8.11 Compress attachments

10=Decompress

You can decompress an attached compressed file. See Chapter 8.11.1.1 Decompressing attachments

Attach spool files (selection 2)

Often IBM i printouts have to be forwarded to software houses, sales representatives or customers/suppliers. Often these spool files are printed and faxed manually. You can also email these spool files using directmail.

0094 - Select spool files

User - User who created the spool file.

Print unit - Print unit on which the spool file is located.

Form type - Form type of the spool file.

User data -user data of the spool file User data of the spool file.

Limit here the range of spool data to be displayed to you for spool file selection.

0095 - Display spool files

Use 1 here to select the spool file(s) to be attached and specify the shipping options.

0096 - Spool file formatting

Output format - Here you specify the format in which the spool file should be attached to the email

Valid values are:

*CSV - The spool file will be converted tosemicolon separated text and attached.
*TXT - the spool file will be converted to ASCII text and attached.
*HTML - the spool file will be converted to HTML document and attached.
*PDF - The spool file will be converted to PDF format (readable with Acrobat Reader) and attached.
*EPDF - Adobe's PDF file format, but in the enhanced version of di rectmail PDF. This format allows e.g. form overlays, i.e. you can put a JPG, or TIF file behind the spool and achieve the impression of a completely printed form.
*ORIG - The recipient of the e-mail also works with directmail and can receive the spool file in IBM i format.
*GUMBO - The spool file is to be converted and attached by Gumbo using SPLAMATIC.
*TIFF - The spool file shall be converted to a TIFF graphic and attached.
*RAW - Only the pure data stream is copied to a PC file (necessary for PCL or AFP).
*HPT - The spool file is converted to an HPT document and attached.

Start page - Start page from which the spool file will be attached.

End page - End page up to which the spool file should be attached.

After selecting the spool files, the attachments overview will be displayed:

0097 - Attachments overview

Additional parameters for TXT output format:

0378 - additional parameters for TXT output format

Add text to e-mail

Valid values are:

Y Text can be added to e-mail
Nno text can be added to e-mail

Additional parameters for HTML output format:

0304 - additional parameters for HTML output format

Green bars - Here you can set whether the green bars should be displayed or not.

Page table - Here you can set whether the page table should be displayed or not.

Additional parameters for EPDF output format:

0376 - additional parameters for EPDF output format

Paper size - Specifies the paper size for creating the PDF file.

Valid values are:

A0-A6
B5
*LEDGER
*LEGAL
*LETTER
*P11x17
*SPLF

Landscape format - Specifies whether the form should be written in landscape format. This parameter is available only for the *EPDF format.

Valid values are:

S SPLF
Y Yes
N No
A Auto

CPI - Here you can specify a font width in CPI (characters per inch) that differs from the spool file.

LPI - A font height in LPI (lines per inch) different from the spool file can be specified here.

Use text only - Here you control that for spool files only the plain text without graphics and other elements should be used.

Valid values are:

J Nut Text will be used
N Text and graphics will be used

Green bars - Specify whether lines in EPDF format should be separated by white/green bars (gives the effect like printing on tabular paper).

Valid values are:

J - Yes
N - No

Page table - For multi-page documents, a page table is placed at the beginning of the document in EPDF format for better navigation.

Valid values are:

Y Yes
N No

Form First Page / Next Page - Select the form to be used for the first or subsequent pages. The forms to be used are stored in the Toolmaker/DirectMail400/Forms path.

Form margins top/bottom/left - Specify the form margins in mm.

Font type - Specification of the font to be used. By default, the *COURIER font is used. Any other font stored in the Toolmaker/DirectMail400/Fonts path can be used.

Code page (CCSID) - Selection of the code page.

Valid values are:

*JOB The valid code page of the job will be used.
*OWNER Code page of the spool file owner will be used.
*SYSVAL The code page of the system is used.
CCSID The entered code page will be used.

Host Print Transform Conversion to *HPT (Host Print Transform) format is possible.

Valid values are:

J Conversion to *HPT format possible.
N Conversion to *HPT format not possible

0377- PDF security settings

Owner Password - This is the currently valid owner password for this file. You need this password if the file is already protected with a password to change the following attributes.

User Password - Enter a user password for this file.

Key length - Here you specify the length of the key with which the PDF file will be encrypted.

Valid values are:

40 a 40-digit key length is used
128 A 128-digit key length is used

Allow printing - Here you specify whether the recipient is allowed to print the file.

Valid values are:

*YES The file may be printed.
*NO The file may not be printed.

Allowmodification - Here you specify whether the recipient is allowed to modify the file using Adobe Acrobat.

Valid values are:

*YES The file may be modified.
*NO The file may not be modified.

Allowcopying - Here you specify whether the recipient is allowed to copy the contents of the file using cut & paste (screen reader).

Valid values are:

*YES The file may be copied.
*NO The file may not be copied.

Allow form fields - Here you specify whether the recipient is allowed to insert or modify form fields using Adobe Acrobat.

Valid values are:

*YES Form fields may be inserted.
*NO Form fields are not allowed to be inserted.

Allow access to content - Here you specify whether the recipient is allowed to access the content of the PDF file using screen readers, for example (Acrobat version 5 and later).

Valid values are:

*YES The content may be accessed.
*NO The content may not be accessed.

Allow compilation - Here you specify whether the recipient is allowed to insert, delete, or rotate pages using Adobe Acrobat, or whether tumbnails and bookmarks are allowed to be inserted.

Valid values are:

*YES Compilation is possible.
*NO Composition is not possible.

Allow high resolution printing - Here you specify whether the recipient is allowed to print the content of the PDF file in high resolution, or only as a low resolution raster.

Valid values are:

*YES The PDF file may be printed in high resolution.
*NO The PDF file may not be printed in high resolution.

Additional parameters for HPT output format:

0379 - Additional parameters for HPT output format

HPT printer model - Input of a valid numerical value for a printer model. Selection possible with F4.

WSCST Object - Object selection from QSYS possible with F4.

Library - Object selection from QSYS possible with F4.

Additional parameters for TIFF output format:

0380 - Additional parameters for TIFF output format

Paper size - Specifies the paper size for creating the TIFF file.

Valid values are:

A0-A6
B5
*LEDGER
*LEGAL
*LETTER
*P11x17
*SPLF

Form First Page / Next Page - Select the form to be used for the first or the following pages. The forms to be used are stored in the Toolmaker/DirectMail400/Forms path.

Form margins top/left - Specify the form margins in mm.

Attach IBM i objects in a SAVOBJ backup file (selection 3)

directmail also differs from PC mail systems in that native objects from IBM i can be sent as attachments to e-mails. You can select any objects from your IBM i in a selection display. These are saved by directmail with the command SAVOBJ into a backup file and attached to the e-mail If the recipient of your e-mail is using an IBM i with directmail, he can very comfortably receive IBM i objects from you and restore them to the IBM i.

0098 - Save and attach IBM i objects

Objects - Enter the names of the objects that are to be saved and attached to the e-mail as a savefile.

Library - Here is the name of the library from which the objects are to be saved.

Object types - Here you can select the object types (*PGM, *FILE, ...).

Target release - This parameter is important if you distribute objects to recipients who do not have the same release on their machine as you do.

After selecting the objects, they will be saved and attached to a temporary backup file (savefile). Afterwards the overview of attachments is displayed again.

0099 - Overview of attachments

Attach IBM i libraries in a SAVLIB backup file (selection 4)

With directmail, complete libraries can also be saved and attached to an e-mail.

0100 - Save and attach IBM i libraries

Library - This is the name of the library to be backed up.

Target release - With F10 (Additional parameters) you can also set the target release for libraries. This parameter is important if you distribute objects to recipients who do not have the same release on their machine as you do.

After selecting the library(s), they are saved to a temporary save file and attached. Afterwards the overview of attachments is displayed again.

0101 - Attachments overview

Attach IBM i database file or table (selection 5)

With directmail you can also attach complete IBM i files directly to an e-mail.

0102 - Attach IBM i database

File/Library - Here is the name of the file to be saved with library.

Field description (DBFLDDSC) - This controls whether the field names should be output with.

Valid values are:

Y The field descriptions will be appended
N The field descriptions will not be appended

Append as text - Here you specify whether the file should be sent as an attachment, or as text.

Valid values are:

Y The contents of the object should be used as text.
N The content of the object should be used as an attachment.

File format - The file to be attached can be converted to different file formats.

Valid values are:

*TXT The file will be converted to TXT format. This file format can be be read by almost all editors.
*CSV The file is converted to CSV format. This format separates fields by semicolons and can be used very well e.g. for the further processing by a Spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel.
*HTML The file is converted to HTML format.
*DBASE3 The file will be converted to DBASE3 format.

CSV Separator - Enter the field separator for the database file. Default is the semicolon (;)

Valid values are:

Separator Enter the separator character

After selecting the file, it will be attached. Afterwards, the overview of attachments is displayed again.

0103 - Attachments overview

Exporting attachments (selection 1)

Attachments to e-mails can be converted to the original format using the export function.

The display and function of the export are almost identical to the creation of attachments, you must also specify the directory in IFS for PC documents, the printer for spool files, or the library for restoring the objects.

0104 - Export attachment

Selection - Selection of the export type.

Export to PC file system

When exporting PC documents, the directory structure of the IBM i integrated file system is displayed.

0105 - Export PC files

Option - Select the IFS directory with selection 1, or branch one level lower with selection 3. Press Data Release to save your document in the displayed directory.

Export spool file

0384 - Export spool file

Output queue - Name of the output queue

Library - Library name

Stop - input Input whether spool file should be stopped or printed immediately.

Copies - Number of copies to be printed.

Deleting attachments (selection 4)

Attachments once inserted in e-mails are not static, but can be removed from the e-mail at will. Mark the attachments you want to delete with selection 4 and press the data release key

0106 - Delete attachment

Confirm the selection for deletion with Data Release, or return to the selection of attachments with F12.

Displaying attachments (selection 5)

Certain contents of attachments can be displayed directly using the display function on the 5250 screen. As shown below, this is not always useful, especially when PC documents are attached to the e-mail. Text documents are displayed correctly.

If the DirectMedia product from Toolmaker is installed and configured, these attachments are not opened in the 5250 emulation, but in the Windows application linked to it. Thus, a correct display of PC documents is also possible on the PC from the 5250 session.

0107 - Display of a PC document as attachment

0108 - Display of a spool file as attachment

0109 - Display of saved objects as attachment

Rename attachment (selection 7)

Attachments once included in e-mails can be renamed with selection 7.

0110 - Rename attachment

New name - Enter the new name of the attachment here.

Attachment attributes (selection 8)

You can display the attributes of an attachment with selection 8:

0111 - Attributes of an attachment

Compress attachments (selection 9)

You can compress an attached file with selection 9. Data compressed in this way can be decompressed at any time via directmail, but also with standard compression programs such as WinZip, PKZIP, etc.

0112 - Compression

0113 - Compressed file

Decompressing attachments (selection 10)

You can use Selection 10 to decompress an attached compressed file:

0114 - Decompression