Weird Question with Email

Ok so I'm going to be working on this huge project at work where my sales reps can submit signage to me via the internet and it keeps track of everything and can pull reports and blah blah blah. However, they all use Black Berrys and would rather just do what they're doing now, and emailing them right off their phone to me.

So what I'm trying to do is write a web-based program that will do this:
-Rep sends email via blackberry to a email account with specifics described (ie: account, date, due date, sizes, quantity, verbage...)
-When email gets received, program automatically sees the info
-Then info is sorted out and added into a database, just as if the rep were to go online and do the same.

Since everyone here works in different places, has anyone seen anything like this, or know anything about something like this? I'm figuring the email would use XML and the php script could call it in and load it via SQL into the database. That's more info than needed, but any ideas or seen one? Thanks.

Eh if you were working with quickbooks I could probably offer some advice lol.

How many emails a day are you talking? I know I dont know enough about programming to be of any use, but I was just curious if you are trying to compensate for 10 an hour, 10 a day, 10 a week, etc.

Wouldn't you need field, liek in MS Access? Don't know if that works with emails though.

I get about 20-150 emails a day for sign requests, so it'll constantly be coming in. That's why it's important to have everything automated as much as possible. And with that many, it's hard to keep track of everything which is why I'm designing this system.

I did find out that you can use XML and the data in there will be inputted into the database. Like:
<field1>account</field1>
and it'll take those sections and import it into the database. However, I have to go deeper into that, and see if there's a way to automatically do it to every email the instant they get received.

Wow dude, that sucks. I thought you were getting a couple a day and just being lazy but I guess not! I have a buddy that is wicked good with programming, if I think of it I will ask him.

Wow dude, that sucks. I thought you were getting a couple a day and just being lazy but I guess not! I have a buddy that is wicked good with programming, if I think of it I will ask him.

Cool. Ya it's not an easy job. On the sign side alone, I print anywhere from 100-400 signs a day, depending on whether we talking banners or posters and what sizes. All of those emails have multiple sign requests on them also. Just got one in a minute ago that had 8 accounts on one request. Total signs for there: 120 signs. Ya, it gets stupid really quick.

My boss wants me to keep track of everything that is sent in from the reps so they can figure out quota payout and all. It's hard to do that with all these requests. My outlook mailbox has 35 pages worth of emails from late December to now. If I had this system up, everything would be tracked automatically and they'd be able to pull reports by rep, account, and even brand. We have a big meeting next week about this and I want to go in with as much info as possible. And even a demo would be nice. Damn moving though is getting in the way.

Well outlook can filter messages, have you tried that?

I don't need a filter or anything. It needs to be automated to take the info and throw it into a database with the information sorted out. Outlook wouldn't be involved at all.

Oh, I see what you mean. I can't think of anything that would be able to do that. We're still experimenting here at work.

I think I'm going to have to write something to do it, but I don't even know where to begin. Has to read the incoming email files and use XML to pick up the info and import to the correct section to the database, and the right tables at that! I'm so underpayed for this job.

Yeah, we usually are:mad:

I'm sure they have programs to do that out there already, but you'll be paying an arm and a leg for it. I don't think it would be too hard to write a small simple program to just archive all incoming and outgoing messages and their details to separate fields in the database...

IMO its the Database thats the tricky part. Archiving is simple enough.

IMO its the Database thats the tricky part. Archiving is simple enough.
The database isn't tricky at all. You can setup the database really easy through Microsoft Access and all your archiving program has to do is call out to it. Which anybody who knows how to write programs should already know how to call out to an external file. :2cents:

LOL, well I'm sorry. I used to doze off in the classes that were for C++ and C Sharp.


Nerd faces:icon16: :loser:










:evillol:

LOL, well I'm sorry. I used to doze off in the classes that were for C++ and C Sharp.


Nerd faces:icon16: :loser:
Sounds like pure jealousy to me. lol...

I used to doze off too, but that's because they went so slow and made it so boring. It isn't brain surgery. lol...

Actually, it has been so long since I've done any of that now that I would probably have a hard time with the coding... :(

I need to get back in shape on that stuff and see if I can't get a job doing it, cause it was simple...

Databases are easy. I don't use Access or anything when it comes to that. Good old command prompt editors FTW, such as Putty. Also most web server providers offer a mySQL manager of some sort which is more visually pleasing. It's more fun to me to sit there and type out something like this:

CREATE TABLE `signs` (
`id` int(11) NOT NULL auto_increment,
`rep` varchar(255) NOT NULL default '',
`signs` int(11) default NULL,
`text` varchar(255) NOT NULL default '',
`qty` int(11) default NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (`id`)
);

:naughty: :naughty: :naughty:


My Programming Web Databases class was so hard when I took it. I had no interest in it and couldn't stay focused. My teacher came from Silicon Valley and got BORED there so he came to Chicago to start a new life. He died last semester :frown: I ended up getting mono that semester I took it and missed 3 weeks. Then over spring break, taught myself everything and for the final wrote a shopping cart website. Now I do this for a living.

I really don't do C++ programming anymore... switched over to all web-based programming. C++ changes so often with different framework, .NET, and all that other stuff.

And it's not just archiving. It's pulling specific data from the email. Here's an example or an everyday sign request.


Dave;
10 2x3
1 3x10
50 Table Tent

Bud Family Bud Bowl Template
"Join us here for the BIG GAME
$13 Bud Light Buckets (5 bottles)"


So when this email is sent, it goes into an inbox of mine. When it gets there, this program or whatever goes in and picks out the info. 10 2x3, 1 3x10, and 50 Table Tents Get stored in one field of the table, the template in another, and the text in another. Again, needs to be automatic as soon as the request is received. On my side, I would have an alert that comes up saying new request and I get to see it being displayed from the database itself.

I get it now, well sounds pretty interesting.

Nice!! Very good Dave, glad you got 'er worked out.

Nice!! Very good Dave, glad you got 'er worked out.

Uh haven't done anything yet bud. Still working on theory. And I'm waiting to get settled in before I start coding. Sometimes I like sitting down and writing code for hours all night. When it rains it pours lol.

LOL, i knew you would get dustin on that.:grinyes: Owned!

How many lines do you think you will need to write?

LOL, i knew you would get dustin on that.:grinyes: Owned!

How many lines do you think you will need to write?

Lines of code? For the whole site or just for this specific part? Probably a good solid couple thousand. That's why like I said, when I get into it, I get really into it. I'm working on my personal site so I can start showing off some work and all and that's going to be quite a bit also.

Ah sent an email to myself and manual searched for it and look what I got
http://davidbonolo.com/xml/

Only thing is, email looks like

<email>
<to>Dave Bonolo</to>
<from>Sales Rep</from>
<subject>Sign request 1</subject>
<sign1>5 2x3, Bud Light temp, "$2 bottles everyday"</sign1>
<sign2>5 2x3, Bud Light temp, "$1 bottles every Wednesday, $5 Pitchers"</sign2>
</email>


Which means the reps would have to add each field (or make a template like above) to every email. I'm sure they would love that. lol.

Which means the reps would have to add each field (or make a template like above) to every email. I'm sure they would love that. lol.

I'm usre they wold love that Dave. Take an extra couple minutes to fill it out. Well, a template that you made up might work better than having them make their own, IMO.