[Techtalk] Possibly OT - learning to code using an email notification progra m

[Jenn Vesperman]

On Tue, 2002-03-26 at 03:47, Davis, Jennifer wrote:
> Hi:
> 
> 	This may be more the subject of a forum specifically regarding
> programming, but alas, here we go. 

Techtalk is for programming too. It's just usually a sysadminny place.

> I am trying to develop a program that
> will show the last few messages in my mailbox.  If I see something I want to
> read, I just click on it, and my webmail opens up.  It is something I want
> to use at work.  Port 110 on the office network is blocked, so I was
> thinking of using the telnet port. 

Don't use telnet, use ssh. If you need me to explain why, ask.

However..

The quick-and-nasty, el-cheapo, get-a-proof-of-concept thing would be to
write a script that opens ssh and does a 'tail /var/spool/mail/foo'. 

That'll prove you can get in and open the mailbox. After that, it's just
a matter of reading the mailbox using whatever mail-reading libraries
your language of choice has, retrieving the messages of choice, and
presenting them whatever way you choose - again using the libraries.

Without knowing what language and what libraries you have available, I
can't be more precise.



Jenn V.
-- 
    "Do you ever wonder if there's a whole section of geek culture 
        	you miss out on by being a geek?" - Dancer.

jenn at anthill.echidna.id.au     http://anthill.echidna.id.au/~jenn/