• Registered: 2008-02-23
  • Posts: 27

Topic: Just "finished" my first email sending widget

My Chumby came today so I have spent all evening playing around with him and working out the kinks in an email sending widget I created. It took me a while to get it right, but the widget works relatively well and I have used it to send a bunch of emails. I will work on a load screen and maybe make it look a little nicer for the next version of it, but I am done for the day.

Here is a link to the widget:
http://thatj.podlot.org/ChumbyMail%203.0.swf

I know it is called ChumbyMail 3.0 and that is a bit of a big number for a first incarnation, but... well... it took a while to get it working the way I wanted.

Please let me know what you think. I am open to any and all suggestions, don't be too harsh, this is only about my fourth day or so programing in flash.

Hope you guys like it.

-David

  • From: St Ives, Cornwall, UK
  • Registered: 2008-01-18
  • Posts: 435

Re: Just "finished" my first email sending widget

David, looks great!

Although, I find entering the to/from/subject lines counter-intuitive. You have to enter text and then choose what it's meant for - which is the other way around to normal emailing.

Perhaps it would be better to put the To: (etc) text into the text input field at the top, and allow the user to complete that line before pressing enter to add it to the body? Alternatively, perhaps the to/from/subject buttons should not work until some text has been entered? You can also enter multiple to/from/subject entries. May I also suggest Shift+@ key becomes double quote "?

Also: in Help there are several spelling mistakes.

Great work so far, though.

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gingerbeardman's Website

  • Registered: 2008-01-08
  • Posts: 172

Re: Just "finished" my first email sending widget

Interesting, would you put it out on the Chumby network?

  • From: Florida Panhandle
  • Registered: 2008-02-20
  • Posts: 92

Re: Just "finished" my first email sending widget

Very nice..

MyridoM

When someone annoys me, it takes 42 muscles in my face to frown...but it takes only 4 muscles to extend my arm and b**ch-slap you!
http://haunterofthenight.com/ * new blog location

myridom's Website

  • Registered: 2008-02-23
  • Posts: 27

Re: Just "finished" my first email sending widget

I have submitted it to the Chumby Network, I am just waiting for it to be added.

  • Registered: 2007-01-09
  • Posts: 71

Re: Just "finished" my first email sending widget

It's now public.

  • From: St Ives, Cornwall, UK
  • Registered: 2008-01-18
  • Posts: 435

Re: Just "finished" my first email sending widget

It'd be nice to be able to configure it with a default "from" email address

Also, thinking about the input fields, could they not be text input boxes with a cursor in?

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gingerbeardman's Website

  • Registered: 2008-02-23
  • Posts: 27

Re: Just "finished" my first email sending widget

That is a good idea. I have not yet learned how to do that.

As for the default from, would that be while the widget is open, or perpetually?

I could easily make from stay constant while you are using the widget, but I don't know how to make it a permanent feature of the program.

  • From: St Ives, Cornwall, UK
  • Registered: 2008-01-18
  • Posts: 435

Re: Just "finished" my first email sending widget

Take a look at the Sample Banner widget on the wiki, it'll make it all clear.

http://wiki.chumby.com/mediawiki/index. … ner_Widget

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gingerbeardman's Website

  • Registered: 2007-12-19
  • Posts: 8

Re: Just "finished" my first email sending widget

Nice widget! Thanks. Also means there is now a workaround to send twitter tweets from Chumby - set up a twittermail.com account and you get an email address that allows you to tweet via email (although admittedly typing in the to/from addresses every time is a bit of a pain).

  • Registered: 2008-02-23
  • Posts: 27

Re: Just "finished" my first email sending widget

I Uploaded a new version today. Decided to call it what it really is, a Beta. Anyways, the new version makes the inputting of to from etc much simpler and less annoying. Check it out and give recommendations for the next version.

  • From: St Ives, Cornwall, UK
  • Registered: 2008-01-18
  • Posts: 435

Re: Just "finished" my first email sending widget

A nice improvement.

Some things I have noticed.

1) When typing, the to/from/subject label disappears when the letter 't' is typed
this makes me think that perhaps you are repeating code per button rather than using a function with a paramater?
2) In the email that is received, the from line shows as: From: my.name@gmail.com <>
It would be better if it showed as: my.name@gmail.com <my.name@gmail.com> as many email clients will get confused when there's no real from name defined.
3) For me it would make more sense to use a TextArea component rather than a List? That way it is freely editable after you have typed things in.

Keep up the good work!

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gingerbeardman's Website

  • Registered: 2008-02-23
  • Posts: 27

Re: Just "finished" my first email sending widget

I just fixed the probelm with 't'

your right, I am repeating code, but it is b/c i have to associated three different commands with each code. I am using a few functions that I call that use parameters, but there is some more that could be done for sure. I will keep trying to make this program more efficient for future versions.

As for the from thing, this is treated differently be each email client.  My yahoo account either displays exactly what you type, or what you type +@yahoo.com. On there other hand, my school web mail account just displays it exactly as typed regardless of format. I think b/c it is being sent via PHP this is going to be hard to fix.

Can text area be added to the same way? If so I definitely want to do that, I will start learning about it. As it stands I really only know how to use a few components to their full extent.

Thanks for the feedback, uploading improved version now.

14 Reply by gingerbeardman (edited by gingerbeardman 2008-03-03 06:42:01)

  • From: St Ives, Cornwall, UK
  • Registered: 2008-01-18
  • Posts: 435

Re: Just "finished" my first email sending widget

Just double up to/from like this:

To: to@there.com <to@there.com>
From: from@here.com <from@here.com>

I am pretty sure you could have one function, calling it with the "key" code that has been pressed, then from inside that function do your three function calls?

TextArea is added to in a similar way, but not exactly the same as the List. For TextArea you manipulate the YourTextArea.text property rather than adding and removing items in the List.

Really glad to see you're working hard at this - good job.

matt

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gingerbeardman's Website

  • Registered: 2008-02-23
  • Posts: 27

Re: Just "finished" my first email sending widget

I am working on that now. How do you get the location of the cursor within the text field. I need a line and index variable, or I just need to know how to emulate the pressing of keys on the keyboard. Any ideas. For now I have just replaece item=item+'new text'  with myText.text=myTex.text+'new text'

I haven't found much online, and you seem vary knowledgeable. Any advice?

I will have it so that you edit to and from at the same time, then subject, then start with text. Eventual I want to have it so you can go back and change stuff at the end of the email, but I think I am going to wait a little while on that as I want everything else working right first.

Thanks for all your help
-David

  • From: St Ives, Cornwall, UK
  • Registered: 2008-01-18
  • Posts: 435

Re: Just "finished" my first email sending widget

Haha!

I just read the document and do the odd Google. I can program in other languages so there is a lot of common ground. Just read up on the components you are using, whether it is in the built in Help or online.

http://livedocs.adobe.com/flash/9.0/main/00000226.html

TextArea.selectionBeginIndex might gve you the cursor position. Read up on string manipulation (specifically 'substr') to figure out how to insert text into the middle of other text.

matt

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gingerbeardman's Website

  • Registered: 2007-12-27
  • Posts: 10

Re: Just "finished" my first email sending widget

Very cool.

I'd like to see a way to store email addresses commonly used, to speed typing.

A default for my From: and a drop down list for the To: would help tremendously.

Maybe configurable from the computer so it loads the info each time the widget loads?

Great widget smile

18 Reply by dak52 (edited by dak52 2008-03-03 20:17:47)

  • Registered: 2008-02-23
  • Posts: 27

Re: Just "finished" my first email sending widget

Just added config to this widget so that you can set it up with a default From address. The default to is in the works, but I have a bunch of school work this week, so no knowing when I will get that finished.

Please continue to let me know any changes that might be made to this widget. I would like to make it as user friendly as possible. Also feel free to email me with any new widget ideas you may have. As I have said before I don't know flash very well, but I figure the best way to learn is by making something useful.

-David

P.S. if you want me to send you new versions as I come out with them, before the go public, feel free to add me as a chum. My chumby's name is Chubby (it is an arrested development reference)