This is something that I found myself doing over and over again so I decided to create a class that simplified the process of sending an email from a .Net application.
As mentioned in the comment, feel free to use this code within your applications, the only requirement is that you leave the comment in place. I also wouldn’t say no to getting a link to my website but that’s not compulsory :p
If you have any problems with this code then please let me know with as much information about what happened to cause the problem and if you’ve come up with a fix I would be greatful to know what it was.
'''
''' Email class from Satal Keto's library
''' Version 1.0.3.3
'''
Imports System.Net.Mail
Namespace Email
''' <summary>
''' This class was created by Satal Keto from www.satalketo.com, you are free to use this code
''' under the condition that you leave this comment in place
''' </summary>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Class Email
Private _smtpHost As String
Private _smtpUser As String
Private _smtpPass As String
Private _message As String
Private _subject As String
Private _toEmail As New List(Of String)
Private _ccs As New List(Of String)
Private _bccs As New List(Of String)
Private _attachments As New List(Of String)
Private _smtpPort As Integer = 25
Private _useEncryption As Boolean
Private _htmlEmail As Boolean = False
#Region "Constructors"
''' <summary>
''' This is the constructor for the Email class when none of the details are provided straight away
''' </summary>
''' <remarks>The SMTP details, a subject, message and at least one receipient must be added before being able to send the email</remarks>
Public Sub New()
End Sub
''' <summary>
''' This is the constructor for the Email class when only the SMTP details are provided straight away
''' </summary>
''' <param name="smtpHost">The location of the SMTP server</param>
''' <param name="smtpUser">The user to login to the SMTP server</param>
''' <param name="smtpPass">The password for the user</param>
''' <remarks>A subject, message and at least one receipient must be entered before being able to send the email</remarks>
Public Sub New(ByVal smtpHost As String, ByVal smtpUser As String, ByVal smtpPass As String)
_smtpHost = smtpHost
_smtpPass = smtpPass
_smtpUser = smtpUser
End Sub
''' <summary>
''' This is the constructor for the Email class for when all details are to be provided straight away
''' </summary>
''' <param name="smtpHost">The location of the SMTP server</param>
''' <param name="smtpUser">The user to login to the SMTP server</param>
''' <param name="smtpPass">The password for the user</param>
''' <param name="subject">The subject of the email</param>
''' <param name="message">The message of the email</param>
''' <remarks>At least one receipient before being able to send the email</remarks>
Public Sub New(ByVal smtpHost As String, ByVal smtpUser As String, ByVal smtpPass As String, ByVal subject As String, ByVal message As String)
_smtpHost = smtpHost
_smtpPass = smtpPass
_smtpUser = smtpUser
_subject = subject
_message = message
End Sub
#End Region
#Region "Properties"
''' <summary>
''' The host address for the SMTP server
''' </summary>
''' <value>The new host address for the SMTP server</value>
''' <returns>The current host address for theSMTP server</returns>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Property smtpHost() As String
Get
Return _smtpHost
End Get
Set(ByVal value As String)
_smtpHost = value
End Set
End Property
''' <summary>
''' The username to be used for logging into the SMTP server with
''' </summary>
''' <value>The new username to be used for logging into the SMTP server</value>
''' <returns>The current username being used for logging into the SMTP server</returns>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Property smtpUser() As String
Get
Return _smtpUser
End Get
Set(ByVal value As String)
_smtpUser = value
End Set
End Property
''' <summary>
''' The password to be used for logging into the SMTP server with
''' </summary>
''' <value>The new password to be used for logging into the SMTP server</value>
''' <returns>The current password being used for logging into the SMTP server</returns>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Property smtpPass() As String
Get
Return _smtpPass
End Get
Set(ByVal value As String)
_smtpPass = value
End Set
End Property
''' <summary>
''' The message to be sent to the recipients
''' </summary>
''' <value>The new message to be sent to the recipients</value>
''' <returns>The current message being sent to the recipients</returns>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Property message() As String
Get
Return _message
End Get
Set(ByVal value As String)
_message = value
End Set
End Property
''' <summary>
''' The subject of the email
''' </summary>
''' <value>The new subject for the email</value>
''' <returns>The current subject of the email</returns>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Property subject() As String
Get
Return _subject
End Get
Set(ByVal value As String)
_subject = value
End Set
End Property
''' <summary>
''' The email addresses that the email should be sent to as a Carbon Copy
''' </summary>
''' <value>The new collection of email addresses that the email should be sent to as a Carbon Copy</value>
''' <returns>The current collection of email addresses that the email should be sent to as a Carbon Copy</returns>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Property CCs() As List(Of String)
Get
Return _ccs
End Get
Set(ByVal value As List(Of String))
_ccs = value
End Set
End Property
''' <summary>
''' The email addresses that the email should be sent to as a Blind Carbon Copy
''' </summary>
''' <value>The new collection of email addresses that the email should be sent to as a Blind Carbon Copy</value>
''' <returns>The current collection of email addresses that the email should be sent to as a Blind Carbon Copy</returns>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Property BCCs() As List(Of String)
Get
Return _bccs
End Get
Set(ByVal value As List(Of String))
_bccs = value
End Set
End Property
''' <summary>
''' The email addresses that the email should be sent to
''' </summary>
''' <value>The new collection of email addresses that the email should be sent to</value>
''' <returns>The current collection of email addresses that the email should be sent to</returns>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Property Tos() As List(Of String)
Get
Return _toEmail
End Get
Set(ByVal value As List(Of String))
_toEmail = value
End Set
End Property
''' <summary>
''' The port to be connect to on the SMTP server
''' </summary>
''' <value>The new port to connect to on the SMTP server</value>
''' <returns>The current port to connect to on the SMTP server</returns>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Property SMTPPort() As Integer
Get
Return _smtpPort
End Get
Set(ByVal value As Integer)
_smtpPort = value
End Set
End Property
''' <summary>
''' Whether the SMTP server should be connected to encrypted
''' </summary>
''' <value>The new value as to whether the server should be connected to encrypted</value>
''' <returns>The current value as to whether the server should be connected to encrypted</returns>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Property UseEncryption() As Boolean
Get
Return _useEncryption
End Get
Set(ByVal value As Boolean)
_useEncryption = value
End Set
End Property
''' <summary>
''' Whether the email will be HTML format or not
''' </summary>
''' <value>The new value for whether the email will be HTML format or not</value>
''' <returns>The current value of whether the email will be HTML format or not</returns>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Property HTMLEmail() As Boolean
Get
Return _htmlEmail
End Get
Set(ByVal value As Boolean)
_htmlEmail = value
End Set
End Property
#End Region
#Region "Enumerators"
Public Enum sendEmailResult
successful = 0
noToEmails = 1
noMessage = 2
noSubject = 3
noSMTPDetails = 4
unableToConnect = 5
attachmentNotAvailable = 6
unknownError = 99
End Enum
#End Region
<Obsolete("This method should no longer be used, instead use the Tos property", True)> _
Public Sub addToEmail(ByVal emailAddress As String)
Tos.Add(emailAddress)
End Sub
''' <summary>
''' This method deals with adding a new attachment to the email
''' </summary>
''' <param name="fileLocation">The location of the file to be attached</param>
''' <returns>A boolean value specifying whether the file can be attached or not</returns>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Function addAttachment(ByVal fileLocation As String) As Boolean
Dim rtn As Boolean = False
If IO.File.Exists(fileLocation) Then
rtn = True
_attachments.Add(fileLocation)
End If
Return rtn
End Function
''' <summary>
''' This method deals with getting the collection of all the attachments for this email
''' </summary>
''' <returns>The collection of attachments for this email</returns>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Function getAttachments() As List(Of String)
Return _attachments
End Function
''' <summary>
''' This method deals with removing an existing attachment from the email
''' </summary>
''' <param name="fileLocation">The location of the file to be removed from the email</param>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Sub removeAttachment(ByVal fileLocation As String)
_attachments.Remove(fileLocation)
End Sub
''' <summary>
''' This method deals with checking that all of the attachments are available
''' </summary>
''' <returns>A boolean value to specify if all the attachments are available</returns>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Private Function attachmentsAreAvailable() As Boolean
Dim rtn As Boolean = True
Dim attach As String
For Each attach In _attachments
If Not System.IO.File.Exists(attach) Then
rtn = False
Exit For
End If
Next
Return rtn
End Function
Public Function sendEmail() As sendEmailResult
Dim rtn As sendEmailResult
Dim mail As MailMessage
Dim emailAddress As String
Dim mailClient As SmtpClient
Dim emailSent As Boolean
Dim retryCount As Integer = 1
If _subject.Length > 0 Then
If _message.Length > 0 Then
If Tos.Count > 0 Then
If _smtpHost.Length > 0 And _smtpPass.Length > 0 And _smtpUser.Length > 0 Then
If attachmentsAreAvailable() Then
mail = New MailMessage
mail.Body = _message
mail.Subject = _subject
mail.From = New MailAddress(_smtpUser)
If _htmlEmail Then
mail.IsBodyHtml = _htmlEmail
mail.BodyEncoding = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8
End If
For Each emailAddress In Tos
mail.To.Add(emailAddress)
Next
For Each emailAddress In CCs
mail.CC.Add(emailAddress)
Next
For Each emailAddress In BCCs
mail.Bcc.Add(emailAddress)
Next
For Each attach As String In _attachments
mail.Attachments.Add(New Attachment(attach))
Next
mailClient = New SmtpClient(_smtpHost)
mailClient.UseDefaultCredentials = False
mailClient.Credentials = New System.Net.NetworkCredential(_smtpUser, _smtpPass)
mailClient.EnableSsl = UseEncryption
mailClient.Port = SMTPPort
Try
mailClient.Send(mail)
rtn = sendEmailResult.successful
emailSent = True
Catch smtpEx As SmtpException
emailSent = False
mailClient.Send(mail)
Catch ex As Exception
rtn = sendEmailResult.unknownError
emailSent = False
End Try
'Try again if the email wasn't sent successfully
If emailSent = False Then
System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(1000)
Try
mailClient.Send(mail)
rtn = sendEmailResult.successful
Catch smtpEx As SmtpException
rtn = sendEmailResult.unableToConnect
Catch ex As Exception
rtn = sendEmailResult.unknownError
End Try
End If
mail.Dispose()
Else
'Not all of the attachments were available
rtn = sendEmailResult.attachmentNotAvailable
End If
Else
'The details for the SMTP wasn't provided
rtn = sendEmailResult.noSMTPDetails
End If
Else
'No to email addresses provided
rtn = sendEmailResult.noToEmails
End If
Else
'The message hasn't been provided
rtn = sendEmailResult.noMessage
End If
Else
'The subject hasn't been provided
rtn = sendEmailResult.noSubject
End If
Return rtn
End Function
End Class
End Namespace
Update log:
Version 1.0.3.3
Added code that deals with a compatibility issue with some email clients when sending HTML emails.
Version 1.0.3.2
Fixed bug which meant that the MailMessage object wasn’t being disposed of appropriately.
Version 1.0.3.1
Added the capability to send HTML emails
Version 1.0.2.2:
Fixed bug
Added capability to use encryption when sending the email (tested against Gmail and Live)
Version 1.0.2.1:
Added capability for attachments
Added capability for CCs and BCCs
Depreciated addToEmail function
