Graham Mayor
... helping to ease the lives of Microsoft Word users.
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Read a pre-formatted HTML document into the body of an Outlook message
Sometimes people may wish to invite clients to refer to a document stored on an on-line resource by sending a formatted e-mail invitation, or include a formatted message body in an e-mail message. In the following example, I first prepared a simple document using an HTML editor - any suitable HTML editor will do the job) and saved it to my hard drive - for the purposes of experimenting with this technique, the sample e-mail is also available to download.
The 'Accept' button is hyperlinked to a sample PDF file on my web site and the 'Decline' button is hyperlinked to a web page.
Below are the Outlook macros that pull it all together:
First insert a new module in the Outlook VBA editor (the principles involved are virtually identical to those covered at http://www.gmayor.com/ installing_macro.htm). In that module, copy the following Function. I take no credit for this function which could easily be found using a web search at http://www.freevbcode. com/ShowCode.Asp?ID=1898, where it's use is discussed in greater depth.
Option Explicit
'Reads each line of a text file to an array
'This function requires a reference to the _
Microsoft Scripting Runtime Library
Public Function FileToArray(ByVal FileName As String, _
ByRef TheArray As Variant)
Dim oFSO As New FileSystemObject
Dim oFSTR As Scripting.TextStream
Dim ret As Long
Dim lCtr As Long
If Dir(FileName) = "" Then Exit Function
If VarType(TheArray) <> vbArray + vbString Then Exit Function
On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
Set oFSTR = oFSO.OpenTextFile(FileName)
Do While Not oFSTR.AtEndOfStream
ReDim Preserve TheArray(lCtr) As String
TheArray(lCtr) = oFSTR.ReadLine
lCtr = lCtr + 1
DoEvents
Loop
oFSTR.Close
ErrorHandler:
Set oFSTR = Nothing
End Function
The function reads the html file line by line into an array, which is used to build the message using the following macro
Sub Send_As_HTML_Mail()
Dim oAccount As Outlook.Account
Dim oMail As Outlook.MailItem
Dim strAcc As String
'**** Optional
Dim bStarted As Boolean
Dim i As Long
Dim strMessagePath As String
Dim strSubject As String
Dim strHTM() As String
On Error Resume Next
'++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
'Set the path of the message html file
strMessagePath = "C:\Path\Button.htm"
'Set the subject test of the message
strSubject = "This is the subject of the message"
'++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
frmSelectAccount.Show '**** Optional
With frmSelectAccount.ListBox1 '**** Optional
For i = 0 To .ListCount - 1 '**** Optional
If .Selected(i) Then '**** Optional
strAcc = .List(i) '**** Optional
Exit For '**** Optional
End If '**** Optional
Next i '**** Optional
End With '**** Optional
Unload frmSelectAccount '**** Optional
For Each oAccount In Application.Session.Accounts '**** Optional
If oAccount.DisplayName = strAcc Then '**** Optional
Set oMail = CreateItem(olMailItem)
With oMail
.Subject = strSubject
FileToArray strMessagePath, strHTM
For i = 0 To UBound(strHTM)
.HTMLBody = .HTMLBody & strHTM(i) & vbCr
Next i
.SendUsingAccount = oAccount '**** Optional
.Display
End With
Exit For '**** Optional
End If '**** Optional
Next oAccount '**** Optional
Set oAccount = Nothing '**** Optional
Set oMail = Nothing
End Sub
The macro also provides the option to select which
account to send the message from by listing the available e-mail accounts
in a UserForm. If you don't need this remove the
ALL the lines marked
'**** Optional
However if you retain the lines, you will also need to add a userform.
The userform comprises a simple form as shown below and named frmSelectAccount with a label, a listbox and a command button. For the sake of simplicity I have retained the default names for the label, listbox and command button:
The code associated with the form is as follows:
Option Explicit
Private oAccount As Account
Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
Me.Hide
End Sub
Private Sub UserForm_Initialize()
With Me
.BackColor = &HC0FFFF
.Height = 190
.Width = 240
.Caption = "Send Mail"
With .CommandButton1
.Caption = "Next"
.Height = 24
.Width = 72
.Top = 126
End With
With .ListBox1
'add your list of email addresses
.Height = 71.25
.Width = 174
.Left = 24
.Top = 42
For Each oAccount In Application.Session.Accounts
.AddItem oAccount
Next oAccount
End With
With .Label1
.BackColor = &HC0FFFF
.Height = 24
.Left = 24
.Width = 174
.Top = 6
.Font.Size = 10
.Caption = "Select e-mail account from which to send this message"
.TextAlign = fmTextAlignCenter
End With
End With
End Sub
Private Sub UserForm_QueryClose(Cancel As Integer, CloseMode As Integer)
Set oAccount = Nothing
Unload Me
End Sub
Run the macro, select the sending account from the UserForm (if that option is installed) and the result is as follows:
