Creating an Email Client with Borland Delphi

Now that we've finished building the GUI we can start coding. Add "idreplysmtp" to your uses list, then double click on btMsg and add the following code:

procedure Tform1.btMsgClick(Sender: TObject);
begin

  //setup idSMTP connection parameters
  idSMTP.Host :=your host name;
  idSMTP.Port := 25; //smtp service usually runs on this port
  idSMTP.Password:=your password;

  //setup idmessage parameters
  idmessage.From.address:=edFrom.Text;
  idmessage.Recipients.EMailAddresses:=edTo.Text;
  idmessage.CCList.EMailAddresses:=edCC.Text;
  idmessage.BccList.EMailAddresses:=edBC.Text;
  idmessage.Subject :=edSubject.Text;
  idmessage.Body.Text := memo1.Lines.Text;

  //check if receipt confirmation is required
  if checkbox1.checked then

    //if required, set the sendback email address to your email
address
    idmessage.ReceiptRecipient.Text:=edfrom.Text;

    //send the message
    try
  try
      idSMTP.Connect;
      idSMTP.send(idmessage);

//if an exception occurs…
      except on E: EIdSMTPReplyError do
    begin

       //…then show the message
       ShowMessage(E.Message);
    end;
    end;
  finally

    //disconnect from server
    if IdSMTP.Connected then
      IdSMTP.Disconnect;
  end;
end;

Let's go through this bit of code:

The first thing I've done is set up the server connection by providing the password and host name. The hostname is usually written this way: mail.xxx.com or smtp.xxxx.com.

Then I've continued to fill the idmessage component with the email headers, which in this case are: from, to, CC, BCC, subject and body. Please note that I also put a condition in place to check whether the user requires a delivery confirmation. This will enable you to check whether the message has actually been delivered to the recipient. I connected to the server and sent the message and then I closed the connection to the server. It is very important that you close the server connection, as you will get an error if you want to send another message. It is also good memory management. The "idreplysmtp" unit contains the definitions for all possible errors or exceptions that can be raised throughout this operation.

Now double click the browse button and add the following code:

procedure Tform1.btBrowseClick(Sender: TObject);
begin
  if opendialog.Execute then
    TIdAttachmentFile.Create(idmessage.MessageParts,
opendialog.FileName);
    AddAttachments;
end;

The browse button calls up the opendialog and allows you to select a file to attach to your message. Then it goes on to call the AddAttachments procedure to add the filename(s) to the listview.

Add this procedure somewhere in the implementation section:

procedure Tform1.AddAttachments;
var li: TListItem;
   idx: Integer;
begin
//clear the attachment listview
   lvAttachments.Items.Clear;
//loop through Idmessage and count parts
   for idx := 0 to Pred(Idmessage.MessageParts.Count) do
      begin
         li := lvAttachments.Items.Add;
// Check if Idmessage contains any attachments… 
         if Idmessage.MessageParts.Items[idx] is TIdAttachmentFile then
            begin
//if so, get the file names…
               li.Caption := TIdAttachmentFile
(Idmessage.MessageParts.Items[idx]).Filename;
//and add them to the listview
               li.SubItems.Add(TIdAttachmentFile
(Idmessage.MessageParts.Items[idx]).ContentType);
            end
         else
            begin
               li.Caption := Idmessage.MessageParts.Items[idx].ContentType;
            end;
      end;
end;

In short, the above procedure adds files to the listview component by looping through the idMessage component, checking whether it contains any attachments. If it does contain attachments, then it gets the filenames and lists them in the listview. This way you can see what files you've attached to your message. Make sure to add "procedure AddAttachments" in the public section of your form.

That's it! You have a fully functioning email application. All of our requirements have been met.