The System.Web.Mail namespace provides the classes for sending email in .NET. This tutorial explains how to send emails with attachments.
Class: MailMessage manages the mail message contents.
Attachment specifies the list of the attachments that are transmitted with the message.
Bcc is a list of semicolon delimited email addresses that receive a Blind Carbon Copy of the message.
Body contains the message text that has to be sent.
BodyEncoding is the encoding type of the email message.
BodyFormat defines the content type of the body of the message.
Cc is a list of semicolon delimited email addresses that receive a Carbon Copy of the message.
From is the email address of the sender.
Header specifies the custom headers which are transmitted with the Message.
Priority is the priority of the email message.
Subject is the subject line of the email message.
To is the email address of the recipient. Class: MailAttachments manages the mail attachment.
Class: SmtpMail sends email to the mail server.
Let us see it step by step:
Create a Visual Basic .NET application and drop the following controls and set the properties accordingly.
| Control | Property |
Label Text |
SMTP Server |
TextBox Name |
txtSMTPServer |
Label Text |
From |
TextBox Name |
txtFrom |
Label Text |
From Display Name |
TextBox Name |
txtFromDisplayName |
Label Text |
Recipient |
TextBox txtTo |
|
Label Text |
Attachment |
ListBox Name |
lstAttachment |
Label Text |
Subject |
TextBox Name |
txtSubject |
Label Text |
Message |
TextBox Name |
txtMessage |
Multiline |
True |
Scrollbars |
Both |
Button Text |
Add attachment |
Name |
BtnAdd |
Button Text |
Remove attachment |
Name |
btnRemove |
Button Text |
Send |
Name |
btnSend |
CheckBox Text |
Send As HTML |
Name |
chkFormat |
OpenFileDialog Name |
OFD |
DefaultExt |
*.* |
InitialDirectory |
c:\ |
Multiselect |
True |
Invoke the code window and type the following statement above the Class declaration.
Imports System.Web.Mail
Within the Class declaration, in the general section, declare variables required for this project.
' Variable which will send the mail
Dim obj As System.Web.Mail.SmtpMail
'Variable to store the attachments
Dim Attachment As System.Web.Mail.MailAttachment
'Variable to create the message to send
Dim Mailmsg As New System.Web.Mail.MailMessage()
Double click on the "Add attachment" button to add the code. Type the following lines:
'Show open dialogue box to select the files to attach
Dim Counter As Integer
OFD.CheckFileExists = True
OFD.Title = "Select file(s) to attach"
OFD.ShowDialog()
For Counter = 0 To UBound(OFD.FileNames)
lstAttachment.Items.Add(OFD.FileNames(Counter))
Next
Double click on the "Remove attachment" button. Type the following lines:
'Remove the attachments
If lstAttachment.SelectedIndex > -1 Then
lstAttachment.Items.RemoveAt(lstAttachment.SelectedIndex)
End If
Double click on the "Send" button. Type the following lines:
Dim Counter As Integer
'Validate the data
If txtSMTPServer.Text = "" Then
MsgBox("Enter the SMTP server info ...!!!", _
MsgBoxStyle.Information, "Send Email")
Exit Sub
End If
If txtFrom.Text = "" Then
MsgBox("Enter the From email address ...!!!", _
MsgBoxStyle.Information, "Send Email")
Exit Sub
End If
If txtTo.Text = "" Then
MsgBox("Enter the Recipient email address ...!!!", _
MsgBoxStyle.Information, "Send Email")
Exit Sub
End If
If txtSubject.Text = "" Then
MsgBox("Enter the Email subject ...!!!", _
MsgBoxStyle.Information, "Send Email")
Exit Sub
End If
'Set the properties
'Assign the SMTP server
obj.SmtpServer = txtSMTPServer.Text
'Multiple recepients can be specified using ; as the delimeter
'Address of the recipient
Mailmsg.To = txtTo.Text
'Your From Address
'You can also use a custom header Reply-To for a different replyto address
Mailmsg.From = "\" & txtFromDisplayName.Text & "\ <" & txtFrom.Text & ">"
'Specify the body format
If chkFormat.Checked = True Then
Mailmsg.BodyFormat = MailFormat.Html 'Send the mail in HTML Format
Else
Mailmsg.BodyFormat = MailFormat.Text
End If
'If you want you can add a reply to header
'Mailmsg.Headers.Add("Reply-To", "sample@sample.net")
'custom headersare added like this
'Mailmsg.Headers.Add("Manoj", "TestHeader")
'Mail Subject
Mailmsg.Subject = txtSubject.Text
'Attach the files one by one
For Counter = 0 To lstAttachment.Items.Count - 1
Attachment = New MailAttachment(lstAttachment.Items(Counter))
'Add it to the mail message
Mailmsg.Attachments.Add(Attachment)
Next
'Mail Body
Mailmsg.Body = txtMessage.Text
'Call the send method to send the mail
obj.Send(Mailmsg)
This application is now ready to run, try it.
