NAME
dbformmail - write a shell script that will send e-mail to many people
SYNOPSIS
dbformmail [-m MECHANISM] format_file.txt
DESCRIPTION
Read a ``form mail'' message from the file FORMAT_FILE.TXT, filling in underscore-preceded column-names with data. Output a shell script which will send each message through some mail transport MECHANISM.
Do not use this program for evil or I will have to come over and have words with you.
Note that this program does NOT actually SEND the mail. It writes a shell script that will send the mail for you. I recommend you save it to a file, check it (one last time!), then run it with sh.
Unlike most Fsdb programs, this program does not output a FSDB file.
OPTIONS
- -m MECHANISM
-
Select the mail-sending mechanism: Mail, sendmail, mh. Defaults to "Mail".
Mail uses a Berkeley-style /usr/bin/Mail. Sendmail invokes /usr/bin/sendmail. Mh writes messages into the current directory, treating it as an mh-style mailbox (one message per file, with filesnames as sequential integrates).
This module also supports the standard fsdb options:
- -d
-
Enable debugging output.
- -i or --input InputSource
-
Read from InputSource, typically a file name, or
-
for standard input, or (if in Perl) a IO::Handle, Fsdb::IO or Fsdb::BoundedQueue objects. - -o or --output OutputDestination
-
Write to OutputDestination, typically a file name, or
-
for standard output, or (if in Perl) a IO::Handle, Fsdb::IO or Fsdb::BoundedQueue objects. - --autorun or --noautorun
-
By default, programs process automatically, but Fsdb::Filter objects in Perl do not run until you invoke the run() method. The
--(no)autorun
option controls that behavior within Perl. - --help
-
Show help.
- --man
-
Show full manual.
SAMPLE USAGE
Input:
#fsdb account passwd uid gid fullname homedir shell
johnh * 2274 134 John_Heidemann /home/johnh /bin/bash
greg * 2275 134 Greg_Johnson /home/greg /bin/bash
root * 0 0 Root /root /bin/bash
# this is a simple database
Sample form (in the file form.txt):
To: _account
From: the sysadmin <root>
Subject: time to change your password
Please change your password regularly.
Doesn't this message make you feel safer?
Command:
cat DATA/passwd.fsdb | dbformmail form.txt >outgoing.sh
Output (in outgoing.sh):
#!/bin/sh
sendmail 'johnh' <<'END'
To: johnh
From: the sysadmin <root>
Subject: time to change your password
Please change your password regularly.
Doesn't this message make you feel safer?
END
sendmail 'greg' <<'END'
(etc.)
And to send the mail, run
sh outgoing.sh
SEE ALSO
Fsdb.
CLASS FUNCTIONS
new
$filter = new Fsdb::Filter::dbformmail(@arguments);
Create a new dbformmail object, taking command-line arguments.
set_defaults
$filter->set_defaults();
Internal: set up defaults.
parse_options
$filter->parse_options(@ARGV);
Internal: parse command-line arguments.
setup
$filter->setup();
Internal: setup, parse headers.
run
$filter->run();
Internal: run over each rows.
finish
$filter->finish();
Internal: write trailer, but no trailer for us.
AUTHOR and COPYRIGHT
Copyright (C) 1991-2018 by John Heidemann <johnh@isi.edu>
This program is distributed under terms of the GNU general public license, version 2. See the file COPYING with the distribution for details.