CheckMail Docklet for ObjectDock

September 21, 2008

I think I will include OpenSSL as an static link, so it would not be necessary to download anything else.. it will just increase the size of the docklet download a bit... (I believe it's about 200K or a bit more).

I have 3 questions regarding this promising docklet. 1: is it compatible with hotmail accounts like msn & live, also is it compatible with yahoo accounts. 2: Does it work with rocketdock. and lastly 3 can u rename its title, like say if its deafult was Email docklet can u change it to Mail?

September 21, 2008

1 & 2. I really do not know, the docklet will work with any POP3 enabled server (I have been testing with Gmail whose POP3 support requieres SSL to work), I do not know about MSN, Live & yahoo... but if they are POP3 enabled they should work.... if they need SSL I hope next week that shoudl work too....

from live mail docs...

POP Server: pop3.live.com

Security: This server requires a secure connection (SSL)

Port: Default SSL Port 995

from yahoo mail docs...

From the Tools menu, choose "Accounts."
Select the "Mail" tab.
Click the "Add" button.
From the Add menu, click "Mail."
In the text box labeled Display Name, type your name and click "Next."
In the Email Address box, type your Yahoo! Mail address (be sure to include "@yahoo.com") and click "Next."
Under "My incoming mail server is a…" select "POP3."
Type "plus.pop.mail.yahoo.com" in the Incoming Mail (POP3, IMAP, or HTTP) Server box.
Type "plus.smtp.mail.yahoo.com" in the Outgoing Mail (SMTP) Server box.
Click "Next."
In the Account Name box, type your Yahoo! Mail ID (your email address without the "@yahoo.com").
In the Password box, type your Yahoo! Mail password.
If you want Outlook Express to remember your password, check the "Remember password" box.
Do not check the boxes labeled "Log on using Secure…"
Click "Next."
Click "Finish."
Select 'plus.pop.mail.yahoo.com' under 'Account,' and click 'Properties.'
Click the “Servers” tab.
Under “Outgoing Mail Server” check the box next to “My server requires authentication”
Click the 'Advanced' tab.
Under “Outgoing mail Server (SMTP)”, check the box next to “This server requires a secure connection (SSL). Enter port number “465” in the “Outgoing mail (SMTP)” field.
Under “Incoming mail (POP3)”, check the box next to “This server requires a secure connection (SSL)". The port number in the “Incoming mail (POP3)" field should automatically change from 110 to 995. If it doesn’t, make sure the port number is set to 995.

So it seems that they all require SSL support to be able to access your mail (thus the STAT's) needed by the docklet.

I will be posting next week with an updated version which supports SSL (hopefully)

3. You are absolutly right... changed... in the next update that will be fixed.

I have 3 questions regarding this promising docklet. 1: is it compatible with hotmail accounts like msn & live, also is it compatible with yahoo accounts. 2: Does it work with rocketdock. and lastly 3 can u rename its title, like say if its deafult was Email docklet can u change it to Mail?

September 21, 2008

1 & 2. I really do not know, the docklet will work with any POP3 enabled server (I have been testing with Gmail whose POP3 support requieres SSL to work), I do not know about MSN, Live & yahoo... but if they are POP3 enabled they should work.... if they need SSL I hope next week that shoudl work too....

from live mail docs...

POP Server: pop3.live.com
Security: This server requires a secure connection (SSL)
Port: Default SSL Port 995

from yahoo mail docs...
From the Tools menu, choose "Accounts."
Select the "Mail" tab.
Click the "Add" button.
From the Add menu, click "Mail."
In the text box labeled Display Name, type your name and click "Next."
In the Email Address box, type your Yahoo! Mail address (be sure to include "@yahoo.com") and click "Next."
Under "My incoming mail server is a…" select "POP3."
Type "plus.pop.mail.yahoo.com" in the Incoming Mail (POP3, IMAP, or HTTP) Server box.
Type "plus.smtp.mail.yahoo.com" in the Outgoing Mail (SMTP) Server box.
Click "Next."
In the Account Name box, type your Yahoo! Mail ID (your email address without the "@yahoo.com").
In the Password box, type your Yahoo! Mail password.
If you want Outlook Express to remember your password, check the "Remember password" box.
Do not check the boxes labeled "Log on using Secure…"
Click "Next."
Click "Finish."
Select 'plus.pop.mail.yahoo.com' under 'Account,' and click 'Properties.'
Click the “Servers” tab.
Under “Outgoing Mail Server” check the box next to “My server requires authentication”
Click the 'Advanced' tab.
Under “Outgoing mail Server (SMTP)”, check the box next to “This server requires a secure connection (SSL). Enter port number “465” in the “Outgoing mail (SMTP)” field.
Under “Incoming mail (POP3)”, check the box next to “This server requires a secure connection (SSL)". The port number in the “Incoming mail (POP3)" field should automatically change from 110 to 995. If it doesn’t, make sure the port number is set to 995.
So it seems that they all require SSL support to be able to access your mail (thus the STAT's) needed by the docklet.

I will be posting next week with an updated version which supports SSL (hopefully)

3. You are absolutly right... changed... in the next update that will be fixed.

alright thnx for the info

September 21, 2008

Ok, I have updated the docklet... it now supports checking SSL enabled pop servers. I have tested with my Gmail account and it worked.

Please test it out with your gmail, msn, live & yahoo mail accounts and send me your feedback.

BTW, there is no need to install OpenSSL libraries separatedly since I included them statically linked to the dll (the Docklet size is still manageable ~800K)

September 22, 2008

Ok, I have updated the docklet... it now supports checking SSL enabled pop servers. I have tested with my Gmail account and it worked.

Please test it out with your gmail, msn, live & yahoo mail accounts and send me your feedback.

BTW, there is no need to install OpenSSL libraries separatedly since I included them statically linked to the dll (the Docklet size is still manageable ~800K)

ok umm like it doesnt say i have new mail when i do. and like how do i find the info for msn and yahoo mail severs? the docklets name changes to No mails, we can obviusly tell if there no notify icon saying something like that so try to make just say the label name. oh and also if you know how, try to make the docklet react to the docks effects like bounce or its indicator for the app the docklet uses to check for mail like say Windows Live Mail or even Thunderbird.

Please reply back, I will most likely give u the most feedback to help u create ur docklet.

Thnx

September 22, 2008

I found the info for mail servers doing a "POP3 msn/yahoo mail" search... that was the way I found the info I posted before.

Are you testing with a gmail account? That's what I have and the one I used for testing POP3 via SSL.

Do a "check mail now" from the context menu and keep the docklet focused... so it may show what was the last status... or, if there is a "-1" shown at the upper red dot, then the docklet label should show the latest outcome (like unable to login, unable to connect, etc.)

I did not get the last part... "try to make the docklet react to the docks effects like bounce or its indicator for the app the docklet uses to check for mail like say Windows Live Mail or even Thunderbird" what did you mean?

ok umm like it doesnt say i have new mail when i do. and like how do i find the info for msn and yahoo mail severs? the docklets name changes to No mails, we can obviusly tell if there no notify icon saying something like that so try to make just say the label name. oh and also if you know how, try to make the docklet react to the docks effects like bounce or its indicator for the app the docklet uses to check for mail like say Windows Live Mail or even Thunderbird.

Please reply back, I will most likely give u the most feedback to help u create ur docklet.

Thnx

September 22, 2008

After searching through MSN Live Mail help I found that in order to access Hotmail through POP3 you should have a paid account.

Does anyone out there with a paid account tried my docklet?

September 22, 2008

I created a yahoo mail account and tested it with my docklet... it worked just fine.

You need to enable POP3 access from the "Options" and configure an account with the following parameters:

mail server (POP3): pop.mail.yahoo.com

Use SSL

Port: 995

username: yourusername@yahoo.com

September 22, 2008

Working perfect in Objectdock Plus, RocketDock and it will retrieve mail count in RKLauncher. It seems the problem with RK and your docklets is animation. If you contact Matonga here on the forums he may know what the problem is, he developed the stack docklet to run on all three docks.

September 22, 2008

I created a yahoo mail account and tested it with my docklet... it worked just fine.
You need to enable POP3 access from the "Options" and configure an account with the following parameters:

My Yahoo account says I need to upgrade to Mail Plus which is a payed service to use pop? I think in the US you have to pay for the service.

September 22, 2008

Well... at least from Mexico it is free... but Windows live mail is not... but if you have a POP3 SSL enabled account it should work (at least it did here with the free ones).

My Yahoo account says I need to upgrade to Mail Plus which is a payed service to use pop? I think in the US you have to pay for the service.

September 22, 2008

If there is any info out there on how to check MSN & Yahoo without POP3 I could analize it and check if I could integrate that to the docklet... right now I am a bit busy to research on that... if anyone has links or some other docs I would gladly try to incorporate other means to access the mail.

September 22, 2008

I have just downloaded the latest nightly build of RK and so far I have found no issues with three docklets:

+ DigitalClock

+ UpTime

+ CheckMail (yes the animation worked here)

It's kind a late here so I will continue testing during the week... but a few weeks ago I testes a bit with the 0.4 release an it failed... but the 0.41 Beta build 282 apparently is working better.

Working perfect in Objectdock Plus, RocketDock and it will retrieve mail count in RKLauncher. It seems the problem with RK and your docklets is animation. If you contact Matonga here on the forums he may know what the problem is, he developed the stack docklet to run on all three docks.

September 22, 2008

I will have to try that build, thanks. I'm using build 236

September 22, 2008

I have a problem with gMail, the numbers dont add up. I have 3 accounts and after adding the last one I noticed a error. The count number says I have 780 mails but that account only has a total of 176 it has never had that many. I then checked my other accounts with the same outcome the number displayed does not match the total in the account or the unread number or anything else.

One account has this...

Inbox=1917

Stared=75

Sent Mail=261

Drafts=4

All Mail=2043

Spam=1477

Trash=0

The docklet says I have 101 for this account, where are the numbers coming from?

September 22, 2008

Yes, I noticed the same problem... but I have debugged the code and the gmail server is actually retrieving that many mails (in my case 334 when I only have about a 100 mails).

I have not found a pattern (as if it were retrieving twice the real number or something like it).... I did not have time to test POP access via Outlook or another POP3 mail reader to see if the problem occurs there too... did you tested that out? All I can say is that those are the numbers that are being returned by the mail server.... I do not think that it could be because of a ecription issue since the very same code worked fine (that is reported the accurate number of mails) for the yahoo mail account (since I created it yesterday I had only 1 mail there) and the docklet reported it fine.

If I do not find a reason I will contact gmail support and ask if I should do something additional.

And for answering your question... the number comes from the first parameter returned by the sever upon a POP3 STAT message (from RFC 1939):

STAT

		 Arguments: none

		 Restrictions:
			 may only be given in the TRANSACTION state

		 Discussion:
			 The POP3 server issues a positive response with a line
			 containing information for the maildrop.  This line is
			 called a "drop listing" for that maildrop.

			 In order to simplify parsing, all POP3 servers are
			 required to use a certain format for drop listings.  The
			 positive response consists of "+OK" followed by a single
			 space, the number of messages in the maildrop, a single
			 space, and the size of the maildrop in octets.  This memo
			 makes no requirement on what follows the maildrop size.
			 Minimal implementations should just end that line of the
			 response with a CRLF pair.  More advanced implementations
			 may include other information.

				NOTE: This memo STRONGLY discourages implementations
				from supplying additional information in the drop
				listing.  Other, optional, facilities are discussed
				later on which permit the client to parse the messages
				in the maildrop.

			 Note that messages marked as deleted are not counted in
			 either total.

		 Possible Responses:
			 +OK nn mm

		 Examples:
			 C: STAT
			 S: +OK 2 320

I have a problem with gMail, the numbers dont add up. I have 3 accounts and after adding the last one I noticed a error. The count number says I have 780 mails but that account only has a total of 176 it has never had that many. I then checked my other accounts with the same outcome the number displayed does not match the total in the account or the unread number or anything else.
One account has this...
Inbox=1917
Stared=75
Sent Mail=261
Drafts=4
All Mail=2043
Spam=1477
Trash=0
The docklet says I have 101 for this account, where are the numbers coming from?

September 22, 2008

as if it were retrieving twice the real number or something like it

In my case it for one account it reports less than what I have and in another it reports more than what I have. I use Outlook 2007 and it works fine there.

September 22, 2008

Ok I went to my gmail account and changed the pop setting to ...

Enable POP for mail that arrives from now on

and then sent myself a test message and it is showing correct although it is not reading unread but total.

September 22, 2008

the docklet counter showme the total mails in the inbox, its possible to show only the unread emails?

thanks

September 23, 2008

I created a yahoo mail account and tested it with my docklet... it worked just fine.
You need to enable POP3 access from the "Options" and configure an account with the following parameters:

mail server (POP3): pop.mail.yahoo.com

Use SSL

Port: 995

username: yourusername@yahoo.com

Thankyou for the info for the yahoo mail settings but I also have a bit more request since me and Ghostwalker will most likely be ur main feedback guys. Okay before any request I pay for MSN Premium which comes with hotmail and its MSN Browser plus email, so I have a paid MSN Hotmail account I just need info on how to set it up so please help me on that. And ghostwalker has said this earlier when the docklet says how many emails there are it counts up the total amount not the unread so u gotta fix that.

Now for the request:

1 when there is no mails to be read the docklet title says "No mails" but remember how I asked to add the ability to change the label well if theres no badge with a number displaying emails then theres no point of the title saying No mails so just get rid of that all together.

2: if there is new messages make the docklet count up all the total emails combined from all the accounts configured in the docklet and let the label say " # Unread Messages " that waay it will be easier for the user to tell how there is plus with the badge giving the user assurance.

3: When u right click on the docklet theres the obvious context menu, so this deals with request 2, add menu items saying the email Configured Name saying total unread messages to understand which is the one with the most unread mail. An example is below: Docklet Settings

Check Mail Now

About CheckMail Docklet

-------------------- [<-- add a separation line]

"Yahoo! Mail" has # unread messages

"Live" has # unread messages [use the users configured nickname for each email for the title of the menu items

[Make the items clickable which leads to request #4]

4: add per app settings to open each email address because not all email apps support every type of email accounts such as WindowsMail which doesn't support msn emails oddly. So in the first window when u rightclick configure docklet there should be at the bottom where the add default email program would be, add a checkbox saying use this as the deafult Email app. Then another check box saying "use per email application settings". What I mean by per app setting is when u add or configure the email the docklet watches over, add another box saying use per app setting and underneath it will be a dulled out box then next to the box patch put a button to find a specific app or Http URL if u dont have an app to launch that when u select that certain mail from the context menu.

This is alot to process so ask any questions about my request here are images of what I mean to explain.

Image Requset 4 explains the first half of request 4 request 4.5 explains the other half.

Remember if any questions or suggestions notify me by email which is shown on my DA account. The link to my DA account is in my sig.

September 23, 2008

The last few hour I have been testing my gmail account where I had about 200 mails. As I mentioned earlier, for some reason, Gmail reported 334 mails, altough loggin directly to it listed no more than 220... problem is that that is the information that is being returned by the gmail server.

Just for the sake of completeness... I configured Windows Live Mail (which I do not use as my regular email reader app - so it was not configured at all) to actually download the email via POP+SSL. When I first clicked on "send & receive" I got it to download the (a year plus) mails to my computer... but to my surprise, initially the dialog reported 334 mails left, after waiting half an hour, I noticed that the progressbar completed at about 220 messages... after which it simply ended susccessfully.

Well, the bottom line is that after cleaning my account by downloading all the received emails, there were only 222 of them... even though both the docklet & Windows Live Mail initially reported 334. After this, I rechecked mail using the docklet and it reported 0 mails accurately.

It seems to me that gmail is not reporting accurately it's mail count, but I think this should be further tested... unfortunately my account is empty now, so I will simply monitor if from now on it reports the correct number of mail.

As you can see, there is nearly nothing I can do about it, I even tried with the LIST command to actually retrieve the number of mails by listing each one and saving the count, but before emptying my gmail account that too reported 334 mails (which of course did not existed).

I think that if you could test as I did maybe you can help us find if it really a problem with gmail.

September 23, 2008

mvosx1094,

On the MSN configuration issue, I am afraid I can not help you, I do not have a paid service for a MSN Live/hotmail. All I have is a plain free acount which the help states that it does not support SSL, nor does it disclose the required parameters. Sorry for that, but I really have no use for a hotmail account (I just registered one for the sake of testing the docklet), so paying for it is not an option for me.

Now on your suggestions...

1. I have still not understand what you would like for the label to show... currently after checking the mail the docklet shows a summarized count of all the mails available (more on this later) among all configured (and activated) accounts. If you click on the number, then the label will cycle through all the configured accounts showing either the number of mails found at that account or the last result of the check (like "Not Checked" if the account is not active, or "Not able to login", "Not able to connect", or some other error messages that could have occurred during the account mail check. I decided to show no mails because No mails is not the same as an error, in that case the docklet shows "0" at the red dot.

2. That's what the docklet currently does (unless you click the dot and then it shows the number of mails at a particular account). One thing I would like to mention here is that the number of mails is not really Unread messages, it's merely the number of mails available reported back by the mail server at the configured maildrop. It would be unread messages only when your mail client is configured to download & erase the message from the server, if it is not, then that number will continue growing unless you manually delete the mesages at the server or download them to your mail client (configurying it to clear them). So, in many cases (as in my case where I access my account both at home and at work, I have configured my home email reader to keep a copy at the server, whereas my office computer does actually delete them). I believe that the term "unread" message is not accurate at all.

3. I thought about that, but I decided not to go with something like that because it could "clutter" the context menu... I would reconsider if I get more feedback asking for such a feature.

4. This is something I agree that might be useful... I too have accounts which are accessed using different mail readers (I even have some of them thar are only accessed through the browser)... what made me not to do it in the first place was that it might get cumbersome to configure... look what if I have a single app to access three of my accounts (like outlook), and another two which are accessed via web... then if I have configured a "per account" setting, then it would open three times outlook (I know outlook prevents multiple instances opened at the same time... but you get what I mean) when only one is needed... since certainly outlook would be configured to download mail from all the three accounts. Again, this one would not be too difficult to implement... if you consider the possible pitfalls.

Thankyou for the info for the yahoo mail settings but I also have a bit more request since me and Ghostwalker will most likely be ur main feedback guys. Okay before any request I pay for MSN Premium which comes with hotmail and its MSN Browser plus email, so I have a paid MSN Hotmail account I just need info on how to set it up so please help me on that. And ghostwalker has said this earlier when the docklet says how many emails there are it counts up the total amount not the unread so u gotta fix that.

Now for the request:

1 when there is no mails to be read the docklet title says "No mails" but remember how I asked to add the ability to change the label well if theres no badge with a number displaying emails then theres no point of the title saying No mails so just get rid of that all together.

2: if there is new messages make the docklet count up all the total emails combined from all the accounts configured in the docklet and let the label say " # Unread Messages " that waay it will be easier for the user to tell how there is plus with the badge giving the user assurance.

3: When u right click on the docklet theres the obvious context menu, so this deals with request 2, add menu items saying the email Configured Name saying total unread messages to understand which is the one with the most unread mail. An example is below: Docklet Settings
Check Mail Now
About CheckMail Docklet
-------------------- [<-- add a separation line]
"Yahoo! Mail" has # unread messages
"Live" has # unread messages [use the users configured nickname for each email for the title of the menu items
[Make the items clickable which leads to request #4]

4: add per app settings to open each email address because not all email apps support every type of email accounts such as WindowsMail which doesn't support msn emails oddly. So in the first window when u rightclick configure docklet there should be at the bottom where the add default email program would be, add a checkbox saying use this as the deafult Email app. Then another check box saying "use per email application settings". What I mean by per app setting is when u add or configure the email the docklet watches over, add another box saying use per app setting and underneath it will be a dulled out box then next to the box patch put a button to find a specific app or Http URL if u dont have an app to launch that when u select that certain mail from the context menu.

This is alot to process so ask any questions about my request here are images of what I mean to explain.

Image Requset 4 explains the first half of request 4 request 4.5 explains the other half.

Remember if any questions or suggestions notify me by email which is shown on my DA account. The link to my DA account is in my sig.

September 23, 2008

proenca,

Unfortunately no, there is no way the POP3 RFC spec would report on that... currently I am using an STAT command to retrieve the number of mails available at the account, the spec does not ask implementors to report anything but the total number of mails & the size in octlets (take a look at one of my previous posts).

Maybe if someone out there much more literate on the POP3 spec would yield some light on this... but it seems by looking at mail reader programs that this information is only available after downloading the mail... for web based apps... it seems to be the web app mail reader & not the POP3 server which keeps track on this numbers.

I think that tying to mimic that in the docklet would lend it to download all mail and keep a history of it, which would be overkill for a docklet app... but I am open to hear any idea.

the docklet counter showme the total mails in the inbox, its possible to show only the unread emails?

thanks

September 23, 2008

Sounds to me like you are right and it is a gmail problem.

September 23, 2008

mvosx1094,

On the MSN configuration issue, I am afraid I can not help you, I do not have a paid service for a MSN Live/hotmail. All I have is a plain free acount which the help states that it does not support SSL, nor does it disclose the required parameters. Sorry for that, but I really have no use for a hotmail account (I just registered one for the sake of testing the docklet), so paying for it is not an option for me.

Now on your suggestions...

1. I have still not understand what you would like for the label to show... currently after checking the mail the docklet shows a summarized count of all the mails available (more on this later) among all configured (and activated) accounts. If you click on the number, then the label will cycle through all the configured accounts showing either the number of mails found at that account or the last result of the check (like "Not Checked" if the account is not active, or "Not able to login", "Not able to connect", or some other error messages that could have occurred during the account mail check. I decided to show no mails because No mails is not the same as an error, in that case the docklet shows "0" at the red dot.

2. That's what the docklet currently does (unless you click the dot and then it shows the number of mails at a particular account). One thing I would like to mention here is that the number of mails is not really Unread messages, it's merely the number of mails available reported back by the mail server at the configured maildrop. It would be unread messages only when your mail client is configured to download & erase the message from the server, if it is not, then that number will continue growing unless you manually delete the mesages at the server or download them to your mail client (configurying it to clear them). So, in many cases (as in my case where I access my account both at home and at work, I have configured my home email reader to keep a copy at the server, whereas my office computer does actually delete them). I believe that the term "unread" message is not accurate at all.

3. I thought about that, but I decided not to go with something like that because it could "clutter" the context menu... I would reconsider if I get more feedback asking for such a feature.

4. This is something I agree that might be useful... I too have accounts which are accessed using different mail readers (I even have some of them thar are only accessed through the browser)... what made me not to do it in the first place was that it might get cumbersome to configure... look what if I have a single app to access three of my accounts (like outlook), and another two which are accessed via web... then if I have configured a "per account" setting, then it would open three times outlook (I know outlook prevents multiple instances opened at the same time... but you get what I mean) when only one is needed... since certainly outlook would be configured to download mail from all the three accounts. Again, this one would not be too difficult to implement... if you consider the possible pitfalls.

I was talking about my MSN because earlier u requested if someone has a paid MSN account well, I do.

1: wat i mean is if there is no new mails on the docklets dock label dont make it say No mails, just keep it at the configured name.

2: Thnx ffor the info ill feedback when my settings are corrected

3: It would help alot thats why I suggested it and if the user has more than 4 configured emails maybe do something like this:

-------------------sep line

Mail Accounts> [this would lead to a sub menu, like when u rightclick new]

Live

Yahoo!

G-Mail

4: Try to implement this feature and see where it takes us thats why I thought of this: when u clik on the docklet once it would open the dafault app i was talking about in my earlier post. When the circle appears add the feature to click on it and display the mail accounts in a menu and click on of them to just check that one not all of them. And/or the contextmenu would also be useful beacuse once u click the Mails nickname it would also just open that one.

reply forur thoughts on my thoughts

CheckMail Docklet for ObjectDock

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