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Hi folks, I have a task presented to me to try and find an email address in the body of an email.

I have started by using the _pop3 udf which seems good, but I am having trouble figuring out how to actually find the address in the string returned.

Currently I can get the string which is the body of the email, and I can find the initial text which dictates where the address will be, but I can't figure out how to grab the text from that point on up to the end of the line.

I obviously don't know how long the email address will be, and I only know an email address will have an @ symbol in it, I can't be sure of anything else about it.

In the email the address will be preceded by the text on the same line as follows:

Email Address: fred@joebloggs.com

Currently I am just using a StringInStr function to find the "Email Address: " bit, but I don't know how to then retrieve everything after that until either a whitespace character or the end of the line.

I would really appreciate any advice anybody could offer.

Thanks

Paul

Edited by twinturbosubaru
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Hi folks, I have a task presented to me to try and find an email address in the body of an email.

I have started by using the _pop3 udf which seems good, but I am having trouble figuring out how to actually find the address in the string returned.

Currently I can get the string which is the body of the email, and I can find the initial text which dictates where the address will be, but I can't figure out how to grab the text from that point on up to the end of the line.

I obviously don't know how long the email address will be, and I only know an email address will have an @ symbol in it, I can't be sure of anything else about it.

In the email the address will be preceded by the text on the same line as follows:

Email Address: fred@joebloggs.com

Currently I am just using a StringInStr function to find the "Email Address: " bit, but I don't know how to then retrieve everything after that until either a whitespace character or the end of the line.

I would really appreciate any advice anybody could offer.

Thanks

Paul

i think stringsplit($body, @cr & @lf & ':;., ') will get you along way.

Then all you have to do, is check each element in the array containing stringinstr($element, '@') for a valid username and domain.

Edited by Djarlo
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Thanks for the suggestion, I will give that a try !

Regards

Paul

Surely there will be better ways, but hey it works :-)

#Include <Array.au3>
$body = 'Forward email to email1@hotmail.com;email2@hotmail.com;email3@hotmail.com' & @CRLF & @CRLF
$body &= 'Hi im sending you this email to check a script, reply to me at:myemail@live.com.'& @CRLF & @CRLF
$body &= 'regards, the Queen of Britain'
MsgBox(64,'Body',$body)
$adresses = _adressesInBody($body)
_ArrayDisplay($adresses)

Func _adressesInBody($body)
    Local $i, $adress, $rc[1] = [0]
    $body = stringsplit($body, @cr & @lf & ':;, ')
    If @error Then Return SetError(1,0,0)
    For $i = 1 To $body[0]
        If StringInStr ($body[$i],'@') Then
            $adress = StringSplit($body[$i],'@',2)
            If UBound($adress) <> 2 Then ContinueLoop
            If $adress[0] = '' Then ContinueLoop
            If StringRight($adress[1],1) = '.' Then $adress[1] = StringReplace($adress[1],'.','',-1)
            If StringInStr($adress[1],'.') = 0 Then ContinueLoop
            If StringRight($body[$i],1) = '.' Then $body[$i] = StringReplace($body[$i],'.','',-1)
            If StringLeft($body[$i],1) = '.' Then $body[$i] = StringReplace($body[$i],'.','',1)
            $rc[0] = $rc[0] +1
            _ArrayAdd($rc, $body[$i])
        EndIf
    Next
    Return $rc
EndFunc

[Edit] to remove last char dot from domain before checking for dot

Edited by Djarlo
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twinturbosubaru,

You need to use a StringRegExp - which is not something you can pick up just like that! :P

Here is an example of an SRE working:

$sText = "blahblahblah" & @CRLF & _
         "Email Address: fred@joebloggs.com" & @CRLF & _
         "blahblahblah"

$aAddress = StringRegExp($sText, "(?U).*Address:\s(.*)\v.*", 1)

MsgBox(0, "Address", $aAddress[0])

It works liek this:

(?U)         - look for the smallest number of characters to match
.*Address:\s - look for any number of characters followed by "Address:" and a space
(.*)         - find the smallest number of characters before...(this is the bit we are looking for so it is in ()
\v.*         - an EOL followed by any number of characters

And as you can see it only finds one such string - the address itself. :)

If you post the sanitized text of an e-mail, we can refine the SRE further. :)

M23

Public_Domain.png.2d871819fcb9957cf44f4514551a2935.png Any of my own code posted anywhere on the forum is available for use by others without any restriction of any kind

Open spoiler to see my UDFs:

Spoiler

ArrayMultiColSort ---- Sort arrays on multiple columns
ChooseFileFolder ---- Single and multiple selections from specified path treeview listing
Date_Time_Convert -- Easily convert date/time formats, including the language used
ExtMsgBox --------- A highly customisable replacement for MsgBox
GUIExtender -------- Extend and retract multiple sections within a GUI
GUIFrame ---------- Subdivide GUIs into many adjustable frames
GUIListViewEx ------- Insert, delete, move, drag, sort, edit and colour ListView items
GUITreeViewEx ------ Check/clear parent and child checkboxes in a TreeView
Marquee ----------- Scrolling tickertape GUIs
NoFocusLines ------- Remove the dotted focus lines from buttons, sliders, radios and checkboxes
Notify ------------- Small notifications on the edge of the display
Scrollbars ----------Automatically sized scrollbars with a single command
StringSize ---------- Automatically size controls to fit text
Toast -------------- Small GUIs which pop out of the notification area

 

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Wow, that's impressive, that StringRegExp is certainly daunting, I have written a lot of stuff with this scripting language over the years and it's been fantastic, but it seems to just get better and better and more complicated :)

An example of an email is:

Daytime number: 12345678

Mobile number: 99883321

Email Address: fred.bloggs@gmail.com

Preferred Contact Time: 12:30PM

It's the email I have to pull out, but to add some minor complications, the next step I have to do is figure out if there isn't an email address, what is their phone number instead.....it never ends, but I figure if I can get the email one sorted that will get me well on the way to getting the phone number one sorted as well.

Thanks heaps for your help

Regards

Paul

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twinturbosubaru,

SREs are daunting at first, but well worth getting to grips with - if only to my amateurish level. :)

You could start here - a nice tutorial site. :)

Anyway - here is something for you to be getting on with:

;#cs
$sText = "Daytime number: 12345678" & @CRLF & _
         "Mobile number: 99883321" & @CRLF & _
         "Email Address: fred.bloggs@gmail.com" & @CRLF & _
         "Preferred Contact Time: 12:30PM"
;#ce
#cs
$sText = "Daytime number: 12345678" & @CRLF & _
         "Mobile number: 99883321" & @CRLF & _
         "Email Address:" & @CRLF & _
         "Preferred Contact Time: 12:30PM"
#ce
#cs
$sText = "Daytime number:" & @CRLF & _
         "Mobile number: 99883321" & @CRLF & _
         "Email Address:" & @CRLF & _
         "Preferred Contact Time: 12:30PM"
#ce
#cs
$sText = "Daytime number:" & @CRLF & _
         "Mobile number:" & @CRLF & _
         "Email Address:" & @CRLF & _
         "Preferred Contact Time: 12:30PM"
#ce

$aAddress = StringRegExp($sText, "(?i)(?U).*Address:\s(.*)\v.*", 1)

If Not $aAddress[0] Then

    $aDayNumber = StringRegExp($sText, "(?i)(?U).*?Daytime number:\s(.*)\v.*", 1)

    If Not $aDayNumber[0] Then

        $aMobNumber = StringRegExp($sText, "(?i)(?U).*?Mobile number:\s(.*)\v.*", 1)

        If Not $aMobNumber[0] Then

            MsgBox(0, "Ooops", "Nothing found")

        Else

            MsgBox(0, "Mobile No", $aMobNumber[0])

        EndIf

    Else

        MsgBox(0, "Day No", $aDayNumber[0])

    EndIf

Else

    MsgBox(0, "E-mail", $aAddress[0])

EndIf

Just get one of the texts uncommented and you can see what happens in the various cases - I leave it to you to decipher the SREs (you had a big clue last time and they are not very different!). :D

Djarlo,

Same goes for you - SREs are worth trying to get a handle on. :P

M23

Public_Domain.png.2d871819fcb9957cf44f4514551a2935.png Any of my own code posted anywhere on the forum is available for use by others without any restriction of any kind

Open spoiler to see my UDFs:

Spoiler

ArrayMultiColSort ---- Sort arrays on multiple columns
ChooseFileFolder ---- Single and multiple selections from specified path treeview listing
Date_Time_Convert -- Easily convert date/time formats, including the language used
ExtMsgBox --------- A highly customisable replacement for MsgBox
GUIExtender -------- Extend and retract multiple sections within a GUI
GUIFrame ---------- Subdivide GUIs into many adjustable frames
GUIListViewEx ------- Insert, delete, move, drag, sort, edit and colour ListView items
GUITreeViewEx ------ Check/clear parent and child checkboxes in a TreeView
Marquee ----------- Scrolling tickertape GUIs
NoFocusLines ------- Remove the dotted focus lines from buttons, sliders, radios and checkboxes
Notify ------------- Small notifications on the edge of the display
Scrollbars ----------Automatically sized scrollbars with a single command
StringSize ---------- Automatically size controls to fit text
Toast -------------- Small GUIs which pop out of the notification area

 

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Thanks for everybodys help, this is how I have ended up which works, sort of....

The code runs fine, but, when I use the $i variable when retrieving the pop3 message I get an error about "subscript used with non-array variable" and I'm not sure what I have done wrong.

If I simply put a number, like 1 or two in place of the $i in the function to retrieve the message it works perfectly.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I just can't figure it out....

; Connecting to POP3
_pop3Connect($MyPopServer, $MyLogin, $MyPasswd)
If @error Then
    MsgBox(16, "Error. Code " & @error, "Unable to connect to " & $MyPopServer)
    Exit
Else
    ConsoleWrite("Connected to server pop3 " & $MyPopServer & @CR)
EndIf

; Get total messages in mailbox
Local $sMessages = _Pop3Stat()
$Last = int($sMessages[1])
MsgBox(0, "Number of Messages", $Last & " Messages")

; Define first and last message numbers
$i2 = $Last + 1
$i = 1

Do
; Retrieve message and loop until last message number
$body = _Pop3Retr($i)
If Not @error Then
    $i = $i + 1
    $DaytimeNumber = StringRegExp($body, "(?U).*Daytime number:\s(.*)\v.*", 1)
    $aMobileNumber = StringRegExp($body, "(?U).*Mobile Number:\s(.*)\v.*", 1)
    $aEmailAddress = StringRegExp($body, "(?U).*Email Address:\s(.*)\v.*", 1)
    $aContactTime = StringRegExp($body, "(?U).*Preferred Contact Time:\s(.*)\v.*", 1)
    ConsoleWrite("Details: " & $DaytimeNumber[0] & @CR)
Else
    ConsoleWrite("Retr commande failed" & @CR)
    Exit
EndIf
; Exit loop when last message number
Until $i = $i2

; Closing connection
ConsoleWrite(_Pop3Quit() & @CRLF)
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Djarlo,

Same goes for you - SREs are worth trying to get a handle on. :)

M23

Thanks for the link, yes i see it get used allot.

And usually, using it, saves me a ton of code-writing, so i have used it in my scripts occasionally, copied from example scripts posted here related to what i whas working on.

But in all honesty i dont know what those lines exactly do lol. but ill keep trying to make sense out of it all :-p

I think i have been using Autoit for 3 years now and this is the only thing so far i haven't managed to get a grasp on yet. but i will get it sooner or later :)

Edited by Djarlo
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Thanks for everybodys help, this is how I have ended up which works, sort of....

The code runs fine, but, when I use the $i variable when retrieving the pop3 message I get an error about "subscript used with non-array variable" and I'm not sure what I have done wrong.

If I simply put a number, like 1 or two in place of the $i in the function to retrieve the message it works perfectly.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I just can't figure it out....

; Connecting to POP3
_pop3Connect($MyPopServer, $MyLogin, $MyPasswd)
If @error Then
    MsgBox(16, "Error. Code " & @error, "Unable to connect to " & $MyPopServer)
    Exit
Else
    ConsoleWrite("Connected to server pop3 " & $MyPopServer & @CR)
EndIf

; Get total messages in mailbox
Local $sMessages = _Pop3Stat()
$Last = int($sMessages[1])
MsgBox(0, "Number of Messages", $Last & " Messages")

; Define first and last message numbers
$i2 = $Last + 1
$i = 1

Do
; Retrieve message and loop until last message number
$body = _Pop3Retr($i)
If Not @error Then
    $i = $i + 1
    $DaytimeNumber = StringRegExp($body, "(?U).*Daytime number:\s(.*)\v.*", 1)
    $aMobileNumber = StringRegExp($body, "(?U).*Mobile Number:\s(.*)\v.*", 1)
    $aEmailAddress = StringRegExp($body, "(?U).*Email Address:\s(.*)\v.*", 1)
    $aContactTime = StringRegExp($body, "(?U).*Preferred Contact Time:\s(.*)\v.*", 1)
    ConsoleWrite("Details: " & $DaytimeNumber[0] & @CR)
Else
    ConsoleWrite("Retr commande failed" & @CR)
    Exit
EndIf
; Exit loop when last message number
Until $i = $i2

; Closing connection
ConsoleWrite(_Pop3Quit() & @CRLF)

if @error your $i doesnt increment, is it supposed to?

try:

; Connecting to POP3
_pop3Connect($MyPopServer, $MyLogin, $MyPasswd)
If @error Then
    MsgBox(16, "Error. Code " & @error, "Unable to connect to " & $MyPopServer)
    Exit
Else
    ConsoleWrite("Connected to server pop3 " & $MyPopServer & @CR)
EndIf

; Get total messages in mailbox
Local $sMessages = _Pop3Stat()
$Last = Int($sMessages[1])
MsgBox(0, "Number of Messages", $Last & " Messages")

; Define first and last message numbers
$i2 = $Last + 1

For $i = 1 To $i2
    ; Retrieve message and loop until last message number
    $body = _Pop3Retr($i)
    If Not @error Then
        $DaytimeNumber = StringRegExp($body, "(?U).*Daytime number:\s(.*)\v.*", 1)
        $aMobileNumber = StringRegExp($body, "(?U).*Mobile Number:\s(.*)\v.*", 1)
        $aEmailAddress = StringRegExp($body, "(?U).*Email Address:\s(.*)\v.*", 1)
        $aContactTime = StringRegExp($body, "(?U).*Preferred Contact Time:\s(.*)\v.*", 1)
        ConsoleWrite("Details: " & $DaytimeNumber[0] & @CR)
    Else
        ConsoleWrite("Retr commande failed" & @CR)
        Exit
    EndIf
    ; Exit loop when last message number
Next

; Closing connection
ConsoleWrite(_Pop3Quit() & @CRLF)

[Edit] also paste your error please so we know what variable.

[Edit2] check post below

Edited by Djarlo
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twinturbosubaru,

I do not use the PoP3 UDF so this is a shot in the dark, but I would suggest that the problem is the limits you set for the _Pop3Retr loop - you are obviously trying to read an email which is not there. :)

I would try something like this:

Local $sMessages = _Pop3Stat()
$Last = int($sMessages[1])
MsgBox(0, "Number of Messages", $Last & " Messages")

For $i = 1 To $Last
    $body = _Pop3Retr($i)
    ; Retrieve message and loop until last message number
    $body = _Pop3Retr($i)
    If Not @error Then
        ; SRE code
    Else
        Exit
    EndIf
Next

Now your loop will only run to the value in $Last and you should not overrun the number of e-mails waiting to be read. :)

Let me know if it works - I will try and find the PoP3 UDF and see if I have guessed correctly. :P

M23

Public_Domain.png.2d871819fcb9957cf44f4514551a2935.png Any of my own code posted anywhere on the forum is available for use by others without any restriction of any kind

Open spoiler to see my UDFs:

Spoiler

ArrayMultiColSort ---- Sort arrays on multiple columns
ChooseFileFolder ---- Single and multiple selections from specified path treeview listing
Date_Time_Convert -- Easily convert date/time formats, including the language used
ExtMsgBox --------- A highly customisable replacement for MsgBox
GUIExtender -------- Extend and retract multiple sections within a GUI
GUIFrame ---------- Subdivide GUIs into many adjustable frames
GUIListViewEx ------- Insert, delete, move, drag, sort, edit and colour ListView items
GUITreeViewEx ------ Check/clear parent and child checkboxes in a TreeView
Marquee ----------- Scrolling tickertape GUIs
NoFocusLines ------- Remove the dotted focus lines from buttons, sliders, radios and checkboxes
Notify ------------- Small notifications on the edge of the display
Scrollbars ----------Automatically sized scrollbars with a single command
StringSize ---------- Automatically size controls to fit text
Toast -------------- Small GUIs which pop out of the notification area

 

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OK, I tried that, this is what happens.

When I add this code to your piece of code, there is no error, but I get no result.

$DaytimeNumber = StringRegExp($body, "(?U).*Daytime number:\s(.*)\v.*", 1)
        ConsoleWrite("Details: " & $DaytimeNumber & @CR)

When the code looks like this, it errors out.

I think it has something to do with trying to use an array when it's a string or the other way round or something crazy.....

$DaytimeNumber = StringRegExp($body, "(?U).*Daytime number:\s(.*)\v.*", 1)
        ConsoleWrite("Details: " & $DaytimeNumber[0] & @CR)

The only difference is the ConsoleWrite, it should be an array element I would have thought, but that's what generates the error.

Regards

Paul

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Sorry, didn't see that request for the error:

C:\temp\POP3 Reader\pop3_reader4.au3 (36) : ==> Subscript used with non-Array variable.:

ConsoleWrite("Details: " & $DaytimeNumber[0] & @CR)

ConsoleWrite("Details: " & $DaytimeNumber^ ERROR

Line 36 is:

ConsoleWrite("Details: " & $DaytimeNumber[0] & @CR)

Regards

Paul

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Unfortunately I have tried that, when I don't put it as an array I don't get any results from the retrieval of the message details, and to then fix that I have to change the $i in the _Pop3Retr($i) to a physical number of the message, however I need to loop through all the messages to process them and if I set a static value here I can't do it then.

Regards

Paul

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twinturbosubaru,

You are correct - you are not getting an array returned from the SRE so AutoIt does not have an element to read. I would suggest that the format of the e-mail is not as suggested earlier and so the SRE is failing - you can check by looking for @error after the StringRegExp line. Could you please ConsoleWrite the body of one of them and post it - SREs are very sensitive to the pattern used and you do need to get it correct. :)

By the way, the SRE for the time should read as follows if the format is as previously posted:

$aContactTime = StringRegExp($sText, "(?U).*Preferred Contact Time:\s(.*)\z", 1)

I told you they were sensitive! :)

Djarlo,

Using the 1 flag with an SRE forces it to return an array. Please do not muddy the water! :P

M23

Edit: Typnig!

Edited by Melba23

Public_Domain.png.2d871819fcb9957cf44f4514551a2935.png Any of my own code posted anywhere on the forum is available for use by others without any restriction of any kind

Open spoiler to see my UDFs:

Spoiler

ArrayMultiColSort ---- Sort arrays on multiple columns
ChooseFileFolder ---- Single and multiple selections from specified path treeview listing
Date_Time_Convert -- Easily convert date/time formats, including the language used
ExtMsgBox --------- A highly customisable replacement for MsgBox
GUIExtender -------- Extend and retract multiple sections within a GUI
GUIFrame ---------- Subdivide GUIs into many adjustable frames
GUIListViewEx ------- Insert, delete, move, drag, sort, edit and colour ListView items
GUITreeViewEx ------ Check/clear parent and child checkboxes in a TreeView
Marquee ----------- Scrolling tickertape GUIs
NoFocusLines ------- Remove the dotted focus lines from buttons, sliders, radios and checkboxes
Notify ------------- Small notifications on the edge of the display
Scrollbars ----------Automatically sized scrollbars with a single command
StringSize ---------- Automatically size controls to fit text
Toast -------------- Small GUIs which pop out of the notification area

 

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Share on other sites

Mmmm, not sure I really understand what you are saying sorry.....but here is as much of the email as I can give you due to privacy reasons as it's an actual email.

Thanks a lot for your help.

Regards

Paul

Content-Type: text/plain;

charset="us-ascii"

Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Dear xxxxxxxxxxxx,

This is a lead alert email from xxxxxxxxxxxx. We have matched you with =

a customer with the following project information.

If you have any questions regarding this lead you can contact the =

xxxxx team on xxxxxxxxxxxx or via xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx

_________________________________________________________________________=

_____________

John Smith

Daytime number: 0444 111 222

Mobile number:=20

Email Address: myaddress@thedomain.com

Preferred Contact Time:=20

_________________________________________________________________________=

_____________

Job Details

Conveyancing at suburb21, state postcode

Buy / Sell - Sell - Dwelling - Under $1M

Primary reason for needing a conveyancer:Selling a property

Type of the property:Unit / Townhouse

Property location:

The property is:Investment Property

Approximate value of the property:$500,000 - $1 Million

Is the property Torrens or Strata title?:Strata Title

Start Timeframe:Immediately

Project Stage:Ready to hire a provider

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