Controlling Internet Explorer from Labview

[torekp]

So here's the deal. My mother-in-law is 70-something, and we got her an internet connection through AT&T. AT&T's website was designed by user-hostile people who like making you click 7 different buttons before you can actually read email. Each button is conveniently tiny and located in random locations within a very busy screen:

So, Labview can handle this, right? My first thought was ActiveX. I copied some ideas from another LAVA thread, and made it as far as an email-reading page that has lots of "scripts" rather than "forms". Did I mention that I don't understand the IE object model?

Here are my VIs so far, along with the source code for the pages I'm trying to navigate through. I would like to have Labview set it up so that as soon as her computer turns on, IE launches within Labview and goes to the email website and opens the most recent email. So far I've managed to log myself in (which I will change to her account once I've got everything working) and go to AT&T's first email page (i.e. the first of many you must visit before actually reading anything). That's it. I'm stuck.

It might be simpler to sign myself and her up for some free email (gmail?), so if you have ideas along that line, do tell. :worship: in advance to anyone who can solve this!

[TobyD]

QUOTE (torekp @ Jan 19 2009, 05:41 PM)

So here's the deal...

I'm not trying to disuade you from doing this in LabVIEW if that is what you really want to do, but have you looked into using an external email client like outlook express or thunderbird? AT&T should provide you with the POP3 and SMTP addresses to configure mail sending/receiving through any program you want to use. I am using outlook with my comcast and my hotmail accounts and previously had it all set up in outlook express. I think this would be the easiest route for you and your mother-in-law.

EDIT: From AT&T's site (this is for a dsl connection - if your connection is different just search their online help for email settings):

• E-mail Settings:
  • Mail Server Type: POP3
    
  • Incoming Mail (POP): ipostoffice.worldnet.att.net
    
  • Outgoing Mail (SMTP): imailhost.worldnet.att.net
    
  • Ensure that the option My server requires authentication is checked.
    
  • User name or POP name: Enter the full e-mail address in the User Name field. For example: example@att.net or example@worldnet.att.net
    
  • Ensure that the option Always connect to this account using is selected, and Local Area Network is chosen from the drop-down menu on the Connections tab.
    
  • Ensure that secure connection (SSL) is enabled and set to port number 465 for SMTP.
    
  • Ensure that secure connection (SSL) is enabled and set to port number 995 for POP3.
    

  [*]News Settings:

  • News Server (NNTP): inetnews.worldnet.att.net
    
  • Ensure that the option This server requires me to login is checked.
    
  • User name or POP name: Enter the full e-mail address in the User Name field. For example: example@att.net or example@worldnet.att.net
    
  • Ensure that the option Always connect to this account using is selected, and Local Area Network is chosen from the drop-down menu on the Connections tab.
    
  • Ensure that secure connection (SSL) is enabled and set to port number 563 for NNTP.
    

[torekp]

Thanks Toby, I'll try that.