API & SDK: Visendo Fax Server - Developer Information

Visendo Fax Server SDK

Some of our customers use our software developers kit (SDK) which includes documentation and sample code for each API. Download the SDK documentation and contact us for the SDK or further details about the Fax Server.

Sending faxes automatically and manually

There are several possibilities to send faxes with Visendo Fax Server. However there are, naturally, also certain basic conditions:

Technical requirements: You either need a modem or a ISDN card, MSXML and naturally the Visendo Fax Server software

Fax job requirements

Fax file

The server expects the name for the fax in the queue in a 260-Byte float.
This name must be in a special format like this:
Job_<user name>_<delivery date time>_<random number>.[tif/jpg/bmp/pcx/txt/sff]

<user name>: You can select any user name, normally the user announced at the system.
<delivery date time>: the exact date and the time in this format: dd_mm_yyyy_hh_mm_ss
<random number>: a coincidental ID for the fax

After the file name the Visendo Fax Server socket expects the data in a 4096 byte float. You can send all supported file formats. The data will be immediately stored in the output queue. However the Visendo Fax Server cannot send faxes without a *.job file. Terminate the connection now and reboot it in order to transfer the *.job file.

Job file:

If the new connection has been set please send the file name for the *.job file in this format:

Job__<user name>_<delivery date time>_<random number>.job

<user name>, <delivery date time> and <random number> must have the same values as the fax file.
Note: Here has to stand a second underline _ after "job".
After the file name the Visendo Fax Server socket expects the data for the job file in a 4096 byte float. Contents should look as follows:

<random number> <user name> <confirmation email> <fax number> <date> <time> <repetitions>1 fax in the queue<file name>

<random number>: The same coincidence ID as in the file name

<user name>: the same NT account name

<confirmation email>: Visendo Fax Server sends an email to this address, whether sending was successful, or not.

<fax number>: receiver fax number

<date>: date format: dd_mm_yyyy

<time>: time format: hh_mm_ss

<repetitions>: normally 3

<file name>: File name of the fax, which was sent with the first connection.

Note: Write everything in a line. The job file contains only this one line.

After the connection was closed, Visendo Fax Server tries to send the fax.

Faxes can be sent over:

TCP Connection Server

POP3 Account

COM + Fax Connector

Server Side Fax Job Generator

TCP Connection Server

With this method there are two clients, with which faxes can be sent:

1. with the actual client Visendo Fax Printer Driver
2. with the individual client who sends faxes over the TCP socket

Visendo Fax Printer Driver

This Client will also be subdivided likewise again in two different methods:

Faxes can be sent on the one hand over the MS Word Visendo Fax Macro

or over an individual Printing Framework Connection .

- MS Word Visendo Fax Macro

With this solution you can easily send a serial fax with Word:

1. Subsequently, you only have to start the serial fax in the menu border under Visendo Fax Server.

- Automatic sending from faxes with the Visendo Fax Printer (without print dialogue)

1. Provide a faxserial.xml in the fax printer. File in user profiles application data.
(C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\{user}\Anwendungsdaten\Visendo Fax Printer)

<Fax serial>
<Delivery Time>22.11.2005 16:39:30</DeliveryTime>
<EmailAddress>user@domain.de</EmailAddress>
<Retrys>2</Retrys>
<FaxNr>30</FaxNr>
</Fax serial>

2. Send the document with the Visendo Fax Printer

Sending faxes with the Visendo Fax Server over TCP socket clients

Do you need an online fax? Do you want to send a fax automatically from your intranet to customers or business partners? Here you can find the solution; Visendo Fax Server is the simpliest way of sending faxes fast and economically.
You do not have to use (D)COM interface; You can also use the inserted TCP socket and Visendo Fax Server will also send faxes in such a way directly from your application. Visendo Fax Server does not have to be installed on your Web server, a completely normal workstation is sufficient. You can route your fax with the help of the TCP socket directly into the outgoing queue.

The only important thing is that you send your fax in a correct format to the TCP socket. See above...
Visendo Fax Server saves the received data in the queue until was sent. If the format has an error or is incomplete nor Visendo Fax Server can send your fax. The standard port for the TCP socket is 1111, but you naturally also can change the port in the Visendo Fax Server admin.
The first step is that you are connected to the server by a specific.
Note: They must open a new connection for each file, which you want to send to the server.

POP3 Account

With this method the current client Mail 2 Fax can be used

COM + Fax Connector

With this method there are again two clients, with which faxes can be sent:

• with the actual Visendo Fax Web Client

• with the individual client, which sends faxes on a web page - DCOM

Methods syntax of the Visendo Fax Server component
InitConnection-method

FaxSvr.InitConnection FileExtension As String, Username As String, DeliveryTime As String

SendFile-method

FaxSvr.SendFile( FileBuffer )

Send-method

Return As Bool = FaxSvr.Send(FaxNr As String, Email As String, Username As String, DeliveryTime As String, NumberofRetries As Long, FileExtension As String

EndConnection-method

FaxSvr.EndConnection()

Sending faxes on a web page - DCOM

On some web pages you can find a fax feature. That is, you can usually enter a text and send this text as fax to a certain number. Some of this web pages even offer a service, with which you can send pictures as fax. With the help of a new product now everyone can build such a fax service into his Website.

The fax functionality is provided by the product Visendo Fax Server of the company ppedv , which is freely available as beta version for a short time. Here is the link.

Requisites:
See above.

This software already contains a functional WebClient, with which you can fax. This will only be installed if you installed IIS. In a subdirectory of Visendo Fax Server an ASP side named faxsender.asp is located. This side contains field validations, upload and fax function.

In the following article it was already discussed, how you can accomplish an upload.

The fax feature:
In this article we only want to concentrate on the fax function itself. I will show here a short hardcoded example, how you can send a fax with ASP. Naturally the fixed registered values in the example should be inserted dynamically over a form. Here is the pure functionality:

<%@ Language=VBScript %>
<%
const C_lBUFFERSIZE = 4096 , maximale BufferSize
on error resume next Fax Komponente instantiieren
set FaxSvr = Server.CreateObject("FaxServer.FaxServer")
, Verbindung herstellen
FaxSvr.InitConnection cstr("jpg"), cstr("DemoUser"), cstr(time())

, Datei als Binar-Stream an FaxServer Komponente ubergeben!
, Die FaxSvr-Komp. kann nur einen maximalen Buffer von 4096 Bytes lesen
set st = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Stream")
st.Type = 1
st.Open
st.LoadFromFile Server.MapPath("./images/ppedv1.jpg")
st.Position = 0
do until st.EOS
, Buffer senden
FaxSvr.SendFile st.Read(C_lBUFFERSIZE)
loop
set st = nothing

, Fax beschreiben
x = FaxSvr.Send(cstr("44"), _
cstr("bernharde@ppedv.de "), cstr("DemoUser"), _
cstr(time()), clng("3"), cstr("jpg"))

, Verbindung beenden
FaxSvr.EndConnection()
set FaxSvr = Nothing

, Check ob Fax senden erfolgreich
if err.number = 0 then
sMsg = "Fax gesendet."
else
sMsg = "Fax senden fehlgeschlagen."
end if
on error goto 0

Response.Write sMsg
%>

Notes:
*UserID = The current announced user--> can also be implemented over an ASP based login.
*ADODB.Stream = This Object gives ASP the possibility to handle data fully binary.
*sFileExt = Valid formats in the beta version are: jpg, bmp, tif, sff, txt, pcx.

TIP!
The faxes already sent will be stored in a access database, these you can also indicate with each ASP side. Look for the file sentfaxes.asp.