Description
This Perl script wrapped in a shell script sends Aleph email notices from the 
server, rather than using the client print daemon.  Files are picked up from 
a library's print directory based on print ID, similar to print daemon 
functionality.  Leftover letters with no email address are left in the print 
directory, in XML format, with a new print ID, for client pick up.
    
Author: Christine Moulen
Additional author(s): Anthony Moulen
Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Year: 2009
License: MIT License
Short description: Use, modification and distribution of the code are 
permitted provided the copyright notice, list of conditions and disclaimer 
appear in all related material.

Link to terms: Detailed license terms http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php
    
Skill required for using this code:
intermediate

State
Stable

Solaris version was used through Aleph 19

Linux version tested with Aleph 19, 20 and 22

Programming language
Perl, C-shell

Software requirements
Perl 5.8 or higher

Solaris 9 Packages:
   libiconv-1.8-sol9-sparc-local
Perl Modules
   XML-NamespaceSupport-1.09
   XML-SAX-0.12
   XML-LibXML-Common-0.13
   XML-LibXML-1.56
   XML-LibXSLT-1.53
   MailTools-1.67
   MIME-Lite-3.01
   Email-Valid-0.15

Newer versions of these packages may work, but this is what I have installed 
and tested.

Still on Solaris 8?  See ProcessMail_Packages.txt.

Linux Perl Modules: (the others seem to be built in on RedHat)
   XML-LibXML (Use a version compatible with your OS libxslt.  In our case, we 
could not install the latest version of the Perl module.)
   XML-LibXSLT (Use a version compatible with your OS libxslt.  In our case, we
could not install the latest version of the Perl module.)
   MIME-Lite
   Email-Valid


Screen captures
N/A

Author(s) homepage
http://libraries.mit.edu

Download

Individual files (1.0 for Solaris)  
process_mail.pl ,   process_mail.sh ,   mit_env.csh ,   mit_opts.csh

All in one (including sample XSLT) (Solaris)  
 mail.tar

Individual files (2.0 for Linux)  
process_mail_2.pl , process_mail_2.sh ,  debug.config ,  mit_env.csh , 
mit_opts.csh 

All in one (including sample XSLT) (Linux) 
  mail_2.tar

Individual files (2.1 for Linux)  
process_mail_2.1.pl , process_mail_2.1.sh ,  debug.config ,  mit_env.csh , 
mit_opts.csh 

All in one (including sample XSLT) (Linux) 
  mail_2.1.tar


Working example
N/A

Using the following Ex Libris open interfaces
XML output of Aleph notice and letter jobs, such as p_cir_11, p_cir_13, p_acq_14

Changes
Version 1.0
May 6, 2009.  Initial posting to EL Commons.  Scripts have previously been 
shared with other customers

Version 2.0
February 15, 2011.  Initial posting of Linux version to EL Commons.  Scripts 
have previously been shared with other customers

Version 2.1
May 15, 2014. Incorporating some updates from Hans Breitenlohner at UMD.

 - use of <form-format> to select templates
 - modified parsing of filenames to handle multiple periods
 - ability to send a Cc: based on a configuration value.


Release notes

Developers Network 2.1
Slightly updated Linux version.  Scripts were updated to include some useful 
changes, noted above, by Hans Breitenlohner.  Also tested with Aleph version 22.
  No changes were needed specific to the Aleph version.

EL Commons 2.0
First Linux version.  Scripts were largely re-written in July 2010, moving 
configuration options out to a separate file.  It may no longer be necessary to 
edit the Perl script directly, unless local environmental changes are needed.  
Tested with Aleph 19 on RedHat 4, and Aleph 20 on RedHat 5.  Going into 
production use at MIT with Aleph 20 in March 2011.

Previous known issue of lingering empty log files is now handled.  Empty log 
files are deleted at the end of each run.

EL Commons 1.0
For those who have seen previous versions, this download includes handling to 
email output that Aleph did not output for email.  E.g. emailing hold slips to 
service desk staff.  Added January 2008.

Prior to EL Commons release
These scripts were originally written for Aleph version 16, and have been used 
successfully, with minor modification, with versions 18 and 19.



Installation instructions

These scripts assume the following placement of the files.  If you put them 
elsewhere, you may need to edit some pathnames within the scripts.  
[Solaris: /export/home becomes Linux: /home]

        /export/home/barton/mit_opts.csh
        /export/home/barton/mit_env.csh
        /export/home/barton/<version>/mail/process_mail.pl
        /export/home/barton/<version>/mail/process_mail.sh
        /export/home/barton/<version>/mail/transforms (all XSL files here, 
rather than in $data_root/form_lng)

        
        Localize any necessary paths in all scripts or config files
        Localize print ID's in the shell script.  For multi-ADM, add another 
dlib and invoke the Perl script again.
        Localize a number of variables at the top of the Perl script (1.0)
        Create a config file from the samples, one for each print ID to be 
handled. (2.0)


        As provided, the script is run from cron, or on demand from the command 
line, and has not been set up as an Aleph service.
        cd /export/home/barton/v19/mail
        (./process_mail.sh -v 19 >> log/process_mail.log) 2>log/process_mail.err

 

TO DO list

Known issues
The script produces empty error log files (assuming no errors) with each run.  
These ought to be cleaned up either immediately or periodically, but in an 
automated way.  (Version 1.0)


Comments
Emails are in a multipart MIME format, including both plain text and HTML 
parts.  It is up to the recipient's mail client preferences to display either 
the text or HTML version.

In the attached tar file are some sample XSL transforms.  We did a lot of 
cleanup of the XSL provided by Ex Libris, removing extraneous table tagging and 
the like.  Mainly, these helped the plain text format letters look better.

The funcs*.xsl files could be taken from Ex Libris' defaults if you don't 
like mine and don't want to write your own.  Just change the include path 
in individual XSL notices.

Notice that the other XSL files with familiar looking filenames only include 
the funcs for HTML or plain format, and then one of the transform*.xsl files.  
This makes it easy to maintain letters in both formats by editing just one 
file, the transform, when changes are needed.