Catalyst Internet Mail Control Preview
Version 4.0 Build 4000

The Catalyst Internet Mail control provides Internet e-mail services to applications, with the ability to compose, send and retrieve messages from a mail server. All functionality is provided by the single control, so there is no need to use multiple controls or write additional code to interface different components. The Internet Mail control uses the standard protocols for sending and retrieving messages and is desgined to work with a wide variety of servers. The control itself is based on the core networking and message handling code in our popular SocketTools toolkit, providing all of the features and flexibility of those components packaged in an ActiveX control with no external dependencies on third-party libraries. Included with the package is a comprehensive on-line help file, technical reference and example programs.

Minimum Requirements
Before you install the control, please be sure that your system meets the following minimum requirements. Note that the version number indicates the earliest release that is supported; a later release may also be used.

> Microsoft Windows 98
> Microsoft Windows ME
> Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP6
> Microsoft Windows 2000
> Microsoft Windows XP

If you have any questions about which version of the above products are installed, check the software documentation or contact your network or systems administrator. Note that Windows 95, Windows NT 3.51 and versions of Windows NT 4.0 prior to Service Pack 6 are not supported, however the control may function on those platforms.

The Internet Mail control is compatible with most languages which provide support for ActiveX or Component Object Model (COM) objects. Supported languages include Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 or later, Visual FoxPro 5.0 or later and Visual C++ 6.0 or later. Other languages such as Delphi and PowerBuilder also provide support for the use of ActiveX controls with their development tools. Scripting languages which support referencing or creating instances of COM objects can also use the control. Refer to the Initialize method in the technical reference for more information about using the control in a scripting environment.

Documentation
The online documentation for this control is provided both as an HTML Help file. Additional documentation is also provided in Microsoft Word format. Although the documentation is copyrighted, it may be freely copied and redistributed throughout your organization as needed. To view and print the Word document, you will need Microsoft Word 97 or a later version.

Installation
If the product was downloaded from the Catalyst website or other download site, it may be necessary to extract the files from an archive. Be sure to preserve the directory structure when performing the extraction. Locate the SETUP.EXE program and execute it to begin the installation. If the product was downloaded as a self-installing executable, simply run the program and the installation will begin automatically. If you are installing from CD-ROM, the installation should begin automatically when the disc is inserted. If it does not, select Run from the Start menu and enter the command d:\setup.exe using the appropriate drive letter for your CD-ROM and follow the instructions.

When the installation begins, you will be prompted to enter the name of a directory where documents and sample programs can be installed. If the directory does not exist, you can choose to have the setup utility create it for you.

Redistribution
It is recommended that applications which redistribute CSIMXCTL.OCX install the control in the Windows system directory, either \Windows\System or \Windows\System32 depending on the platform. The control should be installed as a shared component which could be potentially locked (in use by another application), and the installation software should ensure that it does not overwrite a later version of the control.

If the control is being installed manually on a system, it will need to be registered using the RegSvr32.exe utility. If the application returns an error that it was unable to load or create an instance of the control, the most likely cause is that it was not registered after it was installed.

Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows ME and Windows 98 SE support COM redirection, which enables an application to isolate the components that it uses, ensuring that the same version of the component which was used to build the application is loaded when the program is executed. To activate COM redirection, create an empty file named after the executable with a .local extension. For example, if the program is named MyApp.exe then an empty file named MyApp.exe.local should be created in the same directory as MyApp.exe. This binds the application to the local version of any components or libraries which are installed in the same directory as the application. When the component or library is loaded, Windows will first search the application's directory, and then uses the standard search rules for locating the file. Note that COM redirection is not supported on Windows 95 or Windows 98.

Technical Support
If you have a question about the Internet Mail control, first look in the product documentation or consult online help. You can also find additional information about updates and other technical information in the release notes included with the package.
The answers to a majority of questions can be found by searching our Knowledge Base, product specific FAQs, and licensing FAQ. Please take advantage of this readily available information prior to contacting support. We are better able to help you once you have familiarized yourself with our online support. If you have a specific question, we recommend that you check the Knowledge Base first, since many of the common problems that developers have encountered are answered there.

Catalyst is committed to providing high-quality technical support to developers using the Catalyst Internet Mail control. For the latest information about Catalyst and our products, including updates and troubleshooting tips, visit the support section of our website at www.catalyst.com/support.
Technical Newsgroups
The Catalyst Development public newsgroups are a resource for registered developers and product evaluators to post questions and comments, as well as share information with other users. When posting a technical question, please remember to review the Frequently Asked Questions for the product and search the newsgroups to make sure that your question hasn't already been answered. These newsgroups may be accessed using a standard newsreader client, or through a web interface.

To configure your newsreader, all you need to do is specify the name of our news server, which is news.catalyst.com. The public newsgroups do not require authentication, so no user name or password is required to post or read messages. One exception is the catalyst.public.announce group, which is a moderated, read-only group for product information and general announcements by the company.

If you prefer, you can also use the web interface to read, search and post messages. When posting a message, you must provide a name, a contact e-mail address and a subject for your message. Please remember that you should never post your product serial number to these public forums. If that information is required, you will be contacted directly by a technical support representative.

Catalyst Development Products
Catalyst is committed to providing the tools and component software that help developers meet the increasingly complex needs of their customers.
SocketTools is a collection of components for many of the popular Internet application protocols including FTP, SMTP, Telnet and HTTP. SocketTools is available in several Editions to meet the needs of most developers and to simplify Internet and intranet application development without sacrificing flexibility and power. The SocketTools Visual Edition consists of ActiveX components which can be used with a variety of programming languages, such as Visual Basic, Visual FoxPro and Visual C++. The SocketTools Library Edition consists of standard dynamic link libraries (DLLs) which can be used with virtually every Windows development environment. The SocketTools Enterprise Edition includes both ActiveX controls and DLLs, along with two development licenses and a priority technical support contract, all in one convenient package. For applications which require security features, Secure Editions of the SocketTools family of products are also available, enabling devlopers to easily add secure socket (SSL/TLS) support to their software.

SocketWrench is an Internet software development package which includes components that simplify Windows Sockets programming. The SocketWrench Secure Edition package includes ActiveX controls, standard dynamic link libraries (DLLs) and C++ class wrappers in the same package, along with example programs and comprehensive documentation. The SocketWrench Secure Edition components can be used to create both client and server applications, and supports secure sockets (SSL/TLS) connections. For professional developers, SocketWrench provides all of the features, documentation and technical support needed to develop complete Internet applications, without the complexities of learning the Windows Sockets API or working around the limitations of other Internet controls.

ActivePatch is a software development kit that enables developers to create their own updates in the form of a patch, and integrate the patch application process directly into their own software. Unlike other products, ActivePatch does not simply create incremental updates and re-package the files. It analyzes each file at the byte level, and determines the best method for updating the target file on the user's system. It is designed to work on both text and binary files of any type, including executables, libraries, data files and documents. ActivePatch can be used to create a patch of a single file, or can be used to create an update for a complete product, modifying existing files, removing files that are no longer needed and creating the new files that have been added.
Free evaluation copies, online documentation, and detailed information on all Catalyst products are available on our Web site at www.catalyst.com
Contact Information
To reach the Catalyst Development business offices, contact us at:

Catalyst Development Corporation
56925 Yucca Trail PMB 254
Yucca Valley, California 92284
Toll Free: | +1 800 776 3818
International: | +1 760 228-9653
Fax: | +1 760 369-1185
E-mail: | sales@catalyst.com

Last Updated: 09 November 2002
Copyright © 2002 Catalyst Development Corporation. All rights reserved.