This panel notifies about new e-mail messages (using POP3 or IMAP), without downloading them.
Originally requested by MerlinvS.


Version 2.2.1, Released August 18, 2005, Features:
- Fixed problem with multiple update-checker windows.
- Added Reset Counter option.

Version 2.2, Released June 27, 2005, Features:
- Implemented threading - the panel will no longer hang DS while downloading mail.
- Fixed critical bug with IMAP.
- This was already present in previous version, but I forgot to mention it: multi-lingual support. You're invited to translate the panel to your language.

Version 2.1.1, Released June 23, 2005, Features:
- FIXED: Setting "Display Icon" to false causes "Error" to be displayed.

Version 2.1, Released June 22, 2005, Features:
- The password is now encrypted in the settings file.
- Support for IMAP.
- Ability to backup and restore panel settings.

Small Update (No Version Change), Released June 8, 2005:
- The MailNotifier.dslang was missing in the latest package.
- The maximize button in the Panel Properties dialog was enabled by mistake.
PLEASE NOTE: Updated version is attached below, not in the Extenstion Exchange page. I'm having trouble editing it.

Version 2.0, Released June 7, 2005, Features:
- Supports SSL and TLS (using the Mentalis.org Security Library)! Can now be used with Gmail because of this.
- Now another text format option for when there's only one message.
- Manual refresh option in the context menu.
- (Developer oriented item) Now uses the DSPanelUtils library I am developing. Also, source code released as an example for using this lib.

Version 1.5, Released May 20, 2005, Features:
- Option to display an icon in the panel which is different if there is mail or not. The icon can be changed by the user.
- Displays the panel's text with special formatting when there is mail.
- Option to disable alerts.
- Ability to activate panel when new mail arrives.
- Ability to specify a custom e-mail client to launch on click.
- The panel's text is now customizable.
- Better error handling.

Version 1.0, Released May 19, 2005, Features:
- Retrieves number of mail messages from any POP3 server (without SSL).
- Ability to specify refresh interval.
- Shows alert whenever a new message is detected.
- On click, launches the default mail application.

Requirements:
- Tested on WinXP SP2, Desktop Sidebar version 1.05 build 90. Older operating systems will almost certainly be OK though, and Desktop Sidebar version 1.04 build 75 shouldn't cause any problems as well.
- Requires the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1.

Installation:
- Download the DSPACAKGE file from the Extension Exchange page.
- Open the file (double click it), preferably while Desktop Sidebar is running.

Have fun! Please post any questions or feedback regarding the panel in this forum thread.

Cool panel, good for if your email doesnt work in outlook!!

Is hotmail pop3? I cant find a Pop3 server address so I dont really know how to set it up lol.


Thanks for any help..


Frost

Uhmm yea whilst experimenting trying to resolve my last post I broke it. It froze DS when i clicked OK. and now it freezes DS when i start DS back up again. Is there any way i can get into what panels start up in DS without actually opening DS? I need to turn the panel off before i can turn it back on and experiment with it.

I just put in normal data
i think it was

mail.hotmail.com
my username and password
default port

Thanks a lot! hope you can help, i'm baffled!


Frost

I don't think hotmail is Pop3 (for free anyways). In any event, that is probably what is stalling the panel, a timeout error. I'm not really sure. You can get the panel out by closing DS, navigating to:
<homedrive>:\documents and settings\<username>\application data\desktop sidebar\plugins
and deleting the folder I guess called Mail Notifier (not sure, I haven't downloaded it yet). Once it is deleted, restart DS (to alert DS it is removed), close DS (update the settings file), open DS and reinstall the panel.

I don't know how it is with hotmail... but many german free-email providers doesn't acept that you log in every minute or every five... it's just possible to log in all 20 minutes or something like that ( if you dont want to get the mails throug the browser...)
so maybe it wouldn't work with hotmail at all?

Of course I can do that, i wasn't shure about where to post...

yes, the formatting should change to the special when a new mail arrives..

i think there are two possibilities when the special formatting schould / could change back:
the first, it changes back at the next request and there aren't any mails on the server
or the second when the Mail program is opened by clicking.
The best would be if you would add both ways and let them working together
would there be errors (mail program crashes befor downloading or mail program is opened throug another link just on a normal way, the status will change again at the next refresh...

I finished all the features you request, MerlinvS, except the formatting thing so I'll probably release v1.1 tomorrow.

I did it so on each update, if there's new mail then the panel will display the text with "special" formatting, otherwise normal formatting. "New" mail counts as "new" only in the first update cycle - after one update cycle that it's displayed as new it will already have the special formatting.
Did you mean this? Or perhaps you want that every time there's more than 0 messages on the server the panel will display special formatting? Ughh, this makes me dizzy.

I the most logical way is what I did...

Thanks for your feedback!

Hiya, thanks for the help, how do i update the settings file please?

Thanks a lot!

Frost

hey, its me again

Uhm, im sorry, iI don't understand anything you said, my english isn't the best, so i'll explain once again...

If the server got 0 mails, the panel is displayed normal,
If the server has got more tahan 0 mails the panel should be displayed special
On a click on the line mail program openes and the panel is displayed normal again.

So in this case it would allways show if there is a mail on the server, but i think, this will make problems for those woh don't download the mails on the computer but uses a web-mail-client.
hm, maybe it's possible to specify which type the user is using, and the preferences will change..? or let the user get absolutely control? but this would be had I thin, because we don't know on which time the panel should change to normal again...

Im using a mail program and I thionk most people who would use this panel do that, so my first suggestion (in this post) would be the best *think*

another question, is it possible to include Icons? 1 when no new mails, and one when there are new mails? I would make them for you (started already, changed a MSN "Lette") just give me the picture format you need, and the height / width of the icons you need... if you would add this..
I would like the Icon rigt in front of the Message... Displayed like
"[IC] 0 new messages." in one line so it still would be simple...

I Hope this isn't too much I want...

btw, I made/changed the Icons in Photoshop, you could get the file

edit: i forgotten to ask... Did you already upload the "new" panel?

I didn't upload it yet.
I now understand what you say, and will try to implement it.
Thanks for making the icons. You can send them to me and I'll put them in (with an option to not show them).

Nice panel BTW, you might want to use the E-mail icon from the free to use Icon Galore's icons: http://www.icongalore.com/ . That can be cool

Thanks yyy! Also thanks for the link to the icon.

EDIT: I think the icon I currently have is nicer. But thanks anyway.

Hey!

I got the original Icon from here:
http://pressecenter.msn.de/presseservice.aspx?seite=logos

I'll Upload both icons (new mail and the normal status) and my *.psd file.

The icons are saved as a transparent *.png file i don't know which format is the best for Icons, and how big they should be...

and maybe yours are better?

here they are...
edit: hm, too big to show them here I think


hm??
im not allowed to upload psd files?! I packaged it...

I actually need them much smaller. Nevermind, MerlinvS, I found icons. You will be able to change them yourself if you want.

ok, sounds perfect

Good work GoMa. Here are some other suggestions:

* Add ability to monitor more than one POP account.
* When you have 1 new message, make sure it says "message" instead of "messages"
* I didn't try it yet, but can you make it so that if it is in a stack, the notifier window comes to the front? Just like when the newsroom gets new feeds.
* If/when you can add more than one account, a way to name the accounts, organize them, etc. etc.

Great work...

Coult69

#1 + #4 - Do you think multiple accounts are necessary? Perhaps you could just use several instances of the panel... anyway I'll try adding this if I have time.
As for #2, it's already in the next version (probably be released today).
#3 - I'll add an option for that.

No problem Yes - the current panel's icon is also nice. I thought you might not have it big enough I would put it at the side of the panel like the Recycle Bin panel

I uploaded version 1.5 of this panel. Please check out the first post for more details. Hope it answers the requests of most of you.

Hey! looks really good!

if you still are working on it / want to get more suggestions just say it

But thanks for this Panel! I really like it!

I'm happy to hear that.

Of course your (and everybody's) feedback is always welcome! Please suggest only things you would use though... otherwise I'll just work for nothing.

This would be a little strange I think, why suggest something like that?

- as coult69 said yesterday there are differences in the text I would use when there is 1 message or when there are more messages, maybe another textfield would be to much but I would like it

- I already asked for that, I would like to format the strings for bold and irregular myselve, I would really use it

and as coult69 also said multiple accounts would be nice but I think it's ok to use more panels.

You can do this by editing the MailNotifier.dsskin that is in the panel's folder - could be in Program Files\Desktop Sidebar\plugins\MailNotifier (if you installed the panel for Everybody) or in Application Data\Desktop Sidebar\plugins\MailNotifier (if you installed the panel Just For Me). This dsskin file is a simple XML file which is similar to the main skin file. To edit the "special" formatting, edit the following lines:

As you can see, it currently only specifies that it should be bold and italic. You can change it and add other attributes like font size, text color, etc.
If you need help changing a specific formatting, don't hesitate to ask.


I'll add this option.

Ah, this is good!

good work!

edit:
Oh, I forgot to ask another thing Is it possible to force a mail-check? maybe a entry in the kontext menu "Check Now", this would be nice too.

I'll add this to my list too.

This is really nice.Good work GoMa and thanks!

Thanks! Happy to do my share to this wonderful community.

Like I asked in this post, is it possible to add SSL support to this panel? It would make me very happy!!

I'll investigate your request.

It would make me very happy too !!

Version 2.0 released. See first post for details.

GoMa, can I kiss you?? This is fantastic!!

It checks all my mail accounts, even my Gmail accounts, without a problem. You are great! Thank you for your valuable time

Is it just me or the panel doesn't install well? It shows a message that it isn'r signed (why didn't you singed it?) and after that I get a message that there's no language file (MailNotifier.dslang) - Actaully that's true, I checked the panel's directory and it's not there. After the panel shows up, it written MailNotifier.Refesh in the context menu - I don't think that is what it should write.

Can this be a problem or should I reinstall? (I've already reinstalled and I get the same problems, btw)

EDIT:
Sorry ( ) but.... Another bug (I think) - did you forget to disable the maximize button?

just another question: our admin has closed the ports for pop3. Nevertheless the ports for IMAP are available. So would it be possible to choose which protocol (pop3 or IMAP) is used ?

thanks in advance
STEFAN aka whynot

Hey GoMa Nice panel,but I have a problem since I updated to the new version anytime I start up DS it gives me an error and it disable the MailNotifier plugin which means that I lost all my settings and must do it all over again,btw previous version was working ok,but not this one any help would be appreciate.Thanks.

Thanks.

Thanks for your report yyy. You're right, I forgot to include the dslang file. And yeah, the Maximize button too.

Hmm I'll see about IMAP.

I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I'm also having a problem updating the ExEx page (it doesn't let me edit it). I'll post an updated version soon.

Try downloading the file from the first post.

Installs fine now But for some reason it still writes error on the pnale - I'll wait and tell you if that changes.
Finnaly there's another panel which can check Gmail accounts - unfortuncatelly, the Gmail panel has a few major bugs.

BTW - can you do something to encrypt the text in the settings file? I don't like to have my account name and password exposed that way. I've seen some nice c# encryptors in the Internet - any chance you can use one?

Thanks for the panel

EDIT:
Works fine now BTW - how do I set it to read Gmail accounts?

It writes "Error" because no server is specified. You're right, I'll change that text.

I'll try.

Server: pop.gmail.com
Port: 995
Username: myemail@gmail.com
Password: your gmail password
Secure Protocol: SSL

Ok, thanks

Love the panel... Is there any way to make it check more than 1 account? Or have two instances of the panel installed?

AFAIK, you can add 2 instances of this panel. Open the Add panel window choose the panel and click OK.

I just realized that... Not had my coffee yet I guess... I was trying to install it a 2nd time when I should have been Adding it a second time.

Thanks!

I think I've found out how to do this. It will probably be in the next version (no date yet).

I forgot to say that you can also set the panel to launch the Gmail Inbox on click. In Panel Properties (the Behavior tab), set the Path to http://www.gmail.com and leave the Args box empty.

Cool - thanks

Trouble? Why? What's the problem?

I can't update the page (the Edit link is not visible), and it doesn't show when searching for it, only accessible directly by its url.
I've already reported it to NeilN and he's working on fixing it for me. Thanks for caring though.

I think I can fix it - do you want me to try?

Ummm... yeah, sure.

Ok - go to the ExEx and try to edit it now. Tell me if you can.