• AEP Online Help Index

Working with the Program

How does AEP work?

AEP downloads messages from mail servers and processes them using a list of rules set up by user. Rules consist of filters and processing components.

When downloading a message, AEP checks whether it is to be processed or not using filters. If the message is to be processed, AEP adds it to processing queue. Upon completion working session with a mail server, AEP processes all the messages in the queue.

Processing components are used to parse, modify, and store data from messages. To exchange data between components, variables are used.

AEP allows:

• parsing data line by line, block by block, using regular expressions
• modifying data using templates
• storing data into files or databases
• sending data via e-mail
• processing data with scripting languages
• transferring data to external programs

The rules and processing components are used in the order of their listing. To check whether a rule works correctly or not, debug messages are used. Debug message can be created through loading from a file or by catching an incoming message.

Rules are debugged in the Constructor window.

Mail servers are accessed using mail accounts. Accounts store parameters of connecting to server and connection schedule.

AEP supports two modes of working with accounts: Broker Mode and Collector Mode.

Broker Mode

When working with an account in the Broker Mode, AEP acts as a broker between mail server and mail client, it is processing messages the client downloads. The client connects to AEP, and AEP establishes connection to mail server using account.

Collector Mode

When working with an account in the Collector Mode, AEP establishes connection with a mail server itself. Depending on the account settings, AEP can either delete processed messages on the server or not. Anyway, a message will be processed by AEP only once.

Accounts are configured in the Accounts Window.

All the events that take place during the program operation are registered in the Log.

The Log can be viewed in the Log Window.

See also:

Rule Components, Accounts Window, Constructor Window, Log Window, Configuring Mail Clients