Fax Application Programming Interface API
The fax broadcasting software that you buy MUST have some kind of
API (Application Programmer Interface). Having the API will make
sure that the system will be able to grow and meet your future needs
for faxing. Some systems try to use a "standard" interface,
such as CAS, or the GammaLink API. The FaxFacts API is a higher
level API that is the same API for CAS systems, GammaLink, Dialogic,
and Brooktrout.
The highest level API from FaxFacts is the FFMERGE system. All
that is needed for a programmer to send a fax is to be able to print
the fax number at the top of the printed document. The programmer
can also specify attachments and other information on the FFMERGE
"firing line". Using the FFMERGE print driver and font
to control faxing is very powerful in the hands of a programmer.
The benefit of this high level API is that it does not limit the
choice of tools that can be used to do the job.
The next level of API gives the programmer all of the control
and feedback that is needed. The FaxFacts API is easy to use, has
many defaults, and has all the power that programmers ask for. Now
for an example:
In the file PO980315.fs
$fax_filename \\faxserver\copia\temp\po980315.TIF
$fax_phone 6307788848
$fax_status1 2 ;ready to fax
$fax_origin user_request
$fax_user \\faxserver\copia\fax.usr ; group file with defaults
When the programmer writes the above file from their application
program, they can monitor the progress of the fax. Once the file
is written to the TOSEND folder, the sender will know when the fax
has been sent when the file is removed from the TOSEND folder and
moved to the SENT or FAILED folder. If you do not want to monitor
the fax directly, you can specify a "post-process" program
to be run by FaxFacts when the fax is "complete". By "complete"
that means that the fax has been sent, or that it has completed
all the retries specified and is being move to the FAIL folder.
FaxFacts customers use the post-process to send email back to the
sender. The post-process is used to update databases or to do what
ever work needs to be done when the fax is complete.
If more control is needed, additional API commands are
available.
$fax_cover -- sets the coversheet to use if needed.
$fax_header -- sets the line at the top of each fax.
$fax_pre-process -- Specify the routine to run before faxing.
$fax_post-process -- Specify the routine to run after faxing.
$fax_retry -- Set override retry settings.
$fax_send_time -- Set the send time in the future.
$fax_send_date -- Set the send date for the fax.
$fax_send_line -- Specify the line or line group to use to
send this fax.
$fax_sender -- The name of the sender of the fax.
$fax_receiver -- The name of the fax receiver.
$retry_cover -- The coversheet for restarted faxes.
$var_def -- Define a user variable for the cover sheet.
$voice_phone -- Call out for IVR or pager.
A more complex example:
$fax_filename t:\faxfacts\image\00001154.1
$fax_cover t:\faxfacts\copia.cvr
$fax_header "To @ROUTETO From: @SENDER"
$fax_sender "Dorothy Gaden"
$fax_receiver "Ann Other"
$fax_send_time 17:00:00
$fax_phone 3105553218
$fax_status1 2
$fax_post-process "exchange_send" internal
$fax_origin user_request
$fax_user t:\faxfacts\fax.usr
$var_def ToCompany "Other Company Inc."
$var_def data1 "recid1000"
$var_def user "email address"
Smart fax boards vs. low-end fax boards.
Copia's FaxFacts system supports the high level fax boards from
Brooktrout, GammaLink, Commetrex, and Intel/Dialogic. The high level
fax boards have a computer for each telephone line. The computer
on each phone line helps keep the remote fax machine happy that
the sender has not stopped sending when the main CPU may be busy.
With the low end modems, when the main CPU becomes distracted,
the remote fax machine may think that the sending fax has stopped
sending and drop the line. This causes a higher failure rate and
more phone costs. The larger issue is that if you have problems
sending to a specific fax machine and the low end fax board fails
every time, who do you call to fix the problem?
The problem is that on the low end modems there is very little
that the supplier can do to fix fax problems. With GammaLink and
Brooktrout they have downloaded firmware that they can and will
fix. Now that all of the fax boards send the same faxable TIFF files,
you now can use the common API from FaxFacts and even mix fax boards
from different manufactures in the same system.
Fax-On-Demand
FaxFacts also has as an option Fax-On-Demand. Unlike other systems
that have added FOD as a late add-on, FaxFacts started as a FOD
system. Many of the high end Dialogic and Brooktrout fax boards
can do both voice and fax on each phone line. FaxFacts gives you
the option of having Fax-On-Demand, IVR, Voice broadcast, Fax Polling,
Internet faxing, dialer faxing, web page faxing, faxing from your
web page, and faxmail. FaxFacts has more features in the FOD area
than any other FOD vendor.
Contact information
Copia International, Ltd.
1220 Iroquois Dr Suite 180
Naperville IL 60187
Phone: 630-778-8898 Fax: 630-778-8848
email copia@copia.com BBS: 630-778-8875
Web: www.copia.com FTP: ftp.copia.com
Fax-On-Demand: 888-332-6742
Bio Info:
Steve Hersee President of Copia.
Tim Frost Managing director of Roundhill Computer
Systems
Terry Flanagan V.P. of Engineering at Copia.
Contact the Copia Sales department
for more information at 800.689.8898 or click
here to request a quote. |
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