How to Download Message Attachments (Multiple Files) - Using Search Condition — Outlook Mail (Office 365) Connector for SSRS

Introduction

In this article we will delve deeper into Outlook Mail (Office 365) and SSRS integration, and will learn how to download message attachments (multiple files) - using search condition. We are continuing from where we left off. By this time, you must have created ODBC Data Source and connected to Outlook Mail (Office 365). So, let's not waste time and begin.

Use Query Builder to generate SQL query

1. The first thing you have to do is open Query Builder:

   

   ZappySys API Driver - Outlook Mail (Office 365)

   Outlook Mail Connector (Office 365) can be used to integrate Office 365 Outlook Mail API in your App / BI Tools. You can download attachment, read / search Emails, Users, MailFolders, Send email and more.

   OutlookMailOffice365DSN

   

2. Then simply select the Download Message Attachments (Multiple Files) - Using Search Condition endpoint (action).

3. Continue by configuring the Required parameters. You can also set optional parameters too.

4. Move on by hitting Preview Data button to preview the results.

5. If you see the results you need, simply copy the generated query:

   Download Message Attachments (Multiple Files) - Using Search Condition

   Required Parameters
   User ID or Email	Select the value from the dropdown
   SaveFolder	Select the value from the dropdown
   Optional Parameters
   MailFolderId
   OverwriteFile	True

   SELECT *  FROM download_message_attachments
   WITH(
   	  SaveFolder='c:\download',	
   	  OverwriteFile='True',
    	  MailFolderId='INBOX', --or use mailbox ID
   	  UserId='me', --or use "user-id" or use "email"
   	  --search mail with attachments, sent after 2023-03-01, subject contains string "invoice" and  from email is microsoft-noreply@microsoft.com
   	  SearchCriteria='hasAttachments eq true and sentDateTime gt 2023-03-01 and contains(subject, ''invoice'') and from/emailAddress/address eq ''microsoft-noreply@microsoft.com''  ',
   	  EmailBodyFormat='HTML' --or text
   )

   

6. That's it! You can use this query in SSRS.

Let's not stop here and explore SQL query examples, including how to use them in Stored Procedures and Views (virtual tables) in the next steps.

SQL query examples

Use these SQL queries in your SSRS data source:

How to Download multiple attchments with search condition

This example shows how to download Office 365 Email attachments with search criteria. In this example we used multiple conditions to search. For example search mail with attachments only, sent after 2023-03-01, subject contains string 'invoice' and email sent from microsoft-noreply@microsoft.com

SELECT *  FROM download_message_attachments
WITH(
	  SaveFolder='c:\download',	
	  OverwriteFile='True',
 	  MailFolderId='INBOX', --or use mailbox ID
	  UserId='me', --or use "user-id" or use "email"
	  --search mail with attachments, sent after 2023-03-01, subject contains string "invoice" and  from email is microsoft-noreply@microsoft.com
	  SearchCriteria='hasAttachments eq true and sentDateTime gt 2023-03-01 and contains(subject, ''invoice'') and from/emailAddress/address eq ''microsoft-noreply@microsoft.com''  ',
	  EmailBodyFormat='HTML' --or text
)

Stored Procedures and Views

Create Custom Stored Procedure

You can create procedures to encapsulate custom logic and then only pass handful parameters rather than long SQL to execute your API call.

Steps to create Custom Stored Procedure in ZappySys Driver. You can insert Placeholders anywhere inside Procedure Body. Read more about placeholders here

1. Go to Custom Objects Tab and Click on Add button and Select Add Procedure:
   

2. Enter the desired Procedure name and click on OK:
   

3. Select the created Stored Procedure and write the your desired stored procedure and Save it and it will create the custom stored procedure in the ZappySys Driver:
   Here is an example stored procedure for ZappySys Driver. You can insert Placeholders anywhere inside Procedure Body. Read more about placeholders here
   

   CREATE PROCEDURE [usp_get_orders]
       @fromdate = '<<yyyy-MM-dd,FUN_TODAY>>'
    AS
       SELECT * FROM Orders where OrderDate >= '<@fromdate>';
   

   
   

4. That's it now go to Preview Tab and Execute your Stored Procedure using Exec Command. In this example it will extract the orders from the date 1996-01-01:
   

   Exec usp_get_orders '1996-01-01';

   
   

5. Let's generate the SQL Server Query Code to make the API call using stored procedure. Go to Code Generator Tab, select language as SQL Server and click on Generate button the generate the code.
   As we already created the linked server for this Data Source, in that you just need to copy the Select Query and need to use the linked server name which we have apply on the place of [MY_API_SERVICE] placeholder.
   

   SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([LS_TO_OUTLOOK_MAIL_OFFICE_365_IN_GATEWAY], 'EXEC usp_get_orders @fromdate=''1996-07-30''')

   
   

6. Now go to SQL served and execute that query and it will make the API call using stored procedure and provide you the response.
   

Create Custom Virtual Table

ZappySys API Drivers support flexible Query language so you can override Default Properties you configured on Data Source such as URL, Body. This way you don't have to create multiple Data Sources if you like to read data from multiple EndPoints. However not every application support supplying custom SQL to driver so you can only select Table from list returned from driver.

If you're dealing with Microsoft Access and need to import data from an SQL query, it's important to note that Access doesn't allow direct import of SQL queries. Instead, you can create custom objects (Virtual Tables) to handle the import process.

Many applications like MS Access, Informatica Designer wont give you option to specify custom SQL when you import Objects. In such case Virtual Table is very useful. You can create many Virtual Tables on the same Data Source (e.g. If you have 50 URLs with slight variations you can create virtual tables with just URL as Parameter setting.

1. Go to Custom Objects Tab and Click on Add button and Select Add Table:
   

2. Enter the desired Table name and click on OK:
   

3. And it will open the New Query Window Click on Cancel to close that window and go to Custom Objects Tab.

4. Select the created table, Select Text Type AS SQL and write the your desired SQL Query and Save it and it will create the custom table in the ZappySys Driver:
   Here is an example SQL query for ZappySys Driver. You can insert Placeholders also. Read more about placeholders here
   

   SELECT
     "ShipCountry",
     "OrderID",
     "CustomerID",
     "EmployeeID",
     "OrderDate",
     "RequiredDate",
     "ShippedDate",
     "ShipVia",
     "Freight",
     "ShipName",
     "ShipAddress",
     "ShipCity",
     "ShipRegion",
     "ShipPostalCode"
   FROM "Orders"
   Where "ShipCountry"='USA'

   
   

5. That's it now go to Preview Tab and Execute your custom virtual table query. In this example it will extract the orders for the USA Shipping Country only:
   

   SELECT * FROM "vt__usa_orders_only"

   
   

6. Let's generate the SQL Server Query Code to make the API call using stored procedure. Go to Code Generator Tab, select language as SQL Server and click on Generate button the generate the code.
   As we already created the linked server for this Data Source, in that you just need to copy the Select Query and need to use the linked server name which we have apply on the place of [MY_API_SERVICE] placeholder.
   

   SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([LS_TO_OUTLOOK_MAIL_OFFICE_365_IN_GATEWAY], 'EXEC [usp_get_orders] ''1996-01-01''')

   
   

7. Now go to SQL served and execute that query and it will make the API call using stored procedure and provide you the response.
   

Download Message Attachments (Multiple Files) - Using Search Condition in SSRS

We are at the point where we can reiterate on how to use the SQL query, Stored Procedures or Views in SSRS:

1. Open Visual Studio and create a new SSRS project

2. Then add a new Shared Data Source (you can create a non-shared data source inside report too):

   

3. Continue with creating the Shared Data Source. Select Microsoft SQL Server as Type and hit Build button to proceed further:

   

4. Once a window opens, configure it similarly. Configure "OutlookMailOffice365DSN" as database name. Finally, hit Test Connection and OK:

   OutlookMailOffice365DSN

   

5. Another window opens, and it should look similarly to this one below which ends the creation of a Data Source:

   DataSource=localhost,5000;Initial Catalog=OutlookMailOffice365DSN

   

6. Now it's time to create a Dataset. If you don't have a report created, in one of the wizard's steps it will look like this:

   SELECT * FROM MyMessages

   

7. Finally, once you complete the report, similar results will show up:

   

More integrations

Other application integration scenarios for Outlook Mail (Office 365)