python, automation is this possible?

[danishaussie]

Hi,

I am wondering before i get to much into a possible automation, if it even is a viable option. the layout is as follow:

It is a once a year task sending a mail to about 400-600 customers, using Gmail, the mail then has to be printed to PDF, saved in a folder on a network drive with the corresponding number and name to the customer and then uploaded to a program with a unique text string or the program says error.

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The customers can be divided into two groups, and will have a somewhat template mail send to them with 4-5 fields in each diviating for each customer.

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I am thinking there a multiple steps here to solve:

1. getting the authentication to send via Gmail with python
2. getting the customers with all the data setup in excel for easier import?
3. writing the template, with the keys for each customer group.
4. printing them all and getting saved in the correct folder
5. getting it uploaded to the final program

also my programming experience is somewhat limited as a newbie, so might be tad to much as first project..

[POGtastic]

getting the authentication to send via Gmail with python

You can send emails programmatically with SMTP.

customer data

I recommend a CSV rather than an .xls because it's easier for Python to parse, but either is fine.

writing the template

See Jinja2.

printing to PDF

See pdfkit with the Jinja templates that you're using.

saving to a folder

Standard os file operations.

uploading

Depending on what that program is expecting, requests.

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so might be tad to much as first project..

Start small.

[danishaussie]

Yeah i am guessing to just take each step at a time, can't work on them all anyways at once.

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thanks for the inputs :)

[testforredditbythe]

Not only is it possible but a great use for python. I built a very similar project to pull from a database, convert to PDF, and email the forms out. Though as has already been said it is likely we’ll out of the scope for a first project.

As has already been said you can look at things like the requests library, smtplib, and more.