Java Commons Email Tutorial with Examples

Introduction
Library
Note for Gmail
Example of sending a simple email
Send email with attachments
Send Email in HTML format
Send an Email in HTML format, embed photos
Appendix: Download Commons Email library

1. Introduction

Commons Email is a Java library of Apache involving Email. In fact, in order to work with Java Email, you can use JavaMail API integrated in JDK6. Commons Email only helps you to work with JavaMail API more easily, it can not be a substitute for JavaMail API.

Similarly, Commons IO is no substitute for JavaIO but includes a lot of classes and methods in order to work with Java IO more easily as well as to save code time for you.

2. Library

http://mvnrepository.com/artifact/org.apache.commons/commons-email

Maven:

** pom.xml **

<!-- http://mvnrepository.com/artifact/org.apache.commons/commons-email -->

<dependency>
  <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
  <artifactId>commons-email</artifactId>
  <version>1.3.2</version>
</dependency>

See Also:
Spring Email

3. Note for Gmail

If you want to send email from a Java application that uses Gmail, you need to allow: less secure apps:

On your browser, sign in to your Gmail, and acccess the following link:

https://www.google.com/settings/security/lesssecureapps

https://support.google.com/domains/answer/9437157?hl=en

You will receive a Google Alert:
Some apps and devices use less secure sign-in technology, which makes your account more vulnerable. You can turn off access for these apps, which we recommend, or turn on access if you want to use them despite the risks.

4. Example of sending a simple email

First of all, an example to send a simple Email with a Commons-Email

Constants.java

package org.o7planning.tutorial.commonsemail;

public class Constants {

 
  public static final String MY_EMAIL = "yourEmail@gmail.com";
 
  public static final String MY_PASSWORD ="your password";

   public static final String FRIEND_EMAIL = "friendEmail@gmail.com";  
}

SimpleTextEmail.java

package org.o7planning.tutorial.commonsemail;

import org.apache.commons.mail.DefaultAuthenticator;
import org.apache.commons.mail.Email;
import org.apache.commons.mail.SimpleEmail;

public class SimpleTextEmail {

  public static void main(String[] args) {
      try {            
          Email email = new SimpleEmail();
         
          // Configuration
          email.setHostName("smtp.googlemail.com");
          email.setSmtpPort(465);
          email.setAuthenticator(new DefaultAuthenticator(Constants.MY_EMAIL,
                  Constants.MY_PASSWORD));
         
          // Required for gmail
          email.setSSLOnConnect(true);
         
          // Sender
          email.setFrom(Constants.MY_EMAIL);
         
          // Email title
          email.setSubject("Test Email");
         
          // Email message.
          email.setMsg("This is a test mail ... :-)");
         
          // Receiver
          email.addTo(Constants.FRIEND_EMAIL);            
          email.send();
          System.out.println("Sent!!");
      } catch (Exception e) {
          e.printStackTrace();
      }
  }
}

Running the example:

5. Send email with attachments

For example, sending email with a file attached on the hard disk.

EmailWithAttachment.java

package org.o7planning.tutorial.commonsemail;

import org.apache.commons.mail.DefaultAuthenticator;
import org.apache.commons.mail.EmailAttachment;
import org.apache.commons.mail.MultiPartEmail;

public class EmailWithAttachment {

   public static void main(String[] args) {
       try {
           // Create the attachment
           EmailAttachment attachment = new EmailAttachment();
           attachment.setPath("C:/mypictures/map-vietnam.png");
           attachment.setDisposition(EmailAttachment.ATTACHMENT);
           attachment.setDescription("Vietnam Map");
           attachment.setName("Map");

           // Create the email message
           MultiPartEmail email = new MultiPartEmail();

           // Configuration
           email.setHostName("smtp.googlemail.com");
           email.setSmtpPort(465);
           email.setSSLOnConnect(true);
           email.setAuthenticator(new DefaultAuthenticator(Constants.MY_EMAIL,
                   Constants.MY_PASSWORD));

           email.setFrom(Constants.MY_EMAIL, "TRAN");
           email.addTo(Constants.FRIEND_EMAIL, "Hong");

           email.setSubject("The Map");
           email.setMsg("Here is the map you wanted");

           // Add the attachment
           email.attach(attachment);

           // Send the email
           email.send();

           System.out.println("Sent!");
       } catch (Exception e) {
           e.printStackTrace();
       }
   }

}

Results:

Another example is sending an email with attachments from a link.

EmailWithAttachment2.java

package org.o7planning.tutorial.commonsemail;

import java.net.URL;

import org.apache.commons.mail.DefaultAuthenticator;
import org.apache.commons.mail.EmailAttachment;
import org.apache.commons.mail.MultiPartEmail;

public class EmailWithAttachment2 {

  public static void main(String[] args) {
      try {
          // Create the attachment
          EmailAttachment attachment = new EmailAttachment();
          attachment.setURL(new URL(
                  "http://www.apache.org/images/asf_logo_wide.gif"));
          attachment.setDisposition(EmailAttachment.ATTACHMENT);
          attachment.setDescription("Apache logo");
          attachment.setName("Apache logo");

          // Create the email message
          MultiPartEmail email = new MultiPartEmail();
         
          // Configuration
          email.setHostName("smtp.googlemail.com");
          email.setSmtpPort(465);
          email.setSSLOnConnect(true);
          email.setAuthenticator(new DefaultAuthenticator(
                  Constants.MY_EMAIL, Constants.MY_PASSWORD));

         
          email.setFrom(Constants.MY_EMAIL, "TRAN");
          email.addTo(Constants.FRIEND_EMAIL, "Hong");

          email.setSubject("The logo");
          email.setMsg("Here is Apache's logo");

          // Add the attachment
          email.attach(attachment);

          // Send the email
          email.send();
         
          System.out.println("Sent!");
      } catch (Exception e) {
          e.printStackTrace();
      }
  }
}

Running the example:

6. Send Email in HTML format

SendHtmlEmail.java

package org.o7planning.tutorial.commonsemail;

import java.net.URL;

import org.apache.commons.mail.DefaultAuthenticator;
import org.apache.commons.mail.HtmlEmail;

public class SendHtmlEmail {
 
  public static void main(String[] args) {
      try {
          // Create the email message
          HtmlEmail email = new HtmlEmail();
         
         
          // Configuration
          email.setHostName("smtp.googlemail.com");
          email.setSmtpPort(465);
          email.setAuthenticator(new DefaultAuthenticator(
                  Constants.MY_EMAIL,Constants.MY_PASSWORD));
          email.setSSLOnConnect(true);
          email.setFrom(Constants.MY_EMAIL, "TRAN");

         
          // Receiver
          email.addTo(Constants.FRIEND_EMAIL);
         
          // Title
          email.setSubject("Test Sending HTML formatted email");

          // Embed the image and get the content id
          URL url = new URL("http://www.apache.org/images/asf_logo_wide.gif");
          String cid = email.embed(url, "Apache logo");

          // Set the html message
          email.setHtmlMsg("<html><h2>The apache logo</h2>  <img src=\"cid:"
                  + cid + "\"></html>");

          // Set the alternative message
          email.setTextMsg("Your email client does not support HTML messages");

          // Send email
          email.send();

          System.out.println("Sent!!");
         
      } catch (Exception e) {
          e.printStackTrace();
      }
  }
}

7. Send an Email in HTML format, embed photos

SendHtmlEmbedImageEmail.java

package org.o7planning.tutorial.commonsemail;

import java.net.URL;

import org.apache.commons.mail.DefaultAuthenticator;
import org.apache.commons.mail.ImageHtmlEmail;
import org.apache.commons.mail.resolver.DataSourceUrlResolver;

public class SendHtmlEmbedImageEmail {
   public static void main(String[] args) {
       try {
           // Load your HTML email template
           // Here, Img has relative location (**)
           String htmlEmailTemplate = "<h2>Hello!</h2>"
                   +"This is Apache Logo <br/>"
                   +"<img src='proper/commons-email/images/commons-logo.png'/>";            

           // Create the email message
           ImageHtmlEmail email = new ImageHtmlEmail();
           

           // Configuration
           email.setHostName("smtp.googlemail.com");
           email.setSmtpPort(465);
           email.setAuthenticator(new DefaultAuthenticator(
                   Constants.MY_EMAIL, Constants.MY_PASSWORD));
           
           email.setSSLOnConnect(true);
           email.setFrom(Constants.MY_EMAIL, "TRAN");

           email.addTo(Constants.FRIEND_EMAIL);
           email.setSubject("Sending HTML formatted email with embedded images");

           // Define you base URL to resolve relative resource locations
           // (Example - Img you see above ** )
           URL url = new URL("http://commons.apache.org");
                   
           email.setDataSourceResolver(new DataSourceUrlResolver(url) );
           
           // Set the html message
           email.setHtmlMsg(htmlEmailTemplate);

           // Set the alternative message
           email.setTextMsg("Your email client does not support HTML messages");

           // Send the email
           email.send();

           System.out.println("Sent!!");
       } catch (Exception e) {
           e.printStackTrace();
       }
   }
}

8. Appendix: Download Commons Email library

If you use Commons Email for a common project, you will have to download the necessary libraries. Because the Commons Email is based on Email API, you need to download 2 libraries: