How to use the Command Line Interface

You can invoke BroadcastBySMS from a command window as follows:

scast.exe [-startnow] [-text <message>] [-startfromrow <row number>] [-statusurl ] [-statusexe ] [-numbers ] [-import <csv file>] [-export <csv file>] [-cleanstatus] [-noexit] <call list file>

Where:

• "-startnow": starts a broadcast immediately
• "-text": specify the text to be sent
• "-startfromrow": broadcast start from row, used with -startnow
• "-statusexe": Launch a program or script after a call is finished.
• "-statusurl": post to this url when a call is finished
• "-numbers": import a list of phone numbers
• "-import": import a CSV file
• "-export": export to a CSV file
• "-autonextday": automatically reschedule next day broadcast if broadcast was not finished, used with -startnow
• "-cleanstatus": Confirmation and status columns are cleaned before broadcast.
• "-noexit": Keep the program up after broadcast.

If you specify "-numbers" or -import" the <call list file> can be an existing file or a new file. If the file does not exist it will be created, new numbers added or imported, and then saved. Some options are to be used in separate command. For example, the export option is usually executed by itself.

Using statusurl

This option is mostly used for program integration. If statusurl is defined, the program will post to the defined url whenever a call is finished. The parameters include all the values of the row. Each parameter uses the column header as the parameter name and the cell value as the parameter value. The row index is also included as parameters:

For example, if the following call is finished:

These parameters will be posted to the specified URL:

"index=50&Name=John Doo&Phone=8001234567&Age=30&Confirmation=confirmed&Status=Call Made"

Using statusexe

Like -statusurl, this option is mostly used for program integration. If -statusexe is defined, the program will call the defined program whenever a call is finished. The parameters for the program include all the values of the row. Each parameter uses the column header as the parameter name, and the cell value as the parameter value. The format is "-Dname=value". The row index is also included in the parameters. For the above example, the program or script will be launched as follows:

<prog> -Dindex=50 -DName="John Doo" -DPhone="8001234567" -DAge="30" -DConfirmation="confirmed" -DStatus="Call Made"

Examples of Command Line Usage

scast.exe -startnow -text "hello world" "C:\mygroup\list.soc"

Invoke BroadcastBySMS with call list "C:\mygroup\list.soc" and start broadcasting using a wave file such as: "C:\mygroup\hello.wav"

scast.exe -startnow -text "hello world" -numbers "1234567 2223333" "C:\mygroup\list.soc"

First import the two phone numbers to the call list. If the SOC file exists, the two new numbers are appended. If the SOC file does not exist, a new file will be created and the two new numbers added. Once the numbers are imported it will save the SOC file automatically. It then starts the broadcast with the specified wave file.

Broadcast Using a Customized Message

The command line interface does not provide an option for specifying Message ID that is created by Message Designer. However, you can still use a customized message by first creating a call list file (.soc), selecting the message ID, and saving it to a .soc file. Then use the .soc file in the command line.