unable to set up send-email function as desired - powershell

Question

I'm attempting to create a Send-Email function in a script which can change the email address each time the script is used. However, I'm currently suck being forced to use a static email:
function Send-Email (
$recipientEmail = "EMAIL",
$subject = "Ticket" + $type,
$body
) {
$outlook = New-Object -ComObject Outlook.Application
$mail = $outlook.CreateItem(0)
$mail.Recipients.Add("EMAIL")
$mail.Subject = ("Ticket - " + $type)
$mail.Body = $body # For HTML encoded emails
$mail.Send()
Write-Host "Email sent!"
}
I'd like to set it up so that I can define $recipientEmail and then later use this input with $mail.Recipients.Add("EMAIL") - I've beend doing $mail.Recipients.Add("$receipientemail") and the like without any luck and wondering if I'm approaching this completely wrong?
I'd like it to be set up in a way that it could use
[void] $listBox.Items.Add("Email1")
[void] $listBox.Items.Add("Email2")
[void] $listBox.Items.Add("Email3")
And accept that as the email to send to instead of only working with one email.

Answer 1

This whole thing rang a bell with me, and I went "code dumpster diving". I wrote this same function (more or less) a year ago. I'm not using $mail.recipients.add(); I'm using $Mail.To = $RecipientEmail; if I want multiple recipients, I simply -join ";" them and assign to $mail.To. The members $mail.CC and $mail.BCC work the same way:
Function Send-Email {
<#
.Synopsis
Sends Email using Microsoft Outlook
.DESCRIPTION
This cmdlet sends Email using the Outlook component of a locally-installed
Microsoft Office. It is not expected to work with the "Click-to-run" versions.
This version requires that Outlook be running before using the cmdlet.
.PARAMETER To
Must be a quoted string or string array, may not be omitted.
Specifies the address to send the message to. If an array, it will
be converted to a semicolon-delimited string. May contain contact
groups.
.PARAMETER Subject
Must be a quoted string, may not be omitted.
Specifies the subject of the message to be sent.
.PARAMETER Body
Must be a string or a string array, may not be omitted.
Contains the text of the message to be sent. If supplied as a string in double
quotes, any PowerShell variables will be expanded unless the leading $ is
escaped. If supplied in a script via a variable containing a here-doc, will
reproduce the here-doc. If supplied as an array, either by variable or by the
Get-Content cmdlet, the array elements will be joined with `r`n as "separators".
A body supplied via Get-Content will not have expanded variables; arrays created
in scripts using double quotes or via here-docs willl have expanded variables.
.PARAMETER CC
Must be a quoted string or string array, may be omitted.
Specifies an address to send a copy of the message to. If an array, it will be
converted to a semicolon-delimited string. All recipients can see that a copy
of the message was sent to the addresses here.
.PARAMETER BCC
Must be a quoted string or string array, may be omitted.
Specifies an address to send a copy of the message to. If an array, it will be
converted to a semicolon-delimited string. The recipients named here are not
displayed as a recipient of the message, even though they do receive the message.
.PARAMETER Attachments
Must be a quoted string or string array, may be omitted.
Specifies one or more files to be included with the message as attachments.
.INPUTS
This version of the cmdlet does not accept input from the pipeline
.OUTPUTS
No output to the pipeline is generated. The cmdlet does return an error code.
.EXAMPLE
Send-Email -To "boss#example.com" -Subject "Personnel Issue - John M. Ployee" -Body "I need a raise."
Sends an email with the indicated subject and body to the stated address.
.EXAMPLE
$messagebody = #"
Roses are red
Violets are blue
I need a raise
And so do you
"#
$others = "boss-of-boss#example.com","hr#example.com"
Send-Email -To "boss#example.com" -Subject "Personnel Issue - John M. Ployee" -cc $others -Body $messagebody
Sends an email with the indicated subject to the stated address. The body
will be composed of the lines in the variable $messagebody as shown; the
line breaks are preserved. A copy of the message is sent to the two addresses
listed in $others.
.EXAMPLE
Send-Email -To "boss#example.com" -Subject "Personnel Issue - John M. Ployee" -Body (Get-Content -Path "C:\Request-for-raise.txt")
Sends an email with the indicated subject and body to the stated address.
The body is drawn from the indicated file, and line breaks are preserved.
.EXAMPLE
Send-Email -To "boss#example.com" -Subject "Personnel Issue - John M. Ployee" -Body "Please see attached for rationale for raise" -Attachments (Get-Content -Path "C:\Request-for-raise.txt")
Sends an email with the indicated subject and body to the stated address.
The indicated file is included as an attachment.
.NOTES
Planned Future Enhancements:
1. Allow the cmdlet to accept input (message body text) from the pipe.
2. Allow the cmdlet to accept the body from a file (parameter -BodyFromFile)
3. Allow the cmdlet to start up Outlook if it is not already running.
This includes shutting it down afterward.
4. Allow the body to be formatted as HTML or RTF, and properly handle this.
Initially, switches (e.g., -BodyAsHTML or -BodyAsRTF); better would be to
use file name (e.g., -BodyFromFile "C:\Test.html" would still set the message
format to HTML even in the absence of -BodyAsHTML); best would be to inspect
content of file.
Based on a script from http://www.computerperformance.co.uk/powershell/powershell_function_send_email.htm
#>
[cmdletbinding()]
Param (
[Parameter(Mandatory=$True)]
[String[]]$To,
[String[]]$CC,
[String[]]$BCC,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$True)]
[String]$Subject,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$True)]
[String[]]$Body,
[String[]]$Attachments
)
Begin {
# Future Enhancement: Start Outlook if it's not already running
} # End of initialization
Process {
# Create an instance Microsoft Outlook
$Outlook = New-Object -ComObject Outlook.Application
# Create a new mail message
$Mail = $Outlook.CreateItem(0)
# Set up the email
$Mail.To = $To -join ";"
if ($CC -ne $null) {
$Mail.CC = $CC -join ";"
}
if ($bcc -ne $null) {
$Mail.BCC = $BCC -join ";"
}
$Mail.Subject = "$Subject"
$Mail.Body = $Body -join "`r`n"
if ($attachments -ne $null) {
foreach ($Attachment in $Attachments) {
$silencer = $Mail.Attachments.Add($Attachment)
}
}
# I need to investigate scripting Outlook more.
# The next three comments may be all that's needed
# to handle HTML and/or attachments.
# $Mail.HTMLBody = "When is swimming?"
# $File = "D:\CP\timetable.pdf"
# $Mail.Attachments.Add($File)
# Place message in outbox.
$Mail.Send()
} # End of Process section
End {
# Clean up after ourselves. This prevents Outlook from reporting
# an error on exit.
[System.Runtime.Interopservices.Marshal]::ReleaseComObject($Outlook)
$Outlook = $null
# If Outlook settings are to Send/Receive only on command rather
# than as-needed, force the send at this time.
# NOTE TO SELF: CHECK THIS!
# $Outlook.GetNameSpace("MAPI").SendAndReceive(1)
# If we launched Outlook at the beginning, close it here.
# $Outlook.Quit()
} # End of End section!
} # End of function
<#
Note 2: Look in Outlook's outbox for a newly-created message.
Note 3: If you really want to send the email then append this command:
$Outlook.GetNameSpace("MAPI").SendAndReceive(1)
#>