This R script automates the retrieval of email attachments from Microsoft Outlook using the RDCOMClient package, which establishes a COM (Component Object Model) connection with Outlook. The script is designed to efficiently extract Excel file attachments from specific emails in your inbox for automated data processing.
- Connects to Microsoft Outlook: Uses the
RDCOMClientpackage to establish a connection with Outlook. - Navigates to Specific Folders: Accesses specific folders within the inbox to retrieve targeted emails.
- Filters Emails by Date Range: Searches for emails within a specified date range (e.g., September 7, 2022).
- Identifies Excel Attachments: Filters emails for attachments with the
.xlsfile extension. - Automates Data Extraction: Extracts the second Excel attachment, saves it temporarily, and imports it into R for analysis.
-
Connecting to Outlook:
The script usesRDCOMClientto establish a COM connection with Microsoft Outlook. -
Searching for Emails:
It navigates to a specific folder within your inbox and filters emails by date (e.g., September 7, 2022). -
Identifying Attachments:
For each email, the script looks for attachments, focusing on Excel files (those with the.xlsextension). -
Extracting and Reading Excel Files:
When an Excel file is found, the script:- Stores the filenames of all attachments in a variable.
- Selects the second attachment from the list.
- Saves the file temporarily.
- Reads the file into R using the
readxlpackage, skipping the first two rows of data.
This automated pipeline simplifies the process of extracting data from Excel attachments in Outlook emails, making it a valuable tool for automated data processing workflows.
- R Libraries:
RDCOMClient: Used to connect to Outlook and retrieve emails and attachments.readxl: Used to read Excel files into R.
- Install the required R packages if you haven't already:
install.packages("RDCOMClient") install.packages("readxl")