SMS Gateway - C Sharp SMS API, C sharp and MS SQL Server

The following table lists the software requirements of the system. Note that you can download Ozeki NG - SMS Gateway and .NET Framework 3.5 on the download page.

How it works

To send SMS messages from C#.NET applications, you need to install Ozeki NG - SMS Gateway and Microsoft SQL Server on your computer. Ozeki NG - SMS Gateway will use a GSM phone/modem attached to your PC (with a phone-to-PC data cable) or an IP SMS connection to send messages. Your C#.NET application will insert a row into the database to send messages using the Ozeki NG program. For a better understanding of how it works, please look at the following diagram (Figure 1).

In the diagram you can see a user with the C#.NET application, an SQL Server, Ozeki NG - SMS Gateway, a mobile phone attached to the server computer and a mobile user receiving the message. Wherever the user is, if their C# application is appropriately configured (the configuration requires information related to the MS SQL server), they can compose and send messages to any recipients. After the user's action, the C#.NET application inserts a row with the data of the SMS to be sent, which will be selected by Ozeki NG - SMS Gateway from the database. Ozeki NG will forward the message to the GSM network through a mobile phone attached to the PC with a data cable, and the mobile user will receive the SMS message.

Configure the MS SQL Server

Create a Database user in Ozeki NG - SMS Gateway

Using the code

Understanding the code

The downloadable code inserts the message to be sent into the ozekimessageout database table. Ozeki NG - SMS Gateway periodically checks the table, and if it finds a row where the status is send, it will try to send it. In the script you have to set the server name to where the MS SQL Server is running, the username (specifying who can log in to the MS SQL Server) with the password and the type of the SMS message.

The source code of the example application is structured in the following way:

MainForm.cs:
Shows and handles a "Compose message" button and 2 ListView items for incoming and outgoing messages.

ComposeMessageForm.cs:
Shows and handles the necessary data fields for creating a new message.

DatabaseHandling.cs:
Handles the database and refreshes the 2 ListView items.

Description of the process depicted in Figure 1 above:

Step 1: Creating the form
Through MainForm.cs in the ComposeMessageForm.cs file, you create the form that requests the sms data. The User fills in the necessaries. The user will be asked to fill in the Recipient and Message text fields. A pop-up messagebox is used to inform the User about error(s) or result(s) of sending the message.
In MainForm.cs file you set the 2 ListView items (view mode and names of columns). In the buttonComposeMessage_Click(...) procedure the ComposeMessageForm is called to compose a new message. After closing that box the 2 ListView items will be refreshed.

MainForm.cs

...
public MainForm()
{
    InitializeComponent();

    listViewOut.View = View.Details;
    listViewOut.ShowItemToolTips = true;
    listViewOut.Columns.Add("ID", 50);
    listViewOut.Columns.Add("Sender", 100);
    listViewOut.Columns.Add("Receiver", 100);
    listViewOut.Columns.Add("Sent time", 100);
    listViewOut.Columns.Add("Received time", 100);
    listViewOut.Columns.Add("Operator", 50);
    listViewOut.Columns.Add("Status", 50);
    listViewOut.Columns.Add("Message type", 50);
    listViewOut.Columns.Add("Message text", 100);

    listViewIn.View = View.Details;
    listViewIn.ShowItemToolTips = true;
    listViewIn.Columns.Add("ID", 50);
    listViewIn.Columns.Add("Sender", 100);
    listViewIn.Columns.Add("Receiver", 100);
    listViewIn.Columns.Add("Sent time", 100);
    listViewIn.Columns.Add("Received time", 100);
    listViewIn.Columns.Add("Operator", 50);
    listViewIn.Columns.Add("Message type", 50);
    listViewIn.Columns.Add("Message text", 100);
}

private void buttonComposeMessage_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    ComposeMessageForm cmf = new ComposeMessageForm();
    cmf.ShowDialog(this);
    updateOutgoingMessages();
    updateIncomingMessages();
}
...

Step 2: Processing data coming from the form
After filling in the fields and clicking the Send button, the application receives the information about the form. In the ComposeMessageForm.cs file, the CheckAndSendMessage() procedure is called by "buttonSend_Click(...)". At the beginning of the procedure, check the data of the textbox fields. The Recipient box is mandatory. If it is empty, the processing will be aborted, and the User will be informed about the error. If the checking is successful, you will insert a new row into the ozekimessageout database table (in DatabaseHandling.insertMessage(...)).
We need the following: the address of the computer running the Microsoft SQL Server [the default address is (local)\SQLExpress ((local) means that MS SQL Server is installed on the same computer on which the C#.NET application is running)], the username (who is authorized to log in to the MS SQL Server and to insert messages, the user's password, the message type (the default is SMS:TEXT), the recipient and the message data.

ComposeMessageForm.cs

...
private void buttonSend_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    CheckAndSendMessage();
}

private void CheckAndSendMessage()
{
    if (textBoxRecipient.Text == "")
    {
        MessageBox.Show("Recipient field mustn't be empty!",
                    "Incorrect field value");
        return;
    }

    string errorMsg = "";
    DatabaseHandling.insertMessage(textBoxRecipient.Text,
                textBoxMessageText.Text, out errorMsg);

    MessageBox.Show(errorMsg, "Result of inserting message");
}
...

DatabaseHandling.cs

...
public static void insertMessage(string receiver, string messageText,
            out string errorMsg)
{
    Connect(out errorMsg);
    if (errorMsg != "")
       return;

    try
    {
       SqlCommand sqlComm = sqlConn.CreateCommand();
       sqlComm.CommandText = "insert into ozekimessageout " +
                    "(msgtype,receiver,msg,status) " +
                    "values ('SMS:TEXT','" + receiver + "','" +
                    messageText + "','send');";
       if (sqlComm.ExecuteNonQuery() == 0)
       {
            errorMsg = "Insert was UNsuccessful!";
       }
       else
       {
            errorMsg = "Insert was successful!";
       }
    }
    catch (Exception e)
    {
        errorMsg = e.Message;
    }

    CloseConnection();
}
...

Sending SMS using C#.NET through MS SQL Server

Download source code

Introduction

When to use this code

Prerequisites

How it works

Configure the MS SQL Server

Create a Database user in Ozeki NG - SMS Gateway

Using the code

Understanding the code

Summary

Frequently asked questions