SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COMMUNICATING LOGIC IN E-MAIL MESSAGES

1 . A first computer comprising a processor and a memory, the memory comprising instructions, executable by the processor, for:

receiving, at the first computer, a human-readable message over a network or the Internet from a second computer, wherein the human-readable message is in the form of an e-mail; and

determining, at the first computer, whether the human-readable message includes (i) a tag originated by a sender of the human-readable message, wherein the tag identifies the human-readable message as a message that is to be pre-processed prior to forwarding the e-mail to a plurality of recipients and (ii) human-readable instructions, originated by the sender of the human-readable message, wherein the human-readable instructions are interpretable by the first computer to direct the first computer to pre-process the human readable message by a pre-process routine, the pre-process routine including instructions for:

requesting and receiving, over a network or the Internet from a third computer, data from one or more data fields of a database responsive to the human-readable instructions and without human intervention; and

modifying the human-readable message, thereby creating a plurality of processed human-readable messages; wherein

when it is determined that the human-readable message includes (i) the tag and (ii) the human-readable instructions, pre-processing the human-readable message in accordance with the human-readable instructions using the pre-process routine.

2 . The first computer of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the human-readable instructions in the human-readable message is interpretable by the first computer to direct the first computer to perform a looping construct, the looping construct being responsive to the data from the one or more data fields.

3 . The first computer of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the human-readable instructions in the human-readable message is interpretable by the first computer to direct the first computer to (i) send a database query or web services request over a network or the Internet to the third computer and (ii) receive a response to the database query or web services request from the third computer over a network or the Internet, wherein at least a portion of the database query or web services request directs the third computer to modify its database.

4 . The first computer of claim 1 , wherein the data is update information.

5 . The first computer of claim 1 , wherein the protocol of the e-mail is the simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), the X.400 International Telecommunication Union standard (X.400), the Novell message handling service (MHS), or the extended simple mail transfer protocol (ESMTP).

6 . The first computer of claim 1 , wherein the database comprises a customer relationship management database, an enterprise resource planning database, a human resource database, or a supply chain database.

7 . A physical medium maintaining human-readable instructions interpretable by a first computer to direct the first computer:

to receive at the first computer a human-readable message over a network or the Internet from a second computer, wherein the human-readable message is in the form of an e-mail;

to determine, at the first computer, whether the human-readable message includes (i) a tag originated by a sender of the human-readable message, wherein the tag identifies the human-readable message as a message that is to be pre-processed prior to forwarding by the e-mail to a plurality of recipients and (ii) human-readable instructions, originated by the sender of the human-readable message, wherein the human-readable instructions are interpretable by the first computer to direct the first computer to pre-process the human readable message by a pre-process routine, the pre-process routine including instructions for:

requesting and receiving, over a network or the Internet from a third computer, data from one or more data fields of a database responsive to the human-readable instructions and without human intervention; and

modifying the human-readable message, thereby creating a plurality of processed human-readable messages; and

when it is determined that the human-readable message includes (i) the tag and (ii) the human-readable instructions, pre-processing the human-readable message in accordance with the human-readable instructions using the pre-process routine.

8 . A physical medium as in claim 7 , wherein one or more of the human-readable instructions in the human-readable message is interpretable by the first computer to direct the first computer to perform a looping construct, the looping construct being responsive to the data from the one or more data fields.

9 . A physical medium as in claim 7 , wherein one or more of the human-readable instructions in the human-readable message is interpretable by the first computer to direct the first computer to (i) send a database query or web services request to said third computer and to receive a response to the database query or web services request from said third computer, wherein at least a portion of the database query or web services request directs the third computer to modify its database.

10 . A physical medium as in claim 7 , wherein the data is update information.

11 . A physical medium as in claim 7 , wherein the protocol of the e-mail is the simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), the X.400 International Telecommunication Union standard (X.400), the Novell message handling service (MHS), or the extended simple mail transfer protocol (ESMTP).

12 . A physical medium as in claim 7 , wherein the database comprises a customer relationship management database, an enterprise resource planning database, a human resource database, or a supply chain database.

13 . A computer program product for use in conjunction with a first computer, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising instructions for:

receiving, at the first computer, a human-readable message over a network or the Internet from a second computer, wherein the human-readable message is in the form of an e-mail;

determining, at the first computer, whether the human-readable message includes (i) a tag originated by a sender of the human-readable message, wherein the tag identifies the human-readable message as a message that is to be pre-processed prior to forwarding the e-mail to a plurality of recipients and (ii) human-readable instructions, originated by the sender of the human-readable message, wherein the human-readable instructions are interpretable by the first computer to direct the first computer to pre-process the human readable message by a pre-process routine, the pre-process routine including instructions for:

requesting and receiving, over a network or the Internet from a third computer, data from one or more data fields of a database responsive to the human-readable instructions and without human intervention; and

modifying the human-readable message, thereby creating a plurality of processed human-readable messages; wherein

when it is determined that the human-readable message includes (i) the tag and (ii) the human-readable instructions, pre-processing the human-readable message in accordance with the human-readable instructions using the pre-process routine.

14 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein one or more of the human-readable instructions in the human-readable message is interpretable by the first computer to direct the first computer to perform a looping construct, the looping construct being responsive to the data from the one or more data fields.

15 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein one or more of the human-readable instructions in the human-readable message are interpretable by the first computer to direct the first computer to (i) send a database query or web services request over a network or the Internet to the third computer and (ii) receive a response to the database query or web services request from the third computer over a network or the Internet, wherein at least a portion of the database query or web services request directs the third computer to modify its database.

16 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the data is update information.

17 . The computer program product of claim 3 , wherein the protocol of the e-mail is the simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), the X.400 International Telecommunication Union standard (X.400), the Novell message handling service (MHS), or the extended simple mail transfer protocol (ESMTP).

18 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the database comprises a customer relationship management database, an enterprise resource planning database, a human resource database, or a supply chain database.

19 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the data comprises customer data.

20 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the requesting includes an HTTP request.