Email-based print job status display

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the processor to:

• transmit an email message addressed to an email address associated with an image forming apparatus, the email message including a document to be printed as an attachment;
• receive a confirmation email message from an email print server in response to the transmission of the email message, wherein the confirmation email comprises a script and a hyperlink corresponding to a webpage;
• display the webpage including a visual interface upon activation of the hyperlink;
• and
• execute the script to:
• fetch, from the email print server, a print job status indicating a progress of printing the document;
• and
• update the visual interface with the fetched print job status.

An email print server comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory coupled to the processor;
• and
• a program residing in the memory and executable by the processor to provide an email printing service, wherein the program is to:
• receive an email message requesting a print job;
• determine an image forming apparatus to execute the print job from the email message;
• send the print job to the image forming apparatus for execution;
• generate a first hyperlink indicating a status of the print job;
• generate a reply email message by embedding a script that communicates with the first hyperlink;
• return the reply email message with the embedded script to a sender's email address corresponding to the received email message;
• and
• enable the embedded script to communicate with the first hyperlink to continuously fetch the status until a completion of execution of the print job.