PHP mailer that sends html emails

IT-guy · #1 (**permalink**) 06-04-2004, 06:38 PM

I've found about a zillion formmail scripts that will send text emails to me, but I've not found any that will send html formatted email to me. My client wants the form results to be easier to read, ie, not a simple text line that says <field> = on.

Suggestions? Pointers?

Thanks!

virtual_odin · #2 (**permalink**) 06-05-2004, 02:36 AM

I'm no expert, I only know PHP and some of this may be because of settings my host has made, but...
With PHP it is pretty straightforward. The mail() function sends whatever you give it. So this sends a message to $email with message $msg. The string $msg can contain all the HTML tags you like. The $headers stuff is pretty obvious. There may be other options, but this one works for me.

Code:

<?php
$email = "youraddressee@somewhere.net";
$msg = "<html><font face='Arial'>This is a message generated by the Contact page of blah-blah  And this can be whatever you want</font></html>";
$subject = "Contact from your web site"; 
$headers = "MIME-Version: 1.0;\n"; 
$headers .= "Content-type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1;\n"; 
$headers .= "From: <youremail@somewhere.net>;\n"; 
mail($email, $subject, $msg, $headers); 
?>

Hope that helps

IT-guy · #3 (**permalink**) 06-05-2004, 03:37 PM

Thanks. I'll have to try that. In the meantime I found a seemingly pretty good php FormM@ailer script by dbmasters (http://scripts.dbmasters.net). I set it up pretty quickly and it generates nicely formatted html emails.

Does anyone have any +/- about this script?

The one problem I have with it is that if a required field is missed by the user, after the user hits the back button all the info on the form is gone. I posted this to the author and he says that it is possible to refresh the screen but that it takes code at my end. With my prior cgi script (NMS FormMail.pl) it took care of all that. What do I have to do on my end?

Thanks!
Lee

paulhiles · #4 (**permalink**) 06-05-2004, 06:44 PM

Hi Lee,

I've moved this thread from Site Design into Web Programming, there maybe members here who can answer your query on that PHP mailer script you mentioned.

Good luck,

Paul

mikmik · #5 (**permalink**) 06-05-2004, 07:08 PM

Okay guys, you asked for it.
http://www.ngcoders.com/

Get EZ Mail from here :http://www.ngcoders.com/index.php?page=php

I have to get back into this PHP, I was just starting and the got sidetracked by computer troubles, but I had installed 4 scripts from these guys.
Unbelieveabe, I mean it.

Their site is way more involved now (three months later), they've added many scripts and tutorials etc.

That EZMailer is for sendindg newsletters, for signing up for newsletters, for managing the mailing lists, it is THE REAL McCOY. All completely configureable, HTML, text, images, file attatchments, everything. It is good.

Quote:

The one problem I have with it is that if a required field is missed by the user, after the user hits the back button all the info on the form is gone

Go here - http://factor1.net/mike/mik/subdirectory1/uno.html
- it is a test page that I am working on, but use to link that says "Send a message, opens popup box".
See how you like that one for invalid input.
It is called 'Web2Mail'.
They have qa support forum : http://www.cj-design.com/?id=forum

I forgot about these guys too. I mean to support them whole heartedly, they have 'rockin' script.

As far as losing data on page loading and return, I will get something about that, I just have to find it here. It may have to do with browser caching, because it happens when using IE, but not Mozilla browsers.

For example, I use Firefox to surf this forum - WPW - instead of Internet Explorer now because I got tired of losing posts before I submitted them . I might want to open another window for a link or reference to include in the post I was making, and often when I tried to open another link with a pending forum post open, the new link would (and does) load into the WPW window I was posting with. Upon hitting the 'back' button I would find that my entire post was gone and I was staring at an empty input box again.
So I got Mozilla Firefox, and I can go open a bunch of new pages in the same window - but when I 'backtrack' to my poat, it is still there waiting to be submitted. This tells me it has to do with the browser somewhat.

I'll be back :O)

php~pro · #6 (**permalink**) 06-08-2004, 06:48 PM

With loss of data from form fields on hitting the back button you dont specify if this is just an IE. 6.0 problem. Are you fixing I.E 6 bug after your session start. If it is just an IE 6 problem here is the fix. I personally have never had problems with data from form fields. The only form field that should be left blank on return is a "password" field for obvious reasons.

<?php
session_start();
header("Cache-control: private");// I.E6 fixed
?>

IT-guy · #7 (**permalink**) 06-09-2004, 03:45 PM

php~pro, you hit the nail on the head. I am using IE6. The two lines of code at the beginning of the script fixed the problem.

Thanks!
Lee

php~pro · #8 (**permalink**) 06-09-2004, 06:13 PM

This is a common problem for less experienced coders, yet so easily fixed. Pleased to be of help. Any more problems, post em in here/ I usually get in a couple of times per week so always happy to help out.