Hello everyone, I know this question is rather vague, but how do I proceed about creating a php based in website mailing system in a community website? Any input would be appreciated. I don't know how to start.
Thanks in advance.
+1
A:
If you're trying to figure out how to send email PHP, there are endless options. The most basic is using PHP's built - in mail function (http://php.net/mail). More seriously, you can use PHPMailer: http://sourceforge.net/projects/phpmailer/ If you're looking for an out of the box solution, you can use PHPList: http://www.phplist.com/
If I misundestood and you're looking at handing out email addresses on your website, you can look into Google Apps: http://www.google.com/apps/
I'm not sure where else to point you.
Mike Sherov
2010-02-06 18:42:33
I am not looking for sending emails through PHP, but rather ... code a system where users can message themselves in the website.
Ender Wiggin
2010-02-06 18:46:05
if that's what you're looking for, the answer is, just start programming it. Use PHP and MySQL to store the messages. Not sure what you're really looking for.
Mike Sherov
2010-02-06 18:52:57
Actually, that is what I will end up doing, except I will have to add spam blocks, giving the users the ability to block. etc. It would be good if there is an open source code out there that I can use.
Ender Wiggin
2010-02-06 20:18:18
A:
- Know the mail limits of your mail server that php will be using, this could severely limit your mailing list growth.
- Use some sort of database to store list member emails.
- When you are ready to send
mail just use the php
mailfunction to send your message (can put all the addresses in bcc, or send out a single message to each user.
Harley Green
2010-02-06 18:45:04
I don't know why someone modded you down - this seems like good advice to me given how vague the question is.
jckdnk111
2010-02-06 19:09:43
I am sorry, I can't mod it up(don't have enough reputation). Thanks for answering. I had no clue where to start. Sorry again for the vague question.
Ender Wiggin
2010-02-06 20:16:14
+2
A:
I would start with the basics
- Just learn how to send an email - nothing special just send the mail (http://phpmailer.worxware.com/)
- Then add a form to communicate with your script (http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_forms.asp)
- Then maybe add some validation (http://www.w3schools.com/js/js_form_validation.asp)
- Then protect it with something like CAPTCHA (http://recaptcha.net/)
Once you have all this, you can start playing around with HTML email (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML_e-mail) and allowing your users to have more control over what gets emmedded in the email.
The best advice I can give is to start small and not get too fancy too quickly.
jckdnk111
2010-02-06 18:45:07
A:
Do you mean a website Private Messaging system (PM) rather than email? Like many forums use?
If so it's probably too big a question to answer here, I've found this http://sourceforge.net/projects/privatemessagin/ on sourceforge which might give you a head-start. But as a programming project even for a relative beginner it shouldn't be too difficult.
Are your users already sign in with a username and password? If so that's half the problem solved, now all you need is some way to send a message, which should be just a simple form that posts to a database, then when a user logs in he needs to be alerted that they have a mail which is just a case of querying the database. Nothing too complicated.
Charlie
2010-02-06 20:34:01