html formatted email

[izann]

I am trying to send a file as an html-formatted email via a web form.

This is the relevant part of the code:

$filename = "friend.php";
$content_type = "text/html";
$fd = fopen($filename, "r");
$data = fread($fd, filesize($filename));
fclose($fd);
$MESSAGE = $data;

//form is here

$REPLY = "Recommended reading from " . $FROMNAME . "\r\nReply-To:" . $FROMNAME . " <" . $FROMMAIL . ">\r\nFrom: Publisher <[e-mail]>\r\nMIME-Version: 1.0\r\nContent-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii\r\n";
$MAIL = $TONAME . " <" . $TOMAIL . ">";

mail ($MAIL , $REPLY , $MESSAGE);
echo "<h1>Thank you!</h1>\n<p class=\"first\">The article you requested has been forwarded to " . $TONAME . " at " . $TOMAIL;

//end

My problem is that the file is not parsed prior to being sent. I am, btw, not an experienced programmer, so be kind.
😕

[hand]

You have to use mail() with following paramters

mail($assignee, $subject, $message, $header);

http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.mail.php

[izann]

The parameters are working. I included the header in the third parameter. The email is getting through fine. The problem is that I am unable to include any php coding in the file I am sending because it doesn't parse the coding.

I'm attaching a copy of the entire script. (This is just the results page, but the form is included in it in bits and pieces, so I think just this page should be enough).

[hand]

<?php
if (!isset($FROMNAME)) {  // first you have to check if the variables are set because unset != ""
	$FROMNAME = "";
}
if (!isset($FROMMAIL)) {
	$FROMMAIL = "";
}
if (!isset($TONAME)) {
	$TONAME = "";
}
if (!isset($TOMAIL)) {
	$TOMAIL = "";
}

$filename = "friend.php";
$content_type = "text/html";

$fd = fopen($filename, "r");
$data = fread($fd, filesize($filename));
fclose($fd);

$MESSAGE = $data;

if (($FROMNAME == "") || ($FROMMAIL == "") || ($TONAME == "") || ($TOMAIL == "")) {
	echo "<form name=form method=post action=sent.php>";
	echo '<h1>More Information...</h1>
		  <p class="first">All four fields of this form are required.
		  Please fill in the missing information below:</p><br>';
}

if ($FROMNAME == "") {
	echo '<p class="first">Your Name<br><input type=string name=FROMNAME></p>';
} else {
	echo "<input type=hidden name=FROMNAME value=\"$FROMNAME\">";
}

if ($FROMMAIL == "") {
	echo '<p class="first">Your E-mail<br>
	<input type=string name=FROMMAIL></p>';
} else {
	echo "<input type=hidden name=FROMMAIL value=\"$FROMMAIL\">";
}

if ($TONAME == "") {
	echo '<p class="first">Their Name<br><input type=string name=TONAME></p>';
} else {
	echo "<input type=hidden name=TONAME value=\"$TONAME\">";
}

if ($TOMAIL == "") {
	echo '<p class="first">Their E-mail<br>
	<input type=string name=TOMAIL></p>';
} else {
	echo "<input type=hidden name=TOMAIL value=\"$TOMAIL\">";
}

if (($TONAME == "") || ($TOMAIL == "") || ($FROMNAME == "") || ($FROMMAIL == "")) {
	echo "<input type=submit name=Submit value=Submit>";
	echo "<input type=reset name=Reset value=Clear Form>";
	echo "</form>";
} else {
	$REPLY = "Recommended reading from " . $FROMNAME . "\r\nReply-To:" . $FROMNAME . " <" . $FROMMAIL . ">\r\nFrom: Publisher <[e-mail]>\r\nMIME-Version: 1.0\r\nContent-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii\r\n";
	$MAIL = $TONAME . " <" . $TOMAIL . ">";

mail ($MAIL , $REPLY , $MESSAGE);
echo "<h1>Thank you!</h1>\n<p class=\"first\">The article you requested has been forwarded to " . $TONAME . " at " . $TOMAIL;
}
?>

[izann]

The email is getting sent fine. The variables are getting set within the script. The parsing problem I'm having is only with the "friend.php" file that I am sending. It's the "friend.php" file that I am unable to put any php coding into, because it's not getting parsed before it's sent.

[hand]

<?php
// instead of ...
$filename = "friend.php";
$content_type = "text/html";

$fd = fopen($filename, "r");
$data = fread($fd, filesize($filename));
fclose($fd);

// Try this ...
$filename = "http://localhost/path/to/your/script/friend.php"; // so it parses the script
@$fd = fopen($filename,"r"); 
while (!feof($fd)) { 
	$data .= fgets($fd, 4096);
}
@fclose($fd);

$MESSAGE = $data;

// ......
?>

[izann]

I tried it. The page transfers okay, but the php code still comes through without being parsed.:mad:

[yelvington]

If by "parse" you mean "process the file as PHP code," then you should look at the manual page for the eval() function, and consider also whether include() is the right way to do it. What is in "friend.php?" And why is it a separate file?

[izann]

Yes, I think that is what I need. However, nothing I try seems to work. I get various kinds of parse errors. My php file is a normal html-type file with variables that are dependent on code stated prior to opening the file. I'm beginning to think this may be a bit past my ability. Thanks, though.🙁

[Weedpacket]

Have a look at the output buffering functions.

What you'd be doing is

1. Turn outbut buffering on.

2. run the friend.php script (e.g., as an include)

3. capture the buffer contents (i.e. parsed html output) into a variable

4. empty the buffer and turn output buffering off

5. email the variable's contents.

[izann]

This sounds logical; however, I have no idea how to do it. The only thing I can find in the PHP manual is cpdf_output_buffer.

[hand]

Originally posted by izann
I tried it. The page transfers okay, but the php code still comes through without being parsed.:mad:

I tested it on LAMP and on Wamp and in both cases it works, php code is beeing parsed by the webserver.

$filename = "http://localhost/path/to/your/script/friend.php"; @$fd = fopen($filename,"r"); 
while (!feof($fd)) { 
    $data .= fgets($fd, 4096);
}
@fclose($fd);

$MESSAGE = $data;

// ......
?>

[Weedpacket]

Originally posted by izann
This sounds logical; however, I have no idea how to do it. The only thing I can find in the PHP manual is cpdf_output_buffer.

Never heard of that one - something to do with PDF, I guess.

I was referring to the chapter in the manual's function reference entitled "Output Control Functions" - the functions ob_start(), ob_get_contents() and their ilk.

[Todd_MacKay]

Originally posted by izann
This sounds logical; however, I have no idea how to do it. The only thing I can find in the PHP manual is cpdf_output_buffer.

Hi Izann, I built this onto hand's snippet. It usually works for me.

$filename = "http://localhost/path/to/your/script/friend.php"; // so it parses the script
@$fd = fopen($filename,"r");
while (!feof($fd)) {
$data .= fgets($fd, 4096);
}
@fclose($fd);

$MESSAGE = $data;

// ......
// New Stuff

$start_1="echo(\"".$MESSAGE;
$start2=str_replace("<?","\");",$start_1);
$start3=str_replace("?>","echo(\"",$start2);
$start3 .= "\");";

ob_start();
eval($start3);
$MESSAGE = ob_get_contents();
ob_end_clean();

And there's your data. All you have to do is echo is to the screen.

One more thing, if you get a whole whack of eval() warnings/errors, it's probably because you have double quotes (") inside your php file. Unless these are in an actual echo statement, you need to put a backslash in front of them. The other thing that eval doesn't like is <?=$variable?>. Because of the way I parse it, you can't use this. Instead use <? echo $variable; ?>. Hope this works.

[izann]

I solved the problem by reading the files containing code and defining them as variables, which I then included in the message part of the email. I've attached my code if anyone is interested.

This solution enabled me to use just one set of forms to forward any number articles to a third party, identifying the article by code.

Since I am not a real programmer, I'm sure there are some things that might have been done better. I would be interested in any suggestions to streamline or otherwise improve my code. Thanks for all the help.

[noodles]

I have a client who wants to use a single TEXTBOX form to add the body message into an email to all members.

My question is can I set up the TEXTBOX tag using WRAP so the email will have line and paragraph breaks. Or is there a better way to format it?

I don't want him to enter HTML tags - that would be too complicated for him.

Any ideas,
Thanks Noodles 🙂

[izann]

I don't know the answer to that. Maybe someone else will?

[pearlmarley]

I have a client who wants to use a single TEXTBOX form to add the body message into an email to all members.

My question is can I set up the TEXTBOX tag using WRAP so the email will have line and paragraph breaks. Or is there a better way to format it?

I don't want him to enter HTML tags - that would be too complicated for him.

---

What you'll want to do is use <textarea name=whatever></textarea>

Then from there you use

$whatever = nl2br($whatever);

That will take all the Line Breaks and replace them with <br /> in your code.

hope that helps.

[noodles]

Thanks for your reply, but you're 3 years too late!!!