Reply email to html or bb script?

[zoobie]

I've been looking around for a reply email to html or bulletin board script that I guess would entail checking a mailbox...but really don't know.

Suggestions/comments?

Thanks 😃

[raymie]

There are several ways to do this but I would say that checking the mailbox is a bad one unless you assigned a dedicated POP account for this purpose.

The host I use (see the sig line) has in my opinion a more flexible option. I can via a text file specifiy what is to happen to each email based on the recipient (I can also have other POP boxes but this is not really needed).

What I do is have several email addresses assigned to a script and so when the email arrives the mail client automatically runs the script passing into it the email.

This allows me to process emails as they arrive without the need for a scheduled task to do so.

Ask your service provider, could be that they will offer a similar ability.

[zoobie]

So, you're basically filtering the reply email per it's subject or sender and telling your client to run a script accordingly? Is the reply posted in a text file on your site or is it posted in a html page? I was hoping to post the reply and their address into a bulletin board or at least a html styled table for all then to read. I haven't chosen a host as of yet...

Thanks 😃

PS - The script I found here just posts into a text file after checking a pop email account...but your method sounds more flexible.

[zoobie]

raymie or anyone?

[raymie]

I am not sure if we are quite talking about the same things.

The provider I use (see sig line and for info I do not work for them, just advertise their service since it is so good) provides a method for dealing with emails.

My understanding is that they have developed this addition themselves to the mail server.

Basically for each account I can upload a text file called .redirect and in that I can specify the handling of emails. (A web panel interface to the file is anticipated soon), I can redirect the email elsewhere (to one or more addresses), igore the mail, bouce the mail, autoreply with a fixed text file or send the email to a program (or any combination of these).

What I like to do for some systems is use a script to handle the emails, the script interprets the email and then handles it as required this can be any action including updating databases, uploading web pages, replying to the sender etc...

I am against systems which try to be interactive by using a cron job to check for new mail against a POP box because there tends to always be a delay in the processing of email, even if only a few minutes and on the sites which do this I tend to find it annoying (expecially an email based forum site I use).

If the flexibility of my supplier sounds like what you need then I would suggest giving them a try, if memory serves they offer a trial period so if you don't like them you can always get a refund.

I am sure that others may provide a similar flexibility but I have yet to find one.

If you do contact my host then please mention that I sent you , might get me some brownie points <grin>

[raymie]

oh, by the way,

If you decide you need what is provided by my host and go that route then give me a shout at [e-mail] and I will help you with a sample email script if you need it.

I may be able to help with other hosts, but they will do doubt do things slighty differently and so I could not be sure.

[zoobie]

So, what are the other ways to do this? 😃

[raymie]

You have already stated the alternative.

To respond to incoming emails you have two options

• Trigger the script by the receipt of the email
• Run a script periodically to check for emails

I only use the first option since the second builds in a delay which can cause problems such a people sending emails to replies which have already been dealt with.