sending mail containing news headlines from a database

ali_p

Hi,
I am putting together a newsletter to mail to a mailing list of less that 100 names. I would like to send an html email to all members listing the news headlines for this months issue. Before i send the newsletter i want to see all the headlies and then hit 'send' thus mailing out the newsletter to the names in my subscribers database. I've gotton as far as building a form with subject and message field but i am stuck on getting the headlines to send with the form, (they are not coming through when i recieve the mail.)
Also i want these headlines to link to the appropiate article on my website.
Below is the code i've been playing with but i would rather try another angle, if anyone has any suggestions.
Many Thanks

//connect to database
$conn = mysql_connect( "host", "username", "p/word")
or die(mysql_error());
mysql_select_db("ab_db", $conn) or die(mysql_error());

//get email from the subscribers list
$sql = "select *
FROM newsletter";
$result = mysql_query($sql,$conn) or die(mysql_error());

//test to try and pull stuff out of database
while ($row =mysql_fetch_array($result)){
$headline = $row['headline'];
}

if ($_POST['op'] != "send" ){
//haven't seen the form , so show it
print "
<html>
<head>
<title>Mock Newsletter</title>

</head>

<body>

<h3>Send a Newsletter</h3>

<form method =\"POST\" action=\"$_SERVER[PHP_SELF]\" name=\"message\">
<p><strong>Subject</strong><br>
<input type=\"text\" name=\"subject\" size=30>
</p>
<p><strong><a href=\"http://localhost/unitech/docs/newsletter/mock_newsletter.php\">$headline</a></strong><br></p>
<p><strong>Content</strong><br>
<textarea name=\"message\" cols=50 rows=10 wrap=virtual></textarea>
</p>
<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"op\" value=\"send\">
<p><input type=\"submit\" name=\"send\" value=\"Send\"></p>

</form>

</body>
</html>";
}else if ($POST['op'] == "send"){
//want to send form so check for required fields
if (($POST['subject'] == "")|| ($_POST['message'] == "")){
header("Location: mailnews.php");
}

//connect to database
$conn = mysql_connect( "host", "username", "p/word")
or die(mysql_error());
mysql_select_db("unitech", $conn) or die(mysql_error());

//get email from the subscribers list
$sql = "select email
FROM newsletter_subscribers";
$result = mysql_query($sql,$conn) or die(mysql_error());

//create a From: mail header
$headers = "MIME-Version: 1.0\r\n";
$headers .= "Content-type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1\r\n";
$headers = "From: Your Mailing List\n";
//loop through results and send mail
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)){
set_time_limit(0);
$email = $row['email'];
mail("$email", stripslashes($POST['subject']),
stripslashes($POST['message']), $headers);
print "Newsletter sent to: $email<br>";
}
}

paulnaj

Possibly this bit ...

$headers = "MIME-Version: 1.0\r\n";
$headers .= "Content-type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1\r\n";
$headers = "From: Your Mailing List\n";

... should be ...

$headers = "MIME-Version: 1.0\r\n";
$headers .= "Content-type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1\r\n";
$headers .= "From: Your Mailing List\n";

(the third line should have '.=' not just =')

ali_p

I don't think thats the problem here, my headers are coming through no problem. I think the problem is with just the code itself i don't think the form is much good here. I need to make the database results send to the recipient. Has anyone seen this kind of application work.
Many thanks

leatherback

Hi,

Your problem is that you pull the record from the database. But then you do not do anything with it!

if ($_POST['op'] != "send" ){ 
//haven't seen the form , so show it 
print " 
<html> 
<head> 
<title>Mock Newsletter</title> 
</head> 

<body> 

<h3>Send a Newsletter</h3> 


<form method =\"POST\" action=\"$_SERVER[PHP_SELF]\" name=\"message\"> 
<p><strong>Subject</strong><br> 
<input type=\"text\" name=\"subject\" size=30> 
</p> 
<p><strong><a href=\"http://localhost/unitech/docs/newsletter/mock_newsletter.php\">$headline</a></strong><br></p> 
<p><strong>Content</strong><br> 
<textarea name=\"message\" cols=50 rows=10 wrap=virtual>$headline</textarea> 
</p> 
<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"op\" value=\"send\"> 
<p><input type=\"submit\" name=\"send\" value=\"Send\"></p> 

</form> 

</body> 
</html>"; 
}

ali_p

Yes i pull the record out of the database. But i wish to show one field of that record ('headline'),which is a link to the whole article, then when the recipient recives the newsletter they may click on the headline and enter my site and read the article. I don't know exactly how to send the 'headlines' to my recipients, it needs to be somehow in a form so that when i am ready i can hit 'send newsletter' and off it goes.

Many thanks

ali_p

OK you know when you start a thread here on php builder and post it. When someone has answer your thread you recieve an email that kindly informs you that 'so and so has replyed to your thread..... you can view it at.....' and then the link to the reply. I want to create a mail like this.

Like the php builder reply it will only be sent to the recipient when an action has been taken, in this case when the administrator hits 'send'.

I hope this is clearer, thanks