Email with body from sql field

[markfc]

Hi,

I have some stored email templates in a Microsoft SQL Table called emails

In the table I have fields for email_subject and email_body

In the body is a standard html email template such as Dear $name, blah blah

If I use ;

$name = Joe Bloggs

$body = $crm_email_body ;

$success = mail("$to", "$subject", "$body", "$header");

The mail works fine but the $name doesn't change to "Joe Blogs" it stays as $name

Is there a way around this?

Thanks

Mark

[devinemke]

use [man]str_replace[/man] to replace the placeholders in your template

[markfc]

Hi Thanks for that.

I've tried using that, and while it works, that means having to change the php if the required fields change.

Is there no other way?

[devinemke]

not sure i understand you. you have a string template with placeholders. you need to fill in the placeholders with the data specifc to the outgoing mail. use [man]str_replace[/man]. what exactly is the problem?

$template = 'Hi may name is [name]';
$name = 'Joe Smith';
$template = str_replace('[name]', $name, $template);
echo $template;

to make things easier you could strore all of the placeholders in an array and do multiple searchs/replaces at once .

[markfc]

Hi, Sorry for the confusion.

The reason I put the e-mail templates into a database so that users could change them without me having to do anything.

Now if they use a field/placeholder that I haven't str_replace'd obviously the template won't work. I could do every possible field but there are lots of possibilities.

Thanks

Mark

[devinemke]

i suggest you implement a very specific set of rules for these templates for your users to follow. outline a list of fields that can be used and store them in an array that can be looped and replaced easily.

$fields = array(
'[first_name]',
'[last_name]',
'[email]'
);

$template = 'Hi may name is [first_name] [last_name]. my email address is [email]';

$replacements = array(
'first_name' => 'Joe',
'last_name' => 'Smith',
'email' => '[e-mail]'
);

$template = str_replace($fields, $replacements, $template);
echo $template;

[markfc]

Mmm I know I'm mad letting users have access to change anything but this will work nicely.

Thanks again for your help!

Mark