mail() issue

[shawjames]

So my webhost changed to Apache 2, and did some other changed to the SMTP. Now mail scripts that send email from PHP do not properly display the "from", instead they display some default email address for our account.

So I use this, and put in some yahoo.com address, it works just fine:

mail ("[e-mail]","test subj","test body","[e-mail]");

I use this, and it works fine:

mail ("[e-mail]","test subj","test body","[e-mail]");

I use this, and it displays a strange default as the "from" email. It looks like: "[e-mail]"

mail ("[e-mail]","test subj","test body","[e-mail]");

Any idea how to fix this?

[NogDog]

The 4th parameter must consist of a set of fully formed mail headers, separated by "\r\n", not just an email address:

mail("[e-mail]","test subj","test body","From: [e-mail]");

// ...or...

$headers  = "From: [e-mail]\r\n";
$headers .= "Reply-To: [e-mail]\r\n";
$headers .= "X-Mailer: PHP/" . phpversion();

mail("[e-mail]","test subj","test body", $headers);

[shawjames]

I tried with those headers and it is the same result.

[shawjames]

Still having this issue. My webhost got back to me, and said they just upgraded to Apache2, and this is how it is. Sure does not make any sense...

This command works correctly:

mail ("[e-mail]","subj","body","[e-mail]");

Where "[e-mail]" is any email address that is not one of my domains on this account.

This command, however, does not work correctly:

mail ("[e-mail]","subj","body","[e-mail]");

The "from" shows up to be some standard default address that is like: [e-mail]

They told me I can specify any other email address as the "from", but not my own. Is this really a requirement in Apache2, or do they just dont know?

[NogDog]

As I stated above, neither one is valid. The 4th parameter to mail() is not a "from" email address; it is one or more mail headers (separated by "\r\n"). The proper format in either case would be:

mail("[e-mail]", "subj", "body", "From: [e-mail]");

Additionally, if on a Windows host, you can set the PHP sendmail_from configuration option:

ini_set('sendmail_from', '[e-mail]');
mail("[e-mail]", "subj", "body");

PS: I find it much easier to keep my sanity by using PHPMailer or other similar ready-made mailer classes to handle all the details.

[shawjames]

Sorry, you are right... I was going that, but I still get the same result.

This command:

mail("[e-mail]", "subj", "body", "From: [e-mail]");

Sends an email, and the email received shows the from address as something formatted like: "[e-mail]", instead of the From: header.

I also tried this:
ini_set('sendmail_from', '[e-mail]');
mail("[e-mail]", "subj", "body");

And get the same result.

Again, if I put some other email in as the From: header, it works just fine.

so this command:

mail("[e-mail]", "subj", "body", "From: [e-mail]");

works just fine, and the email received shows up as from "[e-mail]"... as long as anydomain is not one of mine on this account...

[NogDog]

That's just weird.

All I can suggest (until someone can explain why) is to add a Reply-To header, so at least replies will go to the right address:

$headers = "From: [e-mail]\r\nReply-To: [e-mail]";
mail($to, $subj, $body, $headers);

[RGL]

Not sure if this means anything to you or not but I get the same thing unless the person filling out the form actually enters an e-mail address. If they don't I get something like [e-mail] or some bs like that.

If they do give me an e-mail address then I'll get that. Problem with that is that it can be anything that may be placed in the field such as [e-mail].

Regardless I need a way to check and see if something was added in the e-mail box and would like to make it so that the form cannot be submitted until there is something there. I do not have a back end db validating anything so I'm not worried about validating every detail I just want to be sure something is there.

Can someone help me with that?

Here is what the code looks like except that I have multiple fields but didn't think you'd want to see it all. If you need it let me know and I can post it:

<form method="post" action="sales_request_send.php" enctype="application/x-www-form-urlencoded">
<table border="0">
<tr><td colspan="2" width="500">&nbsp;</td></tr>
<tr>
	<td valign="top">E-mail:</td>
	<td align="left"><input type="text" name="email" value size="30"></td>
</tr>

[shawjames]

My issue had to do with my webhost. They did some upgrades and had something screwy going on. Fixed now!

I have your issue as well, best to add some sort of validate check like:
function validateEmail($string){
if((!strstr($string, "@")) ||
(!strstr($string, ".")) ||
(strlen($string) < 6)) {
return false;

		} else {
			return true;
		}
	}

We get many people who just enter in their AOL username, so that check helps with that.

Also, good idea to have them enter in their email twice.