Email Using PHP

[AJArmstron]

Hello. I want to run a webpage so it can send emails from forms filled in (such as examples using the below code) which uses the mail() function.

<?php
$to = "[e-mail]";
$subject = "Test mail";
$message = "Hello! This is a simple email message.";
$from = "[e-mail]";
$headers = "From: $from";
mail($to,$subject,$message,$headers);
echo "Mail Sent.";
?>

However, I cannot get any messages sent out using this!
I appreciate that PHP requires an installed and working email system, however, what exactly do I need to do to get a email sent from and to any computer. Can it be done?

Many thanks.

[djjjozsi]

Where are you testing this code? On localhost servers the configured email is not a usual.

[AJArmstron]

I am testing the mail() function on a computer at my house!

You write "On localhost servers the configured email is not a usual."

Do you mean on localhost servers it is not possible to configure email (i.e. use the php mail() function)?:queasy:

[Pikachu2000]

It's possible, but even if you do configure it, your messages will be rejected by by most SMTP servers for SPAM-prevention reasons. On the up side, if you get a bounce message back, you know the script worked . . . 🙂

[bradgrafelman]

For test purposes at home, you could always try using your ISP's SMTP server and using your home e-mail address as the 'From' header for the e-mails you're sending.

Note, however, that most home ISP's require SMTP authentication - a feature that PHP's internal mail() function doesn't support. For this reason (and many others), I don't use the mail() function at all and instead use 3rd party classes such as PHPMailer.