Email alias to web

[zzz]

I'd like to be able to provide my members with email address alias so that they could provide this email address and when the message is sent to that address I'd like to be able to store tit in the db for them to be able to access it online via Private Messaging System.

Currently each user is assigned a unique alpha code, say, something like: SHHGTS.
So the email would be: [e-mail]

I am not even sure where to begin with this. It is possible there are classes or scripts that do just that but I'm unaware of those. I have a dedicated server, so I am sure it is possible.

Desperately need a nudge in the right direction.

[rsmith]

If you want to utilize an e-mail system I'm pretty sure you're going to need to setup MX records for your domain and postfix if you wish to use it as a true e-mail address... i.e sending from [e-mail] to [e-mail].

If you're looking to simply do intrasite (your site only) messaging and require users to visit the site before hand and login, a PM system is fairly simple. It's just a matter of designing your database with the right tables. When someone sends a message to a user it goes into a messaging database with the following (or similar) information

+----+------------+--------------+----------+----------+
| ID |  SENDER_ID | RECIPIENT_ID | SUBJECT  | MESSAGE  |
+----+------------+--------------+----------+----------+

Keep in mind you'll populate these fields through other queries you've done to retrieve this information anyway.

Next you need to generate a notification mechanism such as a pop-up alert when the user logs in; e-mail - again this would require postfix but not necessarily an MX record because you'd only be sending out; text message via an SMS gateway or hack workaround.

I did something similar for a web-based service system I was working on for a company that allowed for inter-office communication. Worked out nicely. May not have been the next big thing, but they were happy with it.