Creating and e-mailing .doc file from MySQL

[Anon]

Hello,

this is what I'm trying to solve these days.

I created a MySQL database for local newspapers. Now I need to form .doc file of one entire edition from MySQL data (yes, 'edition' field is present). That new document must be sent as an attachment to number of e-mail adresses stored in MySQL table.
So, I need an advice to create a .doc file and to develop a way for e-mailing the file in one-click operation ...

TIA

[Anon]

smtp_class.inc and mime_class.inc are available from Wrox's "Professional PHP Programming", along with a good explanation of out to use them...

...but I really don't understand why you would send these HUGE M$word file attachments to multiple email addresses. Why wouldn't you store a link to the .doc file in your database, build a page for that content, and email the link to it? Seems more efficient.

You are headed for major performance problems with the MIME encoding and major bandwith problems with the email.

--ph

[Anon]

There's also the issue that there's not an obvious way to convert data into Microsoft's proprietary .DOC format. Why wouldn't you send a textfile or, if formatting and clickable links are important, HTML mail?

You might be able to find an HTML-to-DOC converter if you're running this on a Microsoft platform. I don't know of any sucb beast for Unix; the converter I do know about is designed to liberate data from the .DOC format.

HTML mail, on the other hand, is easy to format and you can be fairly certain that your recipient will be able to read it.