email sent to php script

[Anon]

I need to be able to intercept an email containing a flatfile, and send it to a php script that will automate the process of adding it to the mysql database. Currently I am having to manually edit the emailed flatfile, save it as a text file, upload it to the server, and then run the php script to add the data to the table. I would like to automate the process, has anyone experience with this?
Thanks,
Jim C

[Anon]

Do you have access to the POP server where the mail is
being sent? Can you specify the email account that
is being sent to? PHP has the ability to connect to
POP3 and IMAP servers. As far as the attachments
themselves, you are descending into the Wonderful
World of Mime. There is at least one article here on
that subject, but iirc it's about sending not receiving.

[Anon]

You're saying instead of sending the email to a script, use a script to retrieve it in the first place? That's good, hadn't thought of that. I'll check that angle in the docs and be back. (The script, database, and the email are on the same server)
Jim C

[Anon]

You're confusing me when you say "send email to a script".
The only thing you can send email to is to a mail account.
This implies a POP server or some other kind of mail store.

[Anon]

I receive an email (hundreds,actually) containg a comma-delimited db file. I copy and paste the data from the email and save it as a file, which I upload back to the server. I have a script that parses the file and adds the data to a mysql database. What I want to do is automate the process, so that I never have to touch the email. Thus I "send the email" to a script. What I need to know is how to get the email automatically parsed and added to the mysql database using php. I hope that makes more sense.
Jim C

[Anon]

OK, I understand what you're trying to do, and it
certainly makes sense, but it doesn't help at all
to call it "sending mail to the script" since the
script (as it's running) is just a transient thing
in the memory of your web server; the script
doesn't have (nor can it have) an email address.

But you certainly can have your script retrieve
the email from a POP or IMAP email account
using the imap functions. And you'll certainly
want to set up a dedicated email account
for receiving the data.

Now, if the incoming data is in the body of the
email, you can just retrieve the message and
parse it. But if it's in the form of attachments,
you're going to have to figure out some way
to run it through a MIME decoder.

[Anon]

How about creating a web interface, where they upload the file?? It would make things a lot easier, but I don't know if you can make that kind of change.

[Anon]

I don´t know if this topic is active anymore.
But whta about placing a line like:
[e-mail]: | /dir_to_your_phpfile/phpfile.php

in the etc/aliases...if you have write access to it. You need to compile PHP as CGI. Then it would make sense when you say: "sending email to php-script", because everytime a email arrives on that account the email would be parsed by the PHP-script.

Good luck
Gauss

[Anon]

Actually, your wrong. You can send email to a script, no problem. You can also send email to an email address (or multiple) AND a script. There are many docs on how to accomplish this.

Just don't assume that you can't do something if you haven't tried or are not entirely sure.

[Anon]

What are you talking about? YOU CAN SEND AN EMAIL AND HAVE A SCRIPT RETRIEVE IT UPON SENDING.

I have a script that does this. I can send an email to (for example) [e-mail]. Once sent, my mail server sees that an email was sent to scriptTest and knows to direct that email to a php script (I told it to in the mail alias). The script parses the email, and does what I need it to do with the info.

[autumn]

I just noticed this thread in the archives.

Do you mind explaining where exactly you tell your mail server to forward the email to?

My understanding is that mail servers will only accept forwards/aliases to other email addresses.

I actually need to be able to have a script check a specific email address to retrieve info but I don't want to set up a cron job, I only want the script to run when an email is sent.

thanks
A