php send mail help

TriedandTested · 21 Oct 2007 at 12:48

I'm trying to recreate a form that will send an email with the content that the user gives in the various fields. I've never done this before and need help.

I've recreated a form in Dreamweaver from the customer's previous site, but i need to code the submit button to send it over to them via email.

The send button's value is currently: <input name="Submit" type="submit" value="Send Details"> but on testing it is asking for a send.php file (which i don't have).

Thank you

SiriusB · 21 Oct 2007 at 12:55

Look at the beginning of the form code, it will look like:

<form action="send.php" method="post">

When you click submit the server is expecting a send.php file to be present which will handle the request.

TriedandTested · 21 Oct 2007 at 12:58

Ok, it has the following:

<form name="form1" method="post" action="valuation_send.php">

Where would the php script be stored on the site? I don't have their FTP details yet so can't log on and find it that way. Could it be anywhere or only in a certain place (eg local to the page you're on)?

EDIT If i put in the website then the 'valuation_send.php' (eg www.mysite.com/valuation_send.php) it immediately forwards to a thank you page so i presume that's the location of the php code, but i can't grab it using Flashget or anything like that.

SiriusB · 21 Oct 2007 at 13:01

The "action" attribute expects a path... so if you only have the file name it is safe to assume the valuation_send.php is local to the contact/email page.

Once you have the FTP details you should be able to see all the .php files the old site uses [and can probably reuse some of it - if that is allowed.].

TriedandTested · 21 Oct 2007 at 13:06

I thought that may be the case. Thanks SiriusB.

malfunkshun · 21 Oct 2007 at 13:45

Why is it php anyway? I always use a small java script for submission forms. Is php better?

TriedandTested · 21 Oct 2007 at 14:09

What script do you use?

SiriusB · 21 Oct 2007 at 16:54

Javascript is client-side... I didn't know you could use it to send emails.

That aside, PHP is better. For a start you're stuck if the user has Javascript disabled. PHP is server-side, so it doesn't matter what configuration the client has.

marc2003 · 21 Oct 2007 at 17:31

malfunkshun said:
Why is it php anyway? I always use a small java script for submission forms. Is php better?

how does that work? :confused:

you need an smtp server/server side scripting language to send mail via a form.

wesley · 21 Oct 2007 at 17:39

marc2003, check your email

boycee · 22 Oct 2007 at 16:15

marc2003 said:
how does that work?

you need an smtp server/server side scripting language to send mail via a form.

A java "script" not javascript

I'm assuming he uses javamail? if he is using javascript I'm fairly sure that behind closed doors it's hitting a perl or server side script (well it has to be lol).

marc2003 · 22 Oct 2007 at 16:17

boycee said:
A java "script" not javascript

me goes to specsavers. i didn't see the space between java and script.

malfunkshun · 22 Oct 2007 at 19:01

No, it is a java script, well applet. It basically opens the site visitors email client, puts whatever data they put on the webpage form in an email and sends it.

Butters · 22 Oct 2007 at 19:39

malfunkshun said:
No, it is a java script, well applet. It basically opens the site visitors email client, puts whatever data they put on the webpage form in an email and sends it.

Old Skool!

malfunkshun · 22 Oct 2007 at 20:43

Butters said:
Old Skool!

aye, and reliable (well as reliable as the visitor clicking yes to allow the browser to open and send the email)

boycee · 22 Oct 2007 at 20:58

Code:

<a href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=THESUBJECT&[email protected]&[email protected]&body=BODY">EMAIL</a>

So it's basically just a link, constructed with js.

Very naughty though, basically what if....

A) web based email client (googlemail, aol, yahoo, hotmail etc...)

B) Public internet

C) work pc

D) Not your own pc (you want a reply address right?)

E) Hello spammer bots!

SiriusB · 22 Oct 2007 at 21:07

F) Browser has JS and Java disabled.

boycee · 22 Oct 2007 at 21:11

Try this... Although I have kinda pseudo coded it, so might need some tweaking....

sendEmail.html

Code:

<form method="get" action="sendMail.php">
    <input type="text" name="replyAddy" size="95">
    <textarea name="body" rows="2" cols="20"></textarea>
    <INPUT TYPE=SUBMIT VALUE="submit">
</form>

sendMail.php

PHP:

<?php
if((isset($_GET['replyAddy']) && isset($_GET['body'])) || !validEmail($_GET['replyAddy']) || naughtyBody($_GET['body'])) 
{
	$to      = '[email protected]';
	$subject = 'WEB ENQUIRY';
	$message = $_GET['body']);
	$headers = 'From: '.$_GET['replyAddy']. "\r\n" .
	    'Reply-To: '.$_GET['replyAddy']. "\r\n" .
	    'X-Mailer: PHP/' . phpversion();

	mail($to, $subject, $message, $headers);
}
?>

SiriusB · 22 Oct 2007 at 21:23

Only thing I would do differently is changing GET to POST. Other than that looks good.

You may also want to include some validation.

boycee · 22 Oct 2007 at 21:31

SiriusB said:
Only thing I would do differently is changing GET to POST. Other than that looks good.

You may also want to include some validation.

Good shout on the get, that was me being a bit lazy!

Validation on email and body obv I haven't written, that can be fun for the OP to do