PHP Automated Mailing List Tutorial
Solving business problems requires that you have automated mailing lists. Automated mailing lists can save thousands of hours of tedious work. With a PHP automated mailing list you can push a button and instantly update your customers with late breaking news about your products, services and sales. Creating a PHP automated mailing list is not a difficult process. However, it helps significantly to have a working knowledge of HyperText Markup Language (HTML), PHP and MySQL to implement it.
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Instructions
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Create three php files to store the code for the email subscription script, the mailer script and the database connection script Create one MySQL database table to store the email addresses of those that subscribe or are on the mailing list.
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Write the PHP code for the database connection script such that it includes a function that will let the PHP code connect and access the MySQL database table. Also include in this script a function that will access the MySQL database table and will search it for the email address and return the result of the search.
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Write the code for the PHP email subscription script such that it will generate a form that will request the visitor to either enter the their email into the subscriber list (the MySQL database table) or delete their email address from the subscriber list. Use two buttons in the form to have the visitor select to indicate if they want to subscribe to the database or delete their subscription. Use HTML scripts (within this PHP file) to code the form. Code one function in this PHP script to add the email address to the subscriber list if the visitor requests to be a subscriber to the email list. Code a another function in this PHP script to delete the email address from the MySQL database table if the visitor selects the delete subscription button.
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Write the code for the PHP mailer script such that it will generate a form that requests the mailing list administrator to enter the text message to send to everyone on the mailing list. Use HTML scripts to code this form. Include in the code a call to the MySQL database connection in the PHP database connection script so that the PHP code can retrieve each of the email addresses in the MySQL table (subscription list). Write the MySQL script such that it will access the MySQL table and mail the text message entered to each email address (via the PHP mail method).
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Create the MySQL table with fields for the email address and the index ID number that is automatically assigned when the email addresses are added or deleted from the table
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Tips & Warnings
For the actual code to use for the implementation of your PHP automated mailing list you can use code presented in the links in the resource section below. Different PHP mailing lists presented offer different features. You can make very simple automated email lists that will only send text or very complicated ones that will send all types of file attachments as well as provide advanced email features such as email receipt requests and text formatting functions.
Although many web hosting service providers offer PHP and MySQL support, not all might have configured their PHP and MySQL configuration files for support of specific PHP and MySQL versions or functions you might need. This will result in your script not working and frustrating errors. Try your mail scripts with different hosting providers to find out if the hosting providers have their server side files configured for the automatic email functionality you need.
References
- YouTube; PHP Tutorials: Create a Mailing List (Part 1)'; PhpAcademy
- YouTube; PHP Tutorials: Create a Mailing List (Part 2); PhpAcademy
- YouTube; PHP Tutorials: Create a Mailing List (Part 3)' Phpacademy
- YouTube; PHP Tutorial: Mailing List [Part 00]; BetterPHP
- YouTube; PHP Tutorial: Mailing List [Part 01]' BetterPHP
- YouTube; PHP Tutorial: Mailing List [Part 02]; Betterphp
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
