How to use php to send multiple emails at a time

[kuau]

On a website users can select categories of what information they want to receive from the various members, ie. if they select category 'Flowers', their request is emailed only to members in the Flowers category who can then respond directly to the user.

I know how to:

SELECT email FROM members WHERE category = 'Flowers';

but what is the best way to mail an email message using php to all the email addresses that are listed in the result?

And what if they select more than one category?

Thanks! e

[thetestingsite]

Something like this perhaps? Change $_POST to $_GET if needed.

<?php
 include('db_connect.php'); //connect to your db

 if (isset($_POST['categories'])) { //make the checkmarks with name categories[]
  foreach ($_POST['categories'] as $cat) {
   $email_query = mysql_query("SELECT email FROM members WHERE `category` = '" . $cat . "'");

   if (mysql_num_rows($email_query)) {
    while ($email = mysql_fetch_array($email_query)) {
      mail($email, 'Subject','Message Goes Here', "From: <noreply@domain.com>");
    }
   }
  }
 }
?>

This is just a basic script for you to learn from. Let me know if you need any more help with this.
Hope this helps.

[kuau]

Dear TestingSite: It's great to hear from you!! I was wondering how you were doing. I have to get some sleep right now but as soon as I wake up I'll make an attempt at this.

One question that occurs is how do I send myself a copy of the email only once?

Thanks for the help and I'm so glad you are still on the scene.

[thetestingsite]

Just add the mail function just outside the foreach loop (before the last } ).

Hope this helps.

[kuau]

Sorry for the long delay but a million things happened in between and I am just able to get back to it now.

Here is the code that displays the categories in the form:

<input type="checkbox" name="categories[]" value="'.$row['cat_id'].'">' .$row['category']

Here is the code adapted from your code above:

$subject2 = "Maui Wedding Club Information Request"; 
$headers2 = "From: Maui Wedding Club <noreply@mauiweddingclub.com>\n";

include_once('db-connect.php'); 

if (isset($_POST['categories'])) { //make the checkmarks with name categories[]
	foreach ($_POST['categories'] as $cat) {
	  $email_query = mysql_query("SELECT email FROM members WHERE member_id IN(SELECT member_id FROM membercat WHERE `cat_id` = '" . $cat . "'"));
	
	  if (mysql_num_rows($email_query)) {
		  while ($to_member = mysql_fetch_array($email_query)) {
			  mail($to_member, $subject2, $body2, $headers2);
		  }//end while
	  }//endif
	}//end foreach
	mail(info@mauiweddingclub.com, $subject2, $body2, $headers2);
}//endif

1) Is there a way to test the mailing without sending out any messages but still showing me where the messages would have been sent and what they would look like?

2) I suspect there will be a problem with the value of $cat which needs to be equal to the cat_id (an integer) but it looks as if it would be cat_id joined with category name. The membercat table has only 2 fields: member_id and cat_id so category description is not in that table.

3) When you click Reply to a noreply@domain.com address, does it always let you know immediately that the message cannot go? I find with forms, people often Reply instead of clicking on the client's email link.

As soon as I get this form working I can launch the site, so I am very eager. Thanks for any assistance. Mahalo!

[JShor]

You could just echo all of the inputted variables, wouldn't that work?
That way, it shows what the email would've looked like.

echo $body2; 

[djr33]

In general, PHP emails are like regular emails-- you can send it to as many people as you want using the standard format (I think it's just a comma, but look that up to be sure).
So, basically all you need to do is gather a link however you'd like and then put it in the mail() function. You can use cc and bcc as well, if you'd like. The documentation is all at php.net.

For what you want specifically, though, you'll find explode() and implode() useful (for getting the information out of the database into an array, then back into a list form separated by commas), and you can just use arrays-- get as many lists as arrays as you want, then merge the arrays and you can sort/delete duplicates easily using the basic array functions (see php.net for that, too).

If you've already got what you need from above, then that's fine-- if not, here's some more to give an idea at how you can approach things in general.

[kuau]

Dear JShor:

You're right, but I was able to see what it looked like anyway because I was able to get it to send to me even though it wouldn't send to anyone from a category. So I have the email looking the way I want now. But these lines don't work..

if (mysql_num_rows($email_query)) {
		  while ($to_member = mysql_fetch_array($email_query)) {
			  mail($to_member, $subject2, $body2, $headers2);
		  }//end while
	  }//endif

I've never seen msysql_num_rows used like that... is that a proper command?

Back to the drawing board.

[kuau]

Dear Daniel:

I like the approach you are suggesting. I'm heading to php.net now to read up on implode/explode. I have a few gaps in my understanding about arrays and loops. I'm embarrassed to be labeled 'Senior Coder' when I'm just an amateur who asks a lot of questions. Thanks for your help. e

[djr33]

Not a problem. Arrays and loops can get confusing (especially when you're doing a lot of layers on a complex project), but implode and explode are very easy. The only trouble with them is that they don't always work for everything you need to do-- but if they do it's a fast and efficient way to process lists. But also don't be afraid to get into arrays and loops at some point because they are very useful and once you understand how they work it will open a lot of possibilities for you.