Sending email to certain database members

[jbearnolimits]

I'm trying to build something similar to Liondesk. It's a database with contacts and you can put them on their own email campaigns. So if I want to send someone a set of prewritten emails I want to just be able to go to the person's profile and select the campaign from a drop down menu.

I've never attempted this though. I have the database and can add the members with no problem. But I could really use some step by step guidance for getting the email system working.

I'm thinking it would involve cron jobs. But I'm totally new to the idea of those. So maybe my first question is where do I start?

[tangor]

What code language?
What db?
What mail system?

Welcome to Webmasterworld!

[jbearnolimits]

Php, imysql, and I don't know what the mail system is... it's a Linux server and that's all I know.

[tangor]

Don't use PHP, databases are databases, but knowing the mail server is kind of important as there are several out there.

What little server side coding I do is in perl.

Perhaps others on WW will see this again and might have something to offer.

Consider this a BUMP

[Dimitri]

i am not sure what you are asking exactly.

But to send emails from a PHP script, you have this : [php.net...]

However, you'll have to configure SPF, DKIM and DMARC, otherwise your emails will be rejected by Gmail (and other mail servers), or labelled Spam in others.

[en.wikipedia.org...]
[en.wikipedia.org...]
[en.wikipedia.org...]

[jbearnolimits]

I'm probably not explaining it right. I have a database with contacts in it. What I want to do is enter reminders for myself to do things like send them a postcard or something. They won't all have the same reminders because not all will need the same thing. But what I want is for the database/server to email me a reminder for when a task is due.

[mack]

What about setting up an extra table on the DB for this purpose? Simply have an incremental ID, UserID, ReminderText, and ReminderDate each day have a Cron set to run at midnight each night and send the reminder text to you for any reminders that fall within today's date. Or perhaps have the info set to be sent days beforehand depending on the nature of the remainder.

a form you use to populate the database. It created a unique ID for each entry. The UserID of the reminder user, ReminderText described in some detail what you want to be reminded to do and the date you select. Then the cron will run... check for any reminders with today's date. Grab the user information from the members table along with the reminder reason (text) and send you the details for any items with today's date.

I hope I understood your question correctly.

Mack.

[jbearnolimits]

Yes, I think you understand what I am trying to do. The thought had occurred to me to make a new table with the reminder text as well.

I've never done ANYTHING with cron though. I don't even know where to start learning about it. Any help with that?

[mack]

Cron is like a scheduler. You create a script and use crontab to trigger it based in a variable usually a time and/or date. Your web host will probably have a cron manager within their control panel. The specifics of how to use it will probably vary from host to host. Hopefully your host will have some documentation on this.

Mack.