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schedule email with php -- possible???

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  • 28-07-2004 6:31pm
    #1
    ChicoMendez
    Registered Users Posts: 648 ✭✭✭


    Hi,
    can any one tell me is it possible, if im sending and email from a php form to in some way flag the smtp server not to send it until a certain time .ie 1 day or 5days time??

    Tnx


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    #2
    nahdoic
    Registered Users Posts: 944 ✭✭✭nahdoic


    I'm curious as to why you want to do this? Yes I am nosey.


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    #3
    steve-hosting36
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,161 ✭✭✭steve-hosting36


    You could script it to write the submissions to a file or database, then have another script that checks the timestamps every 5 minutes? and sends email based on a schedule, etc...


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    #4
    Johnny Versace
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,166 ✭✭✭Johnny Versace


    Why not just do it simply -

    1. Write your script.
    2. Set up a cronjob.


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    #5
    ChicoMendez
    Registered Users Posts: 648 ✭✭✭ChicoMendez


    Johnny, steve
    indded they are solutions.

    however i was just wondering if it was possible to edit the header info of an email so as its not sent until a certain time.... would be so much easier ey?


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    #6
    mneylon
    Registered Users Posts: 7,739 ✭✭✭mneylon


    The only way you can do it realistically is using cron. Either cron it to send the mail at set intervals, or to query a database or whatever to send it. Email headers do not allow you to schedule emails.

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    #7
    steve-hosting36
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,161 ✭✭✭steve-hosting36


    Changing the header will effect the date the end user sees for the mail receipt, it wont effect when they actually receive it.


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    #8
    mneylon
    Registered Users Posts: 7,739 ✭✭✭mneylon


    Originally posted by steve-hosting36
    Changing the header will effect the date the end user sees for the mail receipt, it wont effect when they actually receive it.
    Not even.
    You can only forge so much of it.
    You can spoof the sending time from the sending user, but you can't do much about the email servers along the way, as they will automatically add their info to it.
    The only time I've seen something "break" that is when email got trapped on a mail server just before it was taken offline or shutdown. As soon as it came back online it started processing its queue, even though the mails were now completely out of sync with everyone else (in one case over 18 months).

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    #9
    seamus
    Registered Users Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    Loading any mails into a DB and cron jobs sound like the best option. If you want a form whereby you put in the time that you want the mail to send, then set the cron job to run every 5 minutes or so, and send out any mails on or within 2.5 mins of that time.

    If this is really something that you absolutely must have, look into writing your scripts in ASP/VBScript and using an Exchange server - if you have access to the software. Exchange allows you to schedule mails for delivery at a certain time, and there are modules written for ASP/Exchange interaction.


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