Variables inserted into email message from database - php

Question

So I am sending an email in codeigniter where the message is coming from the database.
What I am wanting to do, is put the posted variables into the html formatted email in the database.
For sending the email I have the following in my controller:
$this->load->library('email');
$this->load->model('cms');
$message = $this->cms->Order_Email();
$this->email->from('info#candykingdom.org', 'Candy Kingdom');
$this->email->to($this->input->post('billingEmail'));
$this->email->subject('Order Confirmation');
$this->email->message($message->content);
$this->email->send();
Now a portion of my email that comes from the database is:
<td>
<p>Hi</p>
<p>Sometimes all you want is to send a simple HTML email with a basic design.</p>
<h1>Really simple HTML email template</h1>
...
I am trying to make the <p>Hi</p> line turn into: <p>Hi John,</p> I have tried changing that line to the following:
<p>Hi <?php echo $this->input->post('billingFname'); ?>,</p>
as well as:
<p>Hi '.$this->input->post('billingFName").',</p>
But in the completed and sent email it displays just like the above in the email. Without replacing the php with the actual variable.
So what I am asking is, what do I type in the stored email message to make the php code replace the php with the actual variable?
For examples, let's use John as $this->input->post('billingFName');
Just a thought
Maybe this would be better achieved with a templating library? like this:
https://github.com/philsturgeon/codeigniter-template

Answer 1

A common approach I've seen is using vars you substitute via str_replace:
The html of your email has some vars you know to substitute, as #USERNAME#. In your db you store
<td>
<p>Hi #USERNAME#</p>
<p>Sometimes all you want is to send a simple HTML email with a basic design.</p>
<h1>Really simple HTML email template</h1>
Then, you change #USERNAME# via a str_replace when you get it from the DB:
$message->content = str_replace( '#USERNAME#', $var_with_username, $message->content );
You may even use arrays in your str_replace, to subsitute as many vars as you want, check http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.str-replace.php#refsect1-function.str-replace-examples for more info.