How to include a call to a file in PHP mail() function - php

Question

I have the following function for sending an email:
function send_email($email){
$subject = "TITLE";
$message = "HERE IS THE MESSAGE";
// Always set content-type when sending HTML email
$headers = "MIME-Version: 1.0" . "\r\n";
$headers .= "Content-type:text/html;charset=UTF-8" . "\r\n";
// More headers
$headers .= 'From: <emaily>' . "\r\n";
mail($email,$subject,$message,$headers);
}
Instead of $message being a string, I want to call in the file email.html which holds my template.
I have added this:
require 'email.html';
But how can I call in the file?
$message = [call in email.html here]

Answer 1

Require is used when you want to call functions within another php file, or when you want to include some data to an HTTP response.
For this problem, file_get_contents('email.html') is the preferred option. This would be the method I would use:
function send_email($email){
$subject = "Subject of your email";
$message = "";
if(file_exists("email_template.html")){
$message = file_get_contents('email_template.html');
$parts_to_mod = array("part1", "part2");
$replace_with = array($value1, $value2);
for($i=0; $i<count($parts_to_mod); $i++){
$message = str_replace($parts_to_mod[$i], $replace_with[$i], $message);
}
}else{
$message = "Some Default Message";
/* this likely won't ever be called, but it's good to have error handling */
}
// Always set content-type when sending HTML email
$headers = "MIME-Version: 1.0" . "\r\n";
$headers .= "Content-type:text/html;charset=UTF-8" . "\r\n";
// More headers
$headers .= 'From: <doNotReply#myDomain.com>' . "\r\n";
$headers .= "To: <$email>\r\n";
$header .= "Reply-To: doNotReply#myDomain.com\r\n";
mail($email,$subject,$message,$headers);
}
I modified your code a little bit and added in both the file_get_contents and file_exists. file_exists confirms that the file is there. If it's not, it avoids the potential error from trying to read it in and can be changed to use some default. My next addition was a for loop. In the $parts_to_mod array, enter in the default values from the template that need to be replaced. In the $replace_with array, put in the unique values that you want to replace parts of the template with.
As an example where I use this, I have a template URL for one of my programs that says id=IDENTIFIER&hash=THEHASH so in my program, my parts_to_mod says $parts_to_mod = array("IDENTIFIER", "THEHASH"); and my replace_with says $replace_with = array($theUsersIdentifier, $theUsersHash);. It then enters the for-loop and replaces the those values in parts_to_modify with the values in replace_with.
Simple concepts and they make your code much shorter and easier to maintain.
Edit:
Here is some sample code:
Let's the say the template is:
<span>Dear PUTNAMEHERE,</span><br>
<div>PUTMESSAGEHERE</div>
<div>Sincerely,<br>PUTSENDERHERE</div>
So, in your php code you'd say:
$parts_to_mod = array("PUTNAMEHERE", "PUTMESSAGEHERE", "PUTSENDERHERE");
$replace_with = array($name, $theBodyOfYourEmail, $whoYouAre);

Answer 2

just use file_get_contents('email.html') This method returns a string with the file contents

Answer 3

You can use this function to call custom email template.
function email($fields = array(),$name_file, $from, $to) {
if(!empty($name_file)) {
$mail_tem_path = 'templates/mails/mail--'.$name_file.'.php'; //change path of files and type file.
if(file_exists($mail_tem_path)) {
$headers = "MIME-Version: 1.0". "\r\n";
$headers .= "Content-Type: text/html;charset=UTF-8". "\r\n";
// Additional headers
$headers .= "From:".$fields["subject_from"]." <$from>". "\r\n";
$headers .= "Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8Bit". "\r\n";
$message = file_get_contents($mail_tem_path);
$message = preg_replace("/\"/", "'", $message);
foreach ($fields as $field) {
// Replace the % with the actual information
$message = str_replace('%'.$field["name"].'%', $field["value"], $message);
}
$send = mail($to, $fields["subject"], $message, $headers);
} else {
$send = mail($to, "Error read mail template", "Contact with admin to repair this action.");
}
} else {
$send = mail($to, "Error no exist mail template", "Contact with admin to repair this action.");
}
return $send;
}
Template html
<html>
<body>
TODO write content %value_on_array%
</body>
</html>
Array and execute function.
$fields = array(
"subject" => "tienda_seller_subject",
"subject_from" => "tienda_email_subject_from",
0 => array(
"name" => "value_on_array",
"value" => "result before change"
),
);
//email($fields = array(),$name_file, $from, $to);
email($fields, 'admin', 'owner#email.com', 'client#email.com');
Result