PHP - Use Case 5: Sending Emails Using PHP (Contact Form with Email Notification)

PHP – Use Case 5: Sending Emails Using PHP (Contact Form with Email Notification)

Project Overview

Implementing a Contact Form with Email Notifications allows users to send messages directly from your website, which are then emailed to a designated recipient. This project covers form handling, input validation, email sending using PHP’s mail() function, and security best practices.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following:

Web Server: Apache (using XAMPP, WAMP, or MAMP)
PHP: Version 7.4 or higher
Code Editor: VS Code, Sublime Text, PHPStorm, etc.
Email Server Configuration: For sending emails (PHP’s mail() function requires a configured mail server; alternatively, use libraries like PHPMailer for SMTP).

Step-by-Step Procedure

1. Setting Up the Development Environment

Install XAMPP:
- Download from XAMPP Official Website.
- Follow the installation wizard and install it in the default directory.
Start Apache:
- Open the XAMPP Control Panel.
- Start the Apache module.

2. Creating the Project Structure

Organize your project files as follows:

contact-form/
├── assets/
│   ├── css/
│   │   └── styles.css
│   └── js/
│       └── scripts.js
├── templates/
│   ├── header.php
│   └── footer.php
├── contact.php
├── send_mail.php
└── README.md

3. Creating Reusable Templates

a. Header (`templates/header.php`)

<?php
// templates/header.php
?>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <title>Contact Us</title>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/contact-form/assets/css/styles.css">
</head>
<body>
    <header>
        <h1>Contact Us</h1>
        <nav>
            <a href="/contact-form/contact.php">Home</a>
        </nav>
    </header>
    <main>

b. Footer (`templates/footer.php`)

<?php
// templates/footer.php
?>
    </main>
    <footer>
        <p>&copy; <?php echo date("Y"); ?> Your Company Name</p>
    </footer>
    <script src="/contact-form/assets/js/scripts.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

4. Styling the Application (`assets/css/styles.css`)

Add basic styles to enhance the appearance.

/* assets/css/styles.css */

body {
    font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
    margin: 0;
    padding: 0;
}

header, footer {
    background-color: #0066cc;
    color: #fff;
    padding: 10px 20px;
}

header h1, footer p {
    margin: 0;
}

nav a {
    color: #fff;
    margin-right: 15px;
    text-decoration: none;
}

main {
    padding: 20px;
}

form {
    max-width: 600px;
    margin: auto;
}

.form-group {
    margin-bottom: 15px;
}

label {
    display: block;
    margin-bottom: 5px;
}

input[type="text"],
input[type="email"],
textarea {
    width: 100%;
    padding: 8px;
    box-sizing: border-box;
}

button {
    padding: 10px 15px;
    background-color: #28a745;
    color: #fff;
    border: none;
    cursor: pointer;
}

button:hover {
    background-color: #218838;
}

.error {
    background-color: #f8d7da;
    color: #842029;
    padding: 15px;
    margin-bottom: 20px;
    border: 1px solid #f5c2c7;
    border-radius: 4px;
}

.success {
    background-color: #d1e7dd;
    color: #0f5132;
    padding: 15px;
    margin-bottom: 20px;
    border: 1px solid #badbcc;
    border-radius: 4px;
}

5. Building the Contact Form (`contact.php`)

This page allows users to submit their contact information.

<?php
// contact.php

require 'templates/header.php';

$errors = [];
$success = '';

// Retrieve previous input values if available
$name = $_POST['name'] ?? '';
$email = $_POST['email'] ?? '';
$message = $_POST['message'] ?? '';
?>

<h2>Get in Touch</h2>

<?php if (!empty($errors)): ?>
    <div class="error">
        <ul>
            <?php foreach($errors as $error): ?>
                <li><?php echo htmlspecialchars($error); ?></li>
            <?php endforeach; ?>
        </ul>
    </div>
<?php endif; ?>

<?php if ($success): ?>
    <div class="success">
        <p><?php echo htmlspecialchars($success); ?></p>
    </div>
<?php endif; ?>

<form action="send_mail.php" method="POST">
    <div class="form-group">
        <label for="name">Name:</label>
        <input type="text" id="name" name="name" value="<?php echo htmlspecialchars($name); ?>" required>
    </div>

    <div class="form-group">
        <label for="email">Email:</label>
        <input type="email" id="email" name="email" value="<?php echo htmlspecialchars($email); ?>" required>
    </div>

    <div class="form-group">
        <label for="message">Message:</label>
        <textarea id="message" name="message" rows="8" required><?php echo htmlspecialchars($message); ?></textarea>
    </div>

    <button type="submit">Send Message</button>
</form>

<?php
require 'templates/footer.php';
?>

6. Handling Form Submission and Sending Email (`send_mail.php`)

This script processes the form data, validates inputs, and sends an email using PHP’s mail() function.

<?php
// send_mail.php

require 'templates/header.php';

$errors = [];
$success = '';

if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'POST') {
    // Sanitize and validate inputs
    $name    = trim($_POST['name']);
    $email   = trim($_POST['email']);
    $message = trim($_POST['message']);

    if (empty($name)) {
        $errors[] = 'Name is required.';
    }

    if (empty($email)) {
        $errors[] = 'Email is required.';
    } elseif (!filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
        $errors[] = 'Invalid email format.';
    }

    if (empty($message)) {
        $errors[] = 'Message is required.';
    }

    if (empty($errors)) {
        // Prepare email
        $to = 'your_email@example.com'; // Replace with your email address
        $subject = "New Contact Form Submission from $name";
        $email_content = "Name: $name\n";
        $email_content .= "Email: $email\n\n";
        $email_content .= "Message:\n$message\n";

        $email_headers = "From: $name <$email>";

        // Send email
        if (mail($to, $subject, $email_content, $email_headers)) {
            $success = 'Thank you! Your message has been sent.';
            // Clear form fields
            $name = $email = $message = '';
        } else {
            $errors[] = 'There was a problem sending your message. Please try again later.';
        }
    }
} else {
    // Redirect to contact form if accessed directly
    header('Location: contact.php');
    exit;
}
?>

<h2>Contact Us</h2>

<?php if (!empty($errors)): ?>
    <div class="error">
        <ul>
            <?php foreach($errors as $error): ?>
                <li><?php echo htmlspecialchars($error); ?></li>
            <?php endforeach; ?>
        </ul>
    </div>
<?php endif; ?>

<?php if ($success): ?>
    <div class="success">
        <p><?php echo htmlspecialchars($success); ?></p>
    </div>
<?php endif; ?>

<a href="contact.php">Back to Contact Form</a>

<?php
require 'templates/footer.php';
?>

Note: PHP’s mail() function relies on a properly configured mail server. On local environments like XAMPP, emails might not be sent by default. To reliably send emails, consider using a mailing library like PHPMailer with SMTP.

7. Enhancing Email Functionality with PHPMailer (Optional)

Using PHPMailer provides more control and reliability when sending emails via SMTP.

a. Installing PHPMailer via Composer

Initialize Composer:
- Navigate to your project directory in the terminal.
- Run composer init and follow the prompts.
Install PHPMailer: composer require phpmailer/phpmailer

b. Updating Email Sending in `send_mail.php`

<?php
// send_mail.php (Using PHPMailer)

require 'templates/header.php';
require 'vendor/autoload.php'; // Composer's autoloader

use PHPMailer\PHPMailer\PHPMailer;
use PHPMailer\PHPMailer\Exception;

$errors = [];
$success = '';

if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'POST') {
    // Sanitize and validate inputs
    $name    = trim($_POST['name']);
    $email   = trim($_POST['email']);
    $message = trim($_POST['message']);

    if (empty($name)) {
        $errors[] = 'Name is required.';
    }

    if (empty($email)) {
        $errors[] = 'Email is required.';
    } elseif (!filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
        $errors[] = 'Invalid email format.';
    }

    if (empty($message)) {
        $errors[] = 'Message is required.';
    }

    if (empty($errors)) {
        // Initialize PHPMailer
        $mail = new PHPMailer(true);

        try {
            // Server settings
            //$mail->SMTPDebug = SMTP::DEBUG_SERVER; // Enable verbose debug output
            $mail->isSMTP();                                            // Send using SMTP
            $mail->Host       = 'smtp.example.com';                     // Set the SMTP server
            $mail->SMTPAuth   = true;                                   // Enable SMTP authentication
            $mail->Username   = 'your_email@example.com';               // SMTP username
            $mail->Password   = 'your_email_password';                  // SMTP password
            $mail->SMTPSecure = PHPMailer::ENCRYPTION_STARTTLS;         // Enable TLS encryption
            $mail->Port       = 587;                                    // TCP port to connect to

            // Recipients
            $mail->setFrom('no-reply@yourdomain.com', 'Your Company');
            $mail->addAddress('your_email@example.com', 'Your Name');     // Add a recipient

            // Content
            $mail->isHTML(true);                                  // Set email format to HTML
            $mail->Subject = "New Contact Form Submission from $name";
            $mail->Body    = "<p><strong>Name:</strong> {$name}</p>
                              <p><strong>Email:</strong> {$email}</p>
                              <p><strong>Message:</strong><br>" . nl2br(htmlspecialchars($message)) . "</p>";
            $mail->AltBody = "Name: {$name}\nEmail: {$email}\nMessage:\n{$message}";

            $mail->send();
            $success = 'Thank you! Your message has been sent.';
            // Clear form fields
            $name = $email = $message = '';
        } catch (Exception $e) {
            $errors[] = "Message could not be sent. Mailer Error: {$mail->ErrorInfo}";
        }
    }
} else {
    // Redirect to contact form if accessed directly
    header('Location: contact.php');
    exit;
}
?>

<h2>Contact Us</h2>

<?php if (!empty($errors)): ?>
    <div class="error">
        <ul>
            <?php foreach($errors as $error): ?>
                <li><?php echo htmlspecialchars($error); ?></li>
            <?php endforeach; ?>
        </ul>
    </div>
<?php endif; ?>

<?php if ($success): ?>
    <div class="success">
        <p><?php echo htmlspecialchars($success); ?></p>
    </div>
<?php endif; ?>

<a href="contact.php">Back to Contact Form</a>

<?php
require 'templates/footer.php';
?>

Note:

Replace 'smtp.example.com', 'your_email@example.com', and 'your_email_password' with your SMTP server details.
Ensure that your SMTP credentials are correct and that your hosting provider allows SMTP connections.
Consider storing sensitive information like SMTP credentials in environment variables or secure configuration files.

8. Testing the Application

Access the Contact Form:
- Navigate to http://localhost/contact-form/contact.php.
- Fill in the form and submit.
- Verify that the success message appears and check if the email is received.
Handle Errors:
- Try submitting the form with incomplete or invalid data to ensure validation works.
- Verify that error messages are displayed appropriately.
Check Email Functionality:
- If using PHP’s mail() function, ensure that emails are sent correctly (may require mail server configuration).
- If using PHPMailer, verify SMTP settings and ensure emails are delivered.

9. Deployment Considerations

When deploying to a live server:

Use SMTP for Email Sending: PHP’s mail() function is unreliable on many hosting environments. Use SMTP via PHPMailer for consistent email delivery.
Secure Form Handling: Implement measures to prevent spam and abuse, such as CAPTCHA or rate limiting.
Sanitize Inputs: Ensure all user inputs are sanitized to prevent SQL injection and XSS attacks.
Use HTTPS: Ensure your website uses HTTPS for encrypted data transmission.
Regular Backups: Implement regular backups of your database and files.
Error Reporting: Disable detailed error messages in production to prevent information leakage. // In production, set error reporting to minimal ini_set('display_errors', 0); ini_set('log_errors', 1);
Update Dependencies: Keep PHP and all libraries updated to their latest versions to patch security vulnerabilities.

10. Enhancements and Best Practices

Implement CSRF Protection: Use tokens to prevent Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks.
Use Validation Libraries: Utilize PHP validation libraries for more robust input validation.
Store Submissions in Database: Optionally, store contact form submissions in a database for record-keeping.
Improve UI/UX: Enhance the user interface with better styling and responsiveness using frameworks like Bootstrap.
Add Spam Protection: Integrate CAPTCHA services like Google reCAPTCHA to prevent spam submissions.
Log Errors: Implement logging for form submission errors to facilitate troubleshooting.

PHP – Use Case 5: Sending Emails Using PHP (Contact Form with Email Notification)

Project Overview

Prerequisites

Step-by-Step Procedure

1. Setting Up the Development Environment

2. Creating the Project Structure

3. Creating Reusable Templates

a. Header (`templates/header.php`)

b. Footer (`templates/footer.php`)

4. Styling the Application (`assets/css/styles.css`)

5. Building the Contact Form (`contact.php`)

6. Handling Form Submission and Sending Email (`send_mail.php`)

7. Enhancing Email Functionality with PHPMailer (Optional)

a. Installing PHPMailer via Composer

b. Updating Email Sending in `send_mail.php`

8. Testing the Application

9. Deployment Considerations

10. Enhancements and Best Practices

Comments

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PHP – Use Case 5: Sending Emails Using PHP (Contact Form with Email Notification)

Project Overview

Prerequisites

Step-by-Step Procedure

1. Setting Up the Development Environment

2. Creating the Project Structure

3. Creating Reusable Templates

a. Header (templates/header.php)

b. Footer (templates/footer.php)

4. Styling the Application (assets/css/styles.css)

5. Building the Contact Form (contact.php)

6. Handling Form Submission and Sending Email (send_mail.php)

7. Enhancing Email Functionality with PHPMailer (Optional)

a. Installing PHPMailer via Composer

b. Updating Email Sending in send_mail.php

8. Testing the Application

9. Deployment Considerations

10. Enhancements and Best Practices

Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

a. Header (`templates/header.php`)

b. Footer (`templates/footer.php`)

4. Styling the Application (`assets/css/styles.css`)

5. Building the Contact Form (`contact.php`)

6. Handling Form Submission and Sending Email (`send_mail.php`)

b. Updating Email Sending in `send_mail.php`