Chapter 10. Email

PHP has a reasonably diverse range of functions for dealing with mail, from its mail() function, which most PHP programmers of any level will be familiar with, to its IMAP, POP3, and NNTP functions. Unfortunately, the latter need to be specifically compiled into the PHP installation, which means they may not be available for some users. In contrast, Zend_Mail is a fairly complete mail implementation that does not require any specific PHP configuration aside from the general requirements of Zend Framework itself.

We’ll start this chapter with general information about how email works, then we’ll go into more detail about the construction of an email message with Zend_Mail. From there, we’ll expand on your practical knowledge by building a simple support tracker that we’ll use while developing our Places application.

10.1. The Basics of Email

Whenever we need to describe technology to clients, we start by looking for comparable real-world examples, particularly appropriate when explaining email, because it’s actually modeled on physical mail. Let’s look at how email works and see what part Zend_Mail plays in the process.

10.1.1. Email Simplified

10.2. Introducing Zend_Mail

10.3. Building a Support Tracker for Places

10.4. Reading Email

10.5. Summary