PHP & MySQL® Web Development All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies®

Chapter 5. Mail Extensions

In This Chapter

• Sending e-mail with PHP

• Accessing IMAP and mBox mailboxes

Sending e-mail from within an application is such a common feature that it just makes sense to understand the mail extensions in depth. E-mail is the de facto standard method of communication online. Sure, you can send an instant message or even place an online phone call, but e-mail was where Internet communications started, and it's still the way most people communicate online. Second, it's just plain useful. Even if your application never e-mails users, it's not a bad idea to build in the ability for the application to e-mail a system administrator or lead developer if something goes seriously wrong. Finally, if your application is based on the idea of creating a community of users — such as a message board — or an information portal, then giving users a way to read e-mail without leaving your Web site is a good way to carry out that focus.

This chapter covers sending e-mail programmatically and giving users Web-based access to their IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) and mBox (a general term for most Unix-based e-mail) mailboxes.