php in emails?

[ya3]

Ok... I've had an idea.
When I send out an email, i want to know if and when the recipient opens the email. I was wondering if there was a way to implement PHP into an email. I was thinking to have it record the time and email address of the person (the latter I have no idea how to do) into a MySQL table. That'd be handy :D

I'm guessing, though, that there's an existing message-tracking service available...
I *don't* want to use receipts. No user intervention.

Thanks in advance! :cons:

[SlowRoasted]

im not sure but i know it would have to depend on if the server you are sending it to has php installed.

[Yeldarb]

No it wouldn't slowroasted. The key, ya3, is to display an image that is actually a php script in the file. You'd do something like:


<img src="http://www.yoursite.com/image.php?email=whatever@whatever.com" />

Then image.php would contain the code that would save the information and display the image (sending the correct headers of course). I'm not sure if you can link images like that though; and it most certainly wouldn't work with non-html enabled email clients.

[ya3]

AHA!

So... would I have to do something like this:

header("Location: http://www.domain.com/image.jpg");
at the end of the PHP file?

[hl]

no, it's some GD functions

image.php -
<?
header('Content-type: image/gif');
$image = imagecreatefromgif('path to gif that is 1x1, transparent');
the stuff you want to do, most likely using the GET to get the ID of the email. then you want to right stuff to the database, etc. basically it's a php file that is linked to as a gif.
?>

i know that was poor, but i think you'd understand it :)

then just put the line <img src="http://myserver.com/image.php?id=40938573490854708">

this would of course mean that the reciever must have HTML available in their email

[Yeldarb]

Actually I don't think you need gd, you can include an image.


header('Content-type: image/jpg');
include("./yourimage.jpg");

[hl]

Actually I don't think you need gd, you can include an image.


header('Content-type: image/jpg');
include("./yourimage.jpg");

that's true :)

[gfxwhore]

AHA!

So... would I have to do something like this:

header("Location: http://www.domain.com/image.jpg");
at the end of the PHP file?

Wow! A near 2000 posts, yet you are blindidly stupid. It's amazing how much postcount (doesn't mean).

Maybe you should learn what PHP is before making such dumb statements. If you knew it was a server-side language, then you most likely wouldn't be making dumb statements unless you are super-dumb.

[kirupa]

Wow! A near 2000 posts, yet you are blindidly stupid. It's amazing how much postcount (doesn't mean).
You were warned before for being derogatory towards others. Cya!

[hl]

Wow! A near 2000 posts, yet you are blindidly stupid. It's amazing how much postcount (doesn't mean).

Maybe you should learn what PHP is before making such dumb statements. If you knew it was a server-side language, then you most likely wouldn't be making dumb statements unless you are super-dumb.
ya3 isn't dumb, not everyone knows PHP.

chillllllllllll

[hl]

You were warned before for being derogatory towards others. Cya!
oh you banned him/her, got what was coming.

[ya3]

ya3 isn't dumb
:lol:Thanks.


Wow! A near 2000 posts, yet you are blindidly stupid. It's amazing how much postcount (doesn't mean).
This here's what we call postcount-induced depression - symptoms include 'blindidly' bad grammar and aggressive tendencies... ;)

--

Oh, and thanks for the help, guys. It works :D