Matt, I sorted an automatic email notification system just recently on ukfree.tvand I think I might be able to give you a few pointers. The site uses PHP, so my examples will be in that. If you can't follow it, then let me know.
(You can subscribe/unsubscribe by visiting http://www.ukfree.tv/ and using the box in the 'my settings' item at the top left. To send an HTML email, as you have already found out I guess, you need to ensure you have the right headers: *function sendHTMLemail($strEmail, $strHTML, $strSubject) { // To send HTML mail, the Content-type header must be set $strHeaders = 'MIME-Version: 1.0' . "\r\n"; $strHeaders .= 'Content-type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1' . "\r\n"; // Additional headers $strHeaders .= "To: $strEmail <$strEmail>\r\n"; $strHeaders .= "From: --- updates <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>\r\n"; // Mail it mail($strEmail, $strSubject, $strHTML, $strHeaders); } * As you have found out, the level of CSS support in HTML email message is limited. For example, you can't use the "class" operator to format items. I have used this rather basic function to translate my "class" items to the more basic "style" items: *function translaterhsbox($strTitle, $strContent, $strDummy1, $strDummy2) { return "<h2 style=\"font-size: 12pt\">$strTitle</h2>" . strtr($strContent,array("class=\"lyrOffsite\""=>"style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"")) . "<hr color=#ffde5a>"; }* Basically you need to ensure that you format everything with styles, for example: *<div style='width:516px; font-size: 9pt'>* But you can still use graphics from your web-site. However many email programmes will block the graphics until you agree to download them. *<img src=\" http://www.ukfree.tv/2k8_graphic.php?a=a2&t=UK%20Free%20TV%20email%20update\ ">* If you have written your document in using CSS, someone can probably write a bit of code to automatically "expand" the raw HTML to convert all the 'class'es to 'styles'. You might like to know that the other constraints (java, scripting, flash) are to protect email users from viral abuse, not a lack of will to implement it. Hope this helps 2008/6/4 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > > > Hello there, > > I'm a journalist working for BBC East in Norwich and I've joined this > mailing list to get advice and guidance - and possibly some ideas - about a > project I've been working on for the last 6 months. > > With the backing of my bosses at Look East and BBC English regions, I've > designed, developed and launched a new graphics-rich e-mail newsletter which > we now send out each day to about 2000 or so subscribers. > > This newsletter is hard to describe, but what it does is to aggregate links > - complete with headlines and thumbnail images - to the latest video news > items which appear on the main Look East website, a 'blog' section promoting > that evening's programmes with nested links expanding on the stories being > discussed, drop down menus featuring linking to BBC East regional weather, > news and sport sites and an occasional text ticker which promotes whatever > we fancy - often our local radio stations. > > It's conceived primarily as a content delivery vehicle first, then a > promotional tool, a way of combining all the services offered by the BBC in > my region into one tidy package and also a way of elaborating on the stories > we're working on. > > To subscribe -temporarily if you want, I won't mind :-) - go here : > > http://www.bbc.co.uk/lookeast/newsletter/subscription.shtml > > Now the thing is, is that I'm a relative novice who is learning as I go > along. What I've learned is that e-mail can only support very basic html > and that there are limits to what features we can incorporate into this > newsletter. However, I'm determined to max out the potential and capacity > of this rather unusual way of delivering BBC content. Any html tricks, > ideas, criticisms, improvements, widgets or whatever anyone on this mailing > list can offer in the way of developing this newsletter concept, I'd be > hugely grateful. Several other English regions are toying with the idea of > adopting it, so I'm keen on adding new features, but my technical knowledge > is still quite limited. > > this whole experience has been really positive for me and I've become quite > an evangelist for e-mail broadcasting, which I want to develop, though the > inherent limitations of e-mail do constrain thigs somewhat (no scripting, > flash, java etc). > > This is my baby and I'm throwing it open to y'all to see if some new ideas > emerge. > > Cheers > > Matt Precey > > > > ------------------------------ > Miss your Messenger buddies when on-the-go? Get Messenger on your > Mobile!<http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/msnnkmgl0010000001ukm/direct/01/> > -- Brian Butterworth http://www.ukfree.tv - independent digital television and switchover advice, since 2002
