Email Templates
10 posts by 4 authors in: Forums > CMS Builder
Last Post: February 8, 2016 (RSS)
By Twocans - February 1, 2016
Hello,
I see in the CMS I have 2 areas that stipulate Email Templates, aka I purchased the "Website Comments" plugin in the past and the Membership plugin.
Under My Admin area I have a link that states "Email Templates", and when I see the Website comments area I see a child menu that states Email Templates
My question is.... where can I find a bit of a step by step tutorial on using or creating an email template.
http://www.interactivetools.com/forum/forum-posts.php?2.52-email-tutorial-78703
I see the above link regarding the Email Templates but am wondering have you advanced any further on this.
Can the tools provided so far be used to create different types of forms and then the code generator pop out the code.
i am not trying to stress you guys out, just I have been giving this a good rattle all day and wow, no matter what I cannot get things to think as I feel maybe they should, Thus rather then digging deeper tomorrow I prefer to know am I trying to do something that is possible using your tools alone or do they not actually do as one is made to believe, if so how can I understand how to do it correct.
Regards
Kenny
By ross - February 1, 2016
Hi Kenny
When you are making your own email templates, I recommend always using the section under Admin. The other two email template sections you mentioned are specific to the plugins they come with and don't usually get changed.
Having said that, could you give me more details on how you want to use the email template?
Do you have a submit form on your site and an email is generated each time that form is submitted? Or maybe you have a script that needs to send emails.
Let me know.
Thanks!
Cheers,
Ross Fairbairn - Consulting
consulting@interactivetools.com
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By Twocans - February 2, 2016
Ross Thank you,
I having a little time now I wanted to be more proficient or get my head around the Area called "Email Templates" I have had a look and semi play with "Email Templates" under Admin but having had a look for tutorials on it and not finding any, I got a bit confused. i see the templates already there and I see on the bottom left of my page ....cms/admin.php?menu=_email_templates, I have an "Advanced Command" list-menu, I see the drop down of that list-menu mentions, "Code Generator", and "Export Templates As PHP"
My questions is.... is there a tutorial of some type to explain what the "Email Templates" area/controls can do or are for...... Were I wanting to create a contact page form allowing my site visitors to send me an email, can I use the email templates to create that, and then use the Code Generator or the Export Template as PHP option to give me some code I can paste on a page for my site visitors to see and use. I am very interested to just get my head around or to exploit the "Email Templates" area.
Has the "Email Templates" area got a function or is that still in development? Is it possible to make use of the "Email Template" area as it currently is, if so what can it be used for, and is there a tutorial that can give a kind of a step by step guide to get it working or make use of it.
REgards and Thanks
Kenny
By ross - February 4, 2016
Hi Kenny
I can go over the basics with you here.
The email templates are fully functional so you can use them right away.
For my example, I'll assume that you have an email form on your site that lets visitors email you questions. The form will have the following fields:
Name
Email
Comment
The first thing we'll look at is the code you need on your page:
$emailHeaders = emailTemplate_loadFromDB(array(
'template_id' => 'COMMENT-TO-ADMIN',
'placeholders' => array(
'user.name' => $_REQUEST['username'],
'user.email' => $_REQUEST['email'],
'user.comment' => $_REQUEST['comment'],
)));
$mailErrors = sendMessage($emailHeaders);
You can put this after any error checking you want to do when the form is submitted (I won't be going over that in this overview).
Next, you need to log into CMS Builder and create a new email template. Make sure you do this in the Email Templates section under Admin.
Here's how I would fill out the fields
Template ID => COMMENT-TO-ADMIN
Description => This email gets sent to site admin each time the comment form is submitted
From => #user.email#
To => #settings.adminEmail#
Subject => New Comment From #user.name#
Message HTML => #user.comment#
And then leave everything else as it is.
Things to note here
1. You can see that anything I set as a "placeholder" in PHP is available in the email template with the hash marks. Ex: 'user.name' in PHP becomes #user.name# in the template.
2. Placeholder names are completely customization. Ex: 'user.name' could just be 'name'. Sometimes you'll want to have a lot of placeholders and naming them specifically helps organize things.
3. There are several placeholders available to every email template. Ex: #settings.adminEmail#. You'll see a full list of those in the email template under the Instructions heading.
Cheers,
Ross Fairbairn - Consulting
consulting@interactivetools.com
Hire me! Save time by getting our experts to help with your project.
Template changes, advanced features, full integration, whatever you
need. Whether you need one hour or fifty, get it done fast with
Priority Consulting: http://www.interactivetools.com/consulting/
By Twocans - February 5, 2016
Ross thank you,
Sorry to sound very very vague but I am still at a loss as to what the email templates actually do.
I have a blank page, containing a form.
+===================================+
My Form Start
+===================================+
<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<title>Untitled Document</title>
</head>
<body>
<form>
<table width="400" border="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><label for="username">name:</label>
<input type="text" name="username" id="username"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><label for="email">email:</label>
<input type="text" name="email" id="email"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><label for="comment">comment:</label>
<input type="text" name="comment" id="comment"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</form>
</body>
</html>
+===================================+
My Form End
+===================================+
I have done as you have mentioned.
+===================================+
As you have mentioned Start
+===================================+
Next, you need to log into CMS Builder and create a new email template. Make sure you do this in the Email Templates section under Admin.
Here's how I would fill out the fields
Template ID => COMMENT-TO-ADMIN
Description => This email gets sent to site admin each time the comment form is submitted
From => #user.email#
To => #settings.adminEmail#
Subject => New Comment From #user.name#
Message HTML => #user.comment#
And then leave everything else as it is.
+===================================+
As you have mentioned End
+===================================+
In the Email Templates page of my CMS I check the checkbox next to what I have created COMMENT-TO-ADMIN
I select the Advanced Commands Listmenu and select.
Code Generator, only to be taken to a page with Create a Viewer, and Other Generators. I soon realise I am not supposed to be at this page.
I return to the Email Templates page of my CMS
I select the Advanced Commands Listmenu and select.
Developers: Export Templates As PHP,
but Sorry Ross I do not know what the templates is suppose to do.
Am I supposed to get output of the complete Code that then gives me my email form on the page, this is what I was assuming an email template tool was.
I have looked around for tutorials on this but no joy, if their was some documentation to state that, the email template was not a template creator as such they I would understand.
i know with the cms, I can create whatever I want and it produces the code and was under the impression thats what email templates area was for.
Regards and thanks for all input
Kenny
By Toledoh - February 5, 2016
Hey Kenny.
I used to, for instance, have contact forms on my website that when filled in would send an email to XXX with the form content, using a bunch of php code that really just delivered the bare essentials in an ugly email. I now use the CMSB email templates and code like Ross provided. This allows me to;
- include the emails sent in the Outgoing Mail Log, and keep track of what emails have been sent - handy when client say they are not receiving any emails.
- gain more formatting control over the email, especially important in emails going to end users as I can include logos, formatting etc.
- use placeholders when required - like data from other sections of the site.
You may also be interested in investigating;
- CSS inliners (like: http://foundation.zurb.com/emails/inliner.html). These will take CSS from embedded stylesheets and turn it into inline css so email clients like Gmail will not strip out the styles.
- 3rd party SMTP servers - like provided by http://mandrill.com/. Mandril sends 12000 emails a month for free, and give you a great interface that allows you deeper stats on email delivery etc, plus has easy processes in place that help with setting up SPF and DKIM settings that will help the deliverability of your emails.
Hope that helps.
Tim (toledoh.com.au)
By Twocans - February 5, 2016
Thank you Tim,
OK I see, the "email template" area and code generate is not for making email forms in itself but for other things. I know how to use css no problem, I can use the cms, but what had confused me was using the cms it gives you code to literally stick on ones page and it calls all the info from the database, I had thought that is what the email templates was for. I had thought set a few settings and it would generate the form code without much fuss.
I am not complaining etc, but was just confused as to was there a simple process for creating email forms using the email templates code generator, and it appears not.
Have a lovely weekend
Cheers
kenny
Hi Kenny,
It looks like Twocans and Toledoh have got you on the right track, let me know if you have any questions.
Cheers,
Greg
PHP Programmer - interactivetools.com
By Twocans - February 8, 2016
Hi Greg
Thanks i am towcans it is my username.
Anyway its ok i see the email templates do not really have an actual function as such. I had thought that the code generator and email templates could be used like the cms aka actually create an input and the code generator would create the output.
Regards
Kenny