Automatically generate email on a timer

[weirdbeardmt]

Hi

Is it possible for a webpage to once a week automatically perform an SQL query and then email the results to me?

I am using PHP and MySQL.

Thanks

[Gryff]

this would be a nice idea
anyone got any clues?

[jdulberg]

This would be a job for CRON.

This thread might give you a head start:

http://www.sitepointforums.com/showt...highlight=cron

[weirdbeardmt]

Originally posted by jdulberg
This would be a job for CRON.

This thread might give you a head start:

http://www.sitepointforums.com/showt...highlight=cron

Thanks for that.

[weirdbeardmt]

I had a good read of that thread. And checked my control panel with my host and it offers crontab.

Well. Could someone explain how cron works cos I am still confused.

Basically I want a page to perform a query on a database once a week then email the results to me. How could I do this, using cron?

[jdulberg]

Basically, you would just created a file that does your sql query and email -- then set up your crontab to run that file at the specified time/date.

[weirdbeardmt]

Originally posted by jdulberg
Basically, you would just created a file that does your sql query and email -- then set up your crontab to run that file at the specified time/date.

it didn't appear to offer weekly as an option!?

[jdulberg]

You can set it to run on particular days of the week - so maybe set it to run at 12am every Sunday

0 0 * * 0 /path/to/file.php

Here's a nice little article that explains various CRON features:

http://www.codingclick.com/article.php/aid/17