Problem Inserting Variables into Posted Text String

[ccorbett]

Hello All --

I have a problem with an email script I'm trying to implement. The script reads in a delimited txt file, runs it through an array, inserts values from the file such as name, date, card number into the email text and send the email to each email address read in from the text file. This code works quite well as is:

$filestring = file_get_contents ('renewcards.txt');
$trimstring = trim ($filestring);



$linearray = explode ("\n", $trimstring);



$headers['Subject'] = 'Ann Arbor District Library card renewal';



foreach ($linearray as $mailarray)
{
  $line = explode ("|", $mailarray);
  $exdatetrimmed = trim ($line [1]);
  $card = trim ($line [2]);
  $name = trim ($line [3]);

  $message = "Name: ".$name."\nCard: ".$card."\n\nYour
  library card from the xxx
  Library\r\nis due for renewal on ".$exdatetrimmed.".
  Please bring your \r\ncurrent picture I.D. and proof of
  address to the Circulation\r\nDesk at any xxx location
   \r\nto renew your card. ";

  $headers['To'] = $line[0];
  $recipients = $line [0];
  //$mail_object =& Mail::factory ("mail", $params);
  //$mail_object -> send($recipients, $headers, $message);

if (mail($recipients, $subject, $message)) {
echo ("Message Sent");
} else {
echo "Message Delivery Failed.";
}

}
}
?>

My problem is I do not want to build the message here. I want to give my users the ability to build the email themselves in a form that posts to this page AND determine where the person's name, expiration date and other dynamic info appear in the message. I have javascript buttons on this form that allow them to do this - and it inserts the PHP code equivalent of the variables I use on the mailing portion.

However, when I post the message through, it is one complete string and does not interpret my variables. I have split the string into an array and reassembled it as another string using something similar to this:

if (isset($postedmessage)) 
{ 
$message_pieces = array(); // array to store each 
if (is_int(strpos('"', $postedmessage))) 
{ 
$message_pieces = explode('"', $postedmessage); // Multiple 
} else { 
$message_pieces[] = $postedmessage; // Just one 
} 
}

 foreach ($message_pieces as $returned_message) {
$message_to_send = $message_to_send.$returned_message." ";
}

The result of this, of course, is another string.

So, I'm wondering, how I can rebuild this posted string and have my variables display correctly?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

[Dan Grossman]

Use str_replace to replace the placeholders in the posted string with the variables.

[ccorbett]

Use str_replace to replace the placeholders in the posted string with the variables.

I did see that as a possible option, but I was not sure how to set that up within the context of the foreach loop...

[AnthonySterling]

You don't need a foreach loop.

<?php
$aReplacements = array(
    '{{RECIPIENT}}'    =>    'you@youraddress.com',
    '{{SUBJECT}}'    =>    'A brief message from our sponsor.'
);

$sMessage = str_replace(array_keys($aReplacements), $aReplacements, 'This is a message to {{RECIPIENT}} with the subject "{{SUBJECT}}".');
echo $sMessage; #This is a message to you@youraddress.com with the subject "A brief message from our sponsor.".
?>

[ccorbett]

Many Thanks, SilverBullet - I'll give that a try!

[ccorbett]

On second thought, I do have a follow up question...

At this point:

$sMessage = str_replace(array_keys($aReplacements), $aReplacements, 'This is a message to {{RECIPIENT}} with the subject "{{SUBJECT}}".');

I have the text of my email already posted to the page as a variable, and I have it in its own array.

So I was thinking in order to rebuild it and do the str_replace, I would need to run it through a for each to do the str_replace and rebuild the string at the same time.

Am I correct in my thinking?

[AnthonySterling]

I thought you needed the placeholders so you didn't have to predefine the format? Are you now trying to define it?

I'm sorry, I don't follow.

[ccorbett]

I have a textfield for with javascript buttons that allow my users to set the placeholders anywhere they wish within the message. Once it is posted to my mailing page, it is one string.

I have the string itself and I have it split into an array using explode() and I have it rebuilt using something like this:

 if (isset($postedmessage)) 
{ 
$message_pieces = array(); // array to store each 
if (is_int(strpos('"', $postedmessage))) 
{ 
$message_pieces = explode('"', $postedmessage); // Multiple 
} else { 
$message_pieces[] = $postedmessage; // Just one 
} 
} 

foreach ($message_pieces as $returned_message) {
$message_to_send = $message_to_send.$returned_message." ";
}
echo $message_to_send;
  
  }

Your example had the text spelled out in a string already. I'm trying to figure out how to do the str_replace within a foreach that rebuilds my text string from an array.

Does that make any sense?

[AnthonySterling]

Yeah, starting to!

So why do you explode the string and create the array? Is there a need for this? Can you not just parse the string its entirety?

[logic_earth]

You don't need a foreach loop.

<?php
$aReplacements = array(
    '{{RECIPIENT}}'    =>    'you@youraddress.com',
    '{{SUBJECT}}'    =>    'A brief message from our sponsor.'
);

$sMessage = str_replace(array_keys($aReplacements), $aReplacements, 'This is a message to {{RECIPIENT}} with the subject "{{SUBJECT}}".');
echo $sMessage; #This is a message to you@youraddress.com with the subject "A brief message from our sponsor.".
?>

$s = 'This is a message to {{RECIPIENT}} with the subject "{{SUBJECT}}".'
$r = array(
    '{{RECIPIENT}}' => 'you@youraddress.com',
    '{{SUBJECT}}' => 'A brief message from our sponsor.'
);

$s = strtr( $s, $r ); 

[AnthonySterling]

$s = 'This is a message to {{RECIPIENT}} with the subject "{{SUBJECT}}".'
$r = array(
    '{{RECIPIENT}}' => 'you@youraddress.com',
    '{{SUBJECT}}' => 'A brief message from our sponsor.'
);

$s = strtr( $s, $r ); 

OK OK, I'll give you this one!

Nice work.

[ccorbett]

Yeah, starting to!

So why do you explode the string and create the array? Is there a need for this? Can you not just parse the string its entirety?

So would this work?

$filestring = file_get_contents ('renewcards.txt');
$trimstring = trim ($filestring);



$linearray = explode ("\n", $trimstring);



$headers['Subject'] = 'xxxLibrary card renewal';



foreach ($linearray as $mailarray)
{
  $line = explode ("|", $mailarray);
  $exdatetrimmed = trim ($line [1]);
  $card = trim ($line [2]);
  $name = trim ($line [3]);


 $s = $postedmessage;

$r = array(    '{{name}}' => $name,    
'{{cardnum}}' => $card);


$s = strtr( $s, $r );

} 

I have to take it through the foreach loop because its doing this for every line of my text file. $postedmessage is the full string posted from my form page.

Thanks again, all, for your input!

[ccorbett]

Yeah, starting to!

So why do you explode the string and create the array? Is there a need for this? Can you not just parse the string its entirety?

So would this work?

$filestring = file_get_contents ('renewcards.txt');
$trimstring = trim ($filestring);



$linearray = explode ("\n", $trimstring);

foreach ($linearray as $mailarray)
{
  $line = explode ("|", $mailarray);
  $exdatetrimmed = trim ($line [1]);
  $card = trim ($line [2]);
  $name = trim ($line [3]);


 $s = $postedmessage;

$r = array(    '{{name}}' => $name,    
'{{cardnum}}' => $card);


$s = strtr( $s, $r );

} 

I have to take it through the foreach loop because its doing this for every line of my text file. $postedmessage is the full string posted from my form page.

Thanks again, all, for your input!