[singularity]

Hi,
I need to create an html mailer. I would like to do so in html5. I am quite good in creating html5 forms with css effects. But I am not sure if there is something more to html mailers rather than just html and css. I tried googling certain querys but didn't got what I am actually looking for.

Can anyone point me to some right direction or good tutorials for creating html mailers. I am actually lookingh to create one in html5 but if you have an idea about html4, that would too suffice.

Thanks

[macosxnerd101]

HTML isn't the tool to send an email, as it would have to be passed through the client-side email client, which users can deny permissions for. Better to use a tool like PHP on the server-side to send your message, as it doesn't pass through the client side to be sent.

If you want to use HTML Forms to send your email, you can use the mailto: prefix to send a message in the ACTION attribute of the form tag.

[singularity]

macosxnerd101, on 26 July 2010 - 03:12 PM, said:

HTML isn't the tool to send an email, as it would have to be passed through the client-side email client, which users can deny permissions for. Better to use a tool like PHP on the server-side to send your message, as it doesn't pass through the client side to be sent.

If you want to use HTML Forms to send your email, you can use the mailto: prefix to send a message in the ACTION attribute of the form tag.

Thanks for the reply,

Actually I am looking for something newsletters,(that companies send out across once a while to subscribers) I know creating a newsletters is as creating a webpage, but rendering it fit across different mail client is what makes it tricky. I was asking some tips(tutorials) as to how to create a newsletters that would be fit across all the email clients.

Well I am sure you would be getting so many newsletters from Banks, commercial establishments and not to forget(DIC periodic emails as well).

How do we create such an mailer/newsletter.

I am still not sure if I have been able to put forward my query..

And I think php is the best way to send a mail when it comes to mass mailing.

This post has been edited by singularity: 26 July 2010 - 09:55 AM

[macosxnerd101]

Check out this link on HTML Email Newsletters. Really, it depends on the email client as to how much HTML support there is. As email clients are pretty far behind standard browsers in terms of CSS and newer HTML support, I wouldn't assume that they support HTML5.

[Lemur]

Don't ever use HTML5 and CSS3, they're both standards that are cutting edge and will inevitably be supported on maybe 25% (if that) of the computers available around and depending on your client base, probably less.

Never jump on new standards just because it looks cool and makes things easier, only do so if it has significant support behind it (70%+ market share) or else you're just screwing all of the potential users that decide to look into your project.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for new and faster but not at the cost of a significant amount of web users.

Use PHP and jQuery to get something like this done.

[CTphpnwb]

Lemur, on 26 July 2010 - 02:24 PM, said:

Don't ever use HTML5 and CSS3, they're both standards that are cutting edge and will inevitably be supported on maybe 25% (if that) of the computers available around and depending on your client base, probably less.

Where'd you get that number from? HTML5 and CSS3 have support from Safari and all Webkit browser like Chrome, and even Microsoft has announced support for them in IE9. I agree that PHP is a better choice for this task, but there's no need to discourage people from using HTML5 or CSS3.

[Atli]

Lemur, on 26 July 2010 - 06:24 PM, said:

Don't ever use HTML5 and CSS3...

To be honest, that statement is just... wrong on so many levels. First of all because "don't ever" implies that we should be using HTML4/CSS2... forever, which is an extremely depressing thought.

Second, because you really should not limit yourself to what the majority of the market can use. If everybody had adopted that mentality we would all still be using tables for layout and HTML styling tags/attributes in place of CSS. Companies like Microsoft won't implement a change in their software unless we give them a reason to. Until there is a reason for them to support HTML5/CSS3 - like the fear of an army of angry web developers storming their headquarters - they will happily stick to the old stuff.

Graceful degradation is key. To code your pages using new technologies on top of old once, so new browsers can take advantage of new technologies while IE users can still browse like it's 1998. When it eventually catches up, the only thing will change is that the more advanced features will be "unlocked".

[nooblet]

Lemur, on 26 July 2010 - 11:24 AM, said:

Don't ever use HTML5 and CSS3, they're both standards that are cutting edge and will inevitably be supported on maybe 25% (if that) of the computers available around and depending on your client base, probably less.

Never jump on new standards just because it looks cool and makes things easier, only do so if it has significant support behind it (70%+ market share) or else you're just screwing all of the potential users that decide to look into your project.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for new and faster but not at the cost of a significant amount of web users.

Use PHP and jQuery to get something like this done.

You could also develop a HTML5/CSS3 site for browsers that do and detect ones that don't and relay the right code.

This post has been edited by nooblet: 27 July 2010 - 12:15 AM

[Dormilich]

nooblet, on 27 July 2010 - 07:15 AM, said:

You could also develop a HTML5/CSS3 site for browsers that do and detect ones that don't and relay the right code.

there is no need for browser detection. as mentioned, graceful degradation will do. It’s not that you need an either–or approach in HTML/CSS, what’s not supported by the browser is simply ignored, all that has to remain is a usable base.

[Lemur]

Quit misquoting me...

Let's get to the point, you're an idiot for thinking that using the bleeding edge is going to make anything change, because face it, older people use old software and some people are incapable of upgrades meaning that realistically HTML5/CSS3 is a ludicrous business move that will do no more than eliminate a vast majority of your client base.

I'll spell it out, THEY ARE INCOMPLETE STANDARDS NOT FULLY SUPPORTED BY EVEN THE MOST RECENT BROWSERS, so what makes you think it stands a chance at all when we didn't have a good shot at even CSS2 for probably a good 2-3 years while standards updated?

They won't, people won't, the market share won't, and that's what matters, not your frivolous cravings for new technology. With that mentality I would honestly love to see you keep a job that lasts for more than a month.

To the point of people that will inevitably say I go off on using new standards I encourage CSS1/some 2 and no tables which is now practical to replace, there's a difference.

[drhowarddrfine]

Lemur, on 28 July 2010 - 05:35 PM, said:

HTML5/CSS3 is a ludicrous business move that will do no more than eliminate a vast majority of your client base.

About 50% of users use a browser that supports the stable parts of html5 and css3. There's a long list of big sites that now serve as html5/CSS3 including apple, nytimes, CNN, and many more.

Quote

I'll spell it out, THEY ARE INCOMPLETE STANDARDS NOT FULLY SUPPORTED BY EVEN THE MOST RECENT BROWSERS

standards are built on implementation. Standards bodies rarely invent on their own. Css2.1 was only finalized two years ago. IE is the only browser that does not support any html5/css3. That's just about 50%.

All websites my company creates use html5 as their guide, including one large national restaurant chain.

This post has been edited by drhowarddrfine: 28 July 2010 - 08:28 PM

[CTphpnwb]

Lemur, on 28 July 2010 - 07:35 PM, said:

I'll spell it out, THEY ARE INCOMPLETE STANDARDS NOT FULLY SUPPORTED BY EVEN THE MOST RECENT BROWSERS, so what makes you think it stands a chance at all when we didn't have a good shot at even CSS2 for probably a good 2-3 years while standards updated?

Think about what you're saying. If we were to wait for every standard to be fully supported before using it we wouldn't be past Netscape v1.0

As for support, even Microsoft says they're supporting it:
http://ie.microsoft....ve/Default.html

Edit: Just noticed this: Since when do we let set-in-their-ways old folks who know little to nothing about technology determine the future of the web???

This post has been edited by CTphpnwb: 29 July 2010 - 08:43 AM

[Atli]

@Lemur
First of all, there is no need for the insult. It is possible to argue different opinions without name-calling.

There isn't really anything I can think to add to what Doc and CTphpnwb already said.

I'll just reiterate what I was saying earlier: It doesn't have to be either HTML4/CSS2 or HTML5/CSS3. They can be used together. You can target new technologies without breaking the old code, and it is often fairly easy.

And, by the way, I would HATE working for a company that was so dead set on not allowing innovation. So no, I probably wouldn't last a month in an environment like that