Can't send Email using PHP

Question

My code:

<?php
  session_start();
?>

<?php
  $username = $_SESSION['username'];
  $connect = mysql_connect("localhost", "root","") or die("Couldn't connect!");
  mysql_select_db("phplogin")or die("Couldn't find db");

  //$id = $_POST['studentList']; <--I'm suppose to pass this from my other page, but for           testing purpose I disable this and change it to B1101 below..

  $to = mysql_query("SELECT `parentEmail` FROM `parent` WHERE parent.studentID =  'B1101'");

  $subject = $_POST['subject'];
  $message = $_POST['message']; 

  $send_contact=mail($to,$subject,$message);

  if($send_contact){
  echo "E-Mail is sent!";
  }
  else {
    echo "ERROR";
  }
?>

<?php
    mysql_close();
?>

The problem is, it doesn't work and it sends this error message:

Warning: mail() expects parameter 1 to be string, resource given in C:\xampp\htdocs\HTPP\send_contact.php on line 23 ERROR

I tried to hard-code the $to with my email and it works...now the problem is retrieving the email address from the database; the email datatype is varchar(65) .

Answer 1

$result = mysql_query("SELECT `parentEmail` FROM `parent` WHERE parent.studentID =  'B1101'");

$row = mysql_fetch_array($result);

$to=return $row[0];

mysql_query returns resource not string..thats why error was there..

Answer 2

Replace this here:

$to = mysql_query("SELECT `parentEmail` FROM `parent` WHERE parent.studentID =  'B1101'");

$subject = $_POST['subject'];
$message = $_POST['message']; 

$send_contact=mail($to,$subject,$message);

With this:

$res = mysql_query("SELECT `parentEmail` FROM `parent` WHERE parent.studentID =  'B1101'");
$to = mysql_result($res,0);

$subject = $_POST['subject'];
$message = $_POST['message']; 

$send_contact=mail($to,$subject,$message);

When dealing with singular results returned from the database, mysql_result is the function you should call to get the data from the query.

Note the reason you were getting the error is that $to was a mysql resource, not a string.

mysql_result gets the string from the mysql resource.

Answer 3

Just to be very clear on why it doesn't work like this, mysql_fetch_array returns an array object with its properties named after the columns in the database, so in your case, from this code:

$result = mysql_query("SELECT `parentEmail` FROM `parent` WHERE parent.studentID =  'B1101'");

$row = mysql_fetch_array($result);

the $row variable would contain this (if you try to display it using print_r):

$row => Array(
    [0] => [the address stored in the db],
    [parentEmail] => [the address stored in the db]
)

That is why, as Rajat sugested, you would need to pass to the $to variable the $row[0] value.

I hope this was helpful. Have a great day.

Answer 4

this line

 $to = mysql_query("SELECT `parentEmail` FROM `parent` WHERE parent.studentID =  'B1101'");

will get you a mysql-resource as the error says, and not a string. This is just not how a query works.

Just take a quick look over at the manual : you have to call something like

mysql_fetch_assoc($result)

first to get the information.

Answer 5

$to = mysql_query("SELECT `parentEmail` FROM `parent` WHERE parent.studentID =  'B1101'");

Because its not a string I think you forgot to fetch data

Try This:

 $email = mysql_fetch_array(mysql_query("SELECT `parentEmail` FROM `parent` WHERE parent.studentID =  'B1101'"));

$to = $email['parentEmail'];

Answer 6

$to = mysql_query("SELECT `parentEmail` FROM `parent` WHERE parent.studentID =  'B1101'");

$subject = $_POST['subject'];
$message = $_POST['message']; 

$send_contact=mail($to,$subject,$message);

1. In this area of your code please check it properly. You provide resource , you have to use mysql_fetch_assoc function to get your email

2. You cant send email on localhost without smart host.