How do I trigger test HTML emails?

[zzfozz]

Hi there,

I would like to redesign my customer HTML emails with a new layout. Is there a way that I can trigger test emails during development for each of the email templates under the /email directory? For example low_stock, password_forgotten, welcome etc. I'm thinking of a plugin or something that I can use to set up a test scenario that will trigger a given email?

Many thanks.

Zen-cart version:1.5.1
Last upgrade: 6 Jan 2014 from 1.3.9 following official upgrade method.
Plugins: Ceon URI mapping
Install method: FTP upload and run zc_install
PHP: 5.2.17
Site: http://www.funkyhand.com

[stevesh]

I'm not sure I understand the question, but I just create a test customer whoi selects HTML emails and take him through the various scenarios.

[zzfozz]

If you're working on the welcome email do you create a new test customer each time you want to try out you're latest line of markup or CSS? And what about product notification and such like? Do you have to change the status of a product each time you want to trigger an email to see your change?

[DivaVocals]

Since I just went through this exercise (updating the look and feel of the various e-mail templates) I get the question.. but there is no "email testing" module (though this is a very good idea)..

However you will see that there is a "general" layout to the e-mail templates. So while you may not be able to test the new customer e-mail without creating a new customer, you can modify other e-mail templates you can test much easier (like the new order or order status update) and based on how those look, you can modify the new customer e-mail template.

[zzfozz]

Thanks for your reply, it does strike me that it would be a useful plugin, maybe if become more proficient at zen-cart developments I'll have a stab myself. In the meanwhile I commented out the filetype restrictions from /email/.htaccess (on my dev server, obviously) and then just accessed each email template in my browser. It outputs the $variable rather than the text values but at least I can view me layout changes as I go without creating/deleting accounts etc.

[DivaVocals]

How they appear in the browser may be slighly different than how they look in an e-mail client.. so there is SOME value in doing the test emails..

Thanks for your reply, it does strike me that it would be a useful plugin, maybe if become more proficient at zen-cart developments I'll have a stab myself. In the meanwhile I commented out the filetype restrictions from /email/.htaccess (on my dev server, obviously) and then just accessed each email template in my browser. It outputs the $variable rather than the text values but at least I can view me layout changes as I go without creating/deleting accounts etc.

[zzfozz]

Yes, understood. It'll help with development but it's not a replacement for cross client testing of the actual emails.

[torvista]

the calling function is like this:

zen_mail($customers_name, $to, $subject, $text_message, STORE_NAME, $sender, $html_msg, 'contact_us'); 

so stuff this in a file somewhere, define the variables and call it.
Search for a use of the zen_mail function in other files to get an idea how to build the $html_msg which is an array.
Note that some templates use more html_msg array parameters.
Change the last parameter to select the email template file you want to test.

[zzfozz]

Ah-ha this looks like just what I'm after. Muchos gracias.

[DivaVocals]

Does anyone mind explaining for those of us playing along at home what this means and how to use it..