[archived] bab_newsletter: Newsletter Manager for Textpattern

Alex McKee · 2006-01-21 20:55:01

I’ve got to say I like this plugin a lot. Very useful to me and my clients :D

eXOuT · 2006-01-22 11:25:21

ben, when i unsubscribe someone then by using the link from the email nothing happens, no message and nothing is being removed from the database.
but i recognized that when i use the subscribe and the unsubscribe tags on one page, that when you enter an address to be added to the list this address is being removed from the list right and a message appears that says that this address has actually been removed. so what i’m saying is that when you only enter an address (which is already in the db) in the subscribe-email-field and hit submit it unsubscribes this address.

i’m using clean urls btw.

and i really dont have the field which says how many subscribers there are in the dashboard though there are addresses in the db.

Last edited by eXOuT (2006-01-22 11:28:16)

-jw- · 2006-01-24 11:09:50

Ben,

som things I encounter when using the newsletter plugin.

First off the default subscriber form works nice out-of-the-box, Adding subscribers to the db.

However I only have a use for an emailfield. So I created this form

<form action="/" method="post">
<fieldset> <legend>infonet nieuwsbrief</legend> <txp:bab_subscribe_email required="yes" /> <txp:bab_subscribe_submit />
</fieldset>
</form>

On submit nothing goes to the db and there is no warning

Then after setting the preferences they are shown correct on the dashboard. However accessing the dashboard for a second time gives me this

solved. img removed

the only way to get them correctly listed on the dashboard is hitting set preferences again.

also in the help the tag <txp:bab_subscribe_text /> does not show

This is on TXp 4.0.3 using firefox 1.5

Looking forward to the next version, coz I can really really use this.

thanks.
jw

Edit: forgot to mention that the mail function works fine for me, its just the subscribe-form-part

Last edited by -jw- (2006-02-08 14:10:14)

mrdale · 2006-01-24 15:52:23

Ben> Thanks for a great plugin. I will soon have many uses for this. I have a feature idea that I think would be awesome. I don’t think it would be hard to do either.

Scenario: Lets say a site is set up with a section called eNewsletter. It’s not in the nav so noone has to know about it. This section uses it’s own page which contains inline css. The page contains tags for whatever dynamic data you require and all links are output as absolute links. It would be formatted how you want your eNewsletter to appear narrower width, etc.

Feature Idea: the Newsletter Manager now has a buttom called import from eNewsletter section, which imports that section’s frontpage automagically into the html area. This feature would simplify the production process for non-technical users.

What do you think? Good idea? Bad Idea? Otherwise?

Last edited by mrdale (2006-01-24 15:53:59)

benbruce · 2006-01-24 18:55:07

Hey everyone. I’m chipping away at the next version in the background, but coming nearly everyday to check comments, etc. Here’s what I’ve collated so far [let me know if I’ve missed any]:

FIXES:

when I have the greeting text empty in my preferences, I get a mail with 3 blank lines on the top. It’s me making mistakes? Is it avoidable?
<P>The answer is, yes, it’s avoidable, this should be fixed with the next version [see below for feature requests]</p>
eXout and unsubscribe
<P>eXout is having trouble with the unsubscribe function. There’s a couple of things, I think — the main one being that placing the code on the same page is making it go screwy. So the short fix is to move them to separate pages — the better fix is for me to adjust the code somewhat [I’ve pinpointed the issue]. This will be fixed in the next version.</p>
dashboard issue — first it’s fine, then it’s screwy, then it’s fine … I’m not sure why this is happening. I hope, having reworked the code a bit, this will be resolved with the next version. Obviously it’s something that can be fixed.
jw’s form issue
<P>JW, I think that the problem is your “form.” I think — based on the little we have — you took that to mean an HTML form, and built one, and placed it on your article page. I think the issue is that the form is receiving more than one “action” command. Try this fix:</p>
<p>Go to Presentation > Forms in your Textpattern Admin. Create new form “newsletter_test.” In the form, place the following:</p>
<P> — txp:bab_subscribe_email required=“yes” / — — txp:bab_subscribe_submit / — </p>

<p>Now on your article page, place the — txp:bab_subscribe form=“newsletter_test” / — tag.</p>

fix help doc for the — txp:bab_unsubscribe_text / — tag.

REQUESTS:

IN THE NEXT VERSION …

“form” layout — This is the big feature I’d like to have set for the next version. ma_smith suggested it for the “email on post” feature and I think it needs to be for the newsletter also. This would allow you much more control over the look of your newsletter, and what data is included, etc — and should fix the “extra blank lines” issue from above. I’m hammering this out now — I’ve got it working and just need to get all the pieces working together nicely again.
email on post — this should be available with the next version. This would add an option to send an email to your subscribers when you post a new article. This will also be based on a form. At this time it will be built into the newsletter, and will use the newsletter tables, but I think once it’s worked out, it can be easily made into a separate, standalone plugin that will allow you to choose your table (from txp_users, ign_users, or txp_subscribers).

TO COME …

import html page from section — great idea. I think it may be covered by the forms above — you would make you form the way you want it instead of building a page, but definitely something LIKE this.
multiple newsletters — this is another item that needs to be taken care of — I don’t think it will be too difficult but I’d like to get the plugin functioning better before we try to add more complexity.
manage subscribers / batch upload — definitely. I’ve added a tab for subscribers and I think this should be easy enough to implement. If it’s not in the next version, then soon after.
better mail capabilities — this is one I added. Sencer had mentioned he thought the mail() function can only handle about 100 mails before it starts messing with your server. I’ve been investigating ways to increase that number and I’ll implement them asap.

PS. I still don’t get how to write code down on this forum, so … bear with me. Any tags I mentioned above need to be surrounded by “<” and “>” instead of “ — “. Make sense?

Last edited by benbruce (2006-01-24 19:16:54)

-jw- · 2006-01-24 19:44:38

JW, I think that the problem is your “form.” I think—based on the little we have—you took that to mean an HTML form, and built one, and placed it on your article page. I think the issue is that the form is receiving more than one “action” command.

Ben, right on the spot. I was trying to get the form displayed with the <txp:output_form form="formname" />

To show code in the forum you can put your code between ‘AT’ signs.

here are some more methods to post code in this forum
.

Thanks a lot for this great plugin, looking forward, and will be using upcoming versions.

mrdale · 2006-01-24 20:05:17

God, ben’s on fire! Thanks dude.

squaredeye · 2006-01-24 22:00:35

Ben,
Looking forward to the revisions. Thanks for keeping us up to date.
You can put your code between < code > tags (minus the spaces) in order to show it as well. I find that simplest?

Anyhow, well done. I’m stoked to see waht’s next.

Matthew

bauhouse · 2006-01-25 17:17:33

> benbruce wrote:

better mail capabilities — this is one I added. Sencer had mentioned he thought the mail() function can only handle about 100 mails before it starts messing with your server. I’ve been investigating ways to increase that number and I’ll implement them asap.

Thanks, benbruce, for your work on this. I’ve been watching it closely since this is exactly what I need right now. The thing that has put me off is the 50-100 mails limit, so I’ve been investigating phplist. If you are able to remove the cap on email limits and add scheduling functionality (for example, send a new newsletter every second Monday), that would be fantastic. So you can add my vote for better mail capabilities.

benbruce · 2006-01-25 17:30:45

Bauhaus,

I’ll add your request to the feature requests lists [scheduled mailing]. As for the increased mailing capability, as far as I can tell the issue is this:

The mail() function calls the server for each mail that it sends, and after a certain period your php is set to “timeout” a function — so if you are mailing too many emails, your server will time you out [and the rest of the mails won’t be sent]. “Batch mailing,” which I suspected was the answer from the beginning, is basically mailing a certain amount of subscribers, then refreshing the page [thereby resetting the “timer”] and mailing the next certain amount of subscribers. The trick is having the plugin remember from page to refreshed page what subscriber it is on. Once that is resolved, it’s only an issue of how fast your server can handle the mail [so for 1000 emails, it will take so long, but for 100 much shorter]. Does that make sense?

The short of it is that there is nothing inherently wrong with the mail() function, only that you have to help your server handle the load — which can definitely be worked out.

– Ben

bauhouse · 2006-01-25 18:05:44

Thanks, Ben, for looking into that. I’ve seen that issue come up before. I came across another open source mailing list mailer that addressed the problem by using a cron job. You can take a look at someone else solution here: Simple Mailing List.

bonna · 2006-01-31 20:30:08

Hey

Can’t get it to subscribe. It places the input fields, but doesn’t seem to do anthing on submit, no messages, dosn’t clear textfields doesn’t nothing but reload the page. I’ve placed the following code on my default page:

http://pastebin.com/532695

I’ve update textpattern, so i’am now running 4.0.3 but still nothing.

It sends out e-mails fine.

Btw. i parameter i could use was, style=”“/class=”“.

- Jonas

Last edited by bonna (2006-01-31 20:39:08)

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#49 2006-01-21 20:55:01

Re: [archived] bab_newsletter: Newsletter Manager for Textpattern

#50 2006-01-22 11:25:21

Re: [archived] bab_newsletter: Newsletter Manager for Textpattern

#51 2006-01-24 11:09:50

Re: [archived] bab_newsletter: Newsletter Manager for Textpattern

#52 2006-01-24 15:52:23

Re: [archived] bab_newsletter: Newsletter Manager for Textpattern

#53 2006-01-24 18:55:07

Re: [archived] bab_newsletter: Newsletter Manager for Textpattern

#54 2006-01-24 19:44:38

Re: [archived] bab_newsletter: Newsletter Manager for Textpattern

#55 2006-01-24 20:05:17

Re: [archived] bab_newsletter: Newsletter Manager for Textpattern

#56 2006-01-24 22:00:35

Re: [archived] bab_newsletter: Newsletter Manager for Textpattern

#57 2006-01-25 17:17:33

Re: [archived] bab_newsletter: Newsletter Manager for Textpattern

#58 2006-01-25 17:30:45

Re: [archived] bab_newsletter: Newsletter Manager for Textpattern

#59 2006-01-25 18:05:44

Re: [archived] bab_newsletter: Newsletter Manager for Textpattern

#60 2006-01-31 20:30:08

Re: [archived] bab_newsletter: Newsletter Manager for Textpattern

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