HTML mail template

Question

I have created a module that will respond on hook_node_insert() and will send the node information to the users subscribed to that node.

What we need to implement is a tpl file that will have the header, body, and footer of the email that will be sent to the users.

I cant call the template file after hook_node_insert() because I think that is not the main use of a template file in the first place.

I was thinking to something along these lines.

• The node is inserted
• I call the template file somehow
• I format the mail body for that node
• I return the html in some variable
• I send the returned variable to the mail function

Answer 1

As you are using HOOK_node_insert() in your module then you can do anything in that function. As the previous answer, its better to use hook_theme(). So once you call the hook_node_insert() you can call a custom function and that will have the return type also that will send the email. Follow the below mentioned steps,

1. Create a new custom function as an example,

   example_notify_subscribed($node_information)

   
   In this function you can send the node informations. So here comes the hook_theme part.
2. In the hook_theme() mention a new theme.

function your_module_theme($existing, $type, $theme, $path) {
    if($type == 'module') {
        'mail_node_notify' => array(
      'variables' => array(
        'node_information' => NULL,
        'extra_vars' => NULL,
      ),
      'template' => 'notify-mail-subs',
     'path' => drupal_get_path('module', 'your_module').'/template',
      ),
     );
    }
}

1. In your example_notify_subscribed function call this theme as following,

//Send the email
        $email_text_user = theme('mail_node_notify', array(
          'node_information' => $node, //Your node variable information
          'extra_vars' => $extra, //If you send any more information to the template file
          ),
        ));

        $email_values_user = array(
          'module' => 'your_module',
          'key' => 'mail_key', //Unique hook_mail key
          'to' => $send_to,
          'form' => variable_get('site_mail', '[email protected]'),
          'subject' => t('Your subject'),
          'body' => $email_text_user,
        );

        $sent_to_user = your_module_mail_send($email_values_user); //Custom Function to send email (HTML)

You may need to create some hook_mail_alter() and a new class to extend default DefaultMailSystem Class from Drupal. Because Drupal 7 by default sends text emails.

I hope this idea helps.

Answer 2

You can always use a template file in any function: Just define a theme function that uses a template file, and then call the theme function from the hook.

That is what happens with theme_book_navigation(), for example. The Book module defines the theme function in book_theme() (an implementation of hook_theme()) using the following code.

  array(
    'book_navigation' => array(
      'variables' => array('book_link' => NULL), 
      'template' => 'book-navigation',
    ),
  )

book_node_view() (an implementation of hook_node_view()) then uses the template file using the following code.

  if ($view_mode == 'full') {
    if (!empty($node->book['bid']) && empty($node->in_preview)) {
      $node->content['book_navigation'] = array(
        '#markup' => theme('book_navigation', array('book_link' => $node->book)), 
        '#weight' => 100,
      );
    }
  }

The content of $node->content['book_navigation']['#markup'] is the content of the template file.

What you do with the value returned from theme() is up to you:

• You can save it in a Drupal variable
• You can pass it to a function like drupal_mail()
• You can store it in a node property you then save in a database table
• You can print it (from a menu callback, for example)

Remember that a theme function using a template file can use preprocess, and process hooks, if you need them.