NAME

Mail::Mailer - Simple interface to electronic mailing mechanisms

SYNOPSIS

use Mail::Mailer;
use Mail::Mailer qw(mail);

$mailer = new Mail::Mailer;

$mailer = new Mail::Mailer $type, @args;

$mailer->open(\%headers);

print $mailer $body;

$mailer->close;

DESCRIPTION

Sends mail using any of the built-in methods. You can alter the behaviour of a method by passing $command to the new method.

mail

Use the Unix system mail program to deliver the mail. $command is the path to mail. Mail::Mailer will search for mailx, Mail and mail (in this order).

sendmail

Use the sendmail program to deliver the mail. $command is the path to sendmail.

smtp

Use the smtp protocol via Net::SMTP to deliver the mail. The server to use can be specified in @args with

$mailer = new Mail::Mailer 'smtp', Server => $server;

test

Used for debugging, this calls /bin/echo to display the data. No mail is ever sent. $command is ignored.

Mail::Mailer will search for executables in the above order. The default mailer will be the first one found.

ARGUMENTS

new can optionally be given a $command and $type. $type is one sendmail, mail, ... given above. The meaning of $command depends on $type.

open is given a reference to a hash. The hash consists of key and value pairs, the key being the name of the header field (eg, To), and the value being the corresponding contents of the header field. The value can either be a scalar (eg, gnat@frii.com) or a reference to an array of scalars (eg, ['gnat@frii.com', 'Tim.Bunce@ig.co.uk']).

TO DO

Assist formatting of fields in ...::rfc822:send_headers to ensure valid in the face of newlines and longlines etc.

Secure all forms of send_headers() against hacker attack and invalid contents. Especially "\n~..." in ...::mail::send_headers.

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

PERL_MAILERS

Augments/override the build in choice for binary used to send out our mail messages.

Format:

"type1:mailbinary1;mailbinary2;...:type2:mailbinaryX;...:..."

Example: assume you want you use private sendmail binary instead of mailx, one could set PERL_MAILERS to:

"mail:/does/not/exists:sendmail:$HOME/test/bin/sendmail"

On systems which may include : in file names, use | as separator between type-groups.

"mail:c:/does/not/exists|sendmail:$HOME/test/bin/sendmail"

SEE ALSO

Mail::Send

AUTHORS

Maintained by Mark Overmeer <mailtools@overmeer.net>

Original code written by Tim Bunce <Tim.Bunce@ig.co.uk>, with a kick start from Graham Barr <gbarr@pobox.com>. With contributions by Gerard Hickey <hickey@ctron.com> Small fix and documentation by Nathan Torkington <gnat@frii.com>.