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PHP Enhancing a Simple PHP Application Integrating Validation Errors Displaying the Error Message

Zeljko Porobija
Zeljko Porobija
11,491 Points
Posted by Zeljko Porobija
Zeljko Porobija
11,491 Points

There was a problem sending the email: Could not instantiate mail function.

That's the error message I get when I send the mail - whether with valid or invalid mail form. I suppose that it has to do with the inability of my localhost to send mails. Or is there any other reason behind that?

5 Answers

Matthew Bilz
Matthew Bilz
15,829 Points

Hi there,

You can employ it on any .php page that you'd like. If you're using variables, then you'd just have to define them before the email body object and that's really the only requirement. Whenever the .php page is loaded, the email code executes with whatever values or body you're assigning - you don't even need variables, just the execute code.

Matthew Bilz
Matthew Bilz
15,829 Points
Matthew Bilz
Matthew Bilz
15,829 Points

Hi there,

I had this issue with XAMPP locally; try this out in your email code on the line right after $mail->isSMTP();

 $mail->SMTPOptions = array(
      'ssl' => array(
          'verify_peer' => false,
          'verify_peer_name' => false,
          'allow_self_signed' => true
      )
  );
Zeljko Porobija
Zeljko Porobija
11,491 Points
Zeljko Porobija
Zeljko Porobija
11,491 Points

Hi Matthew, the trouble is that I nowhere find the line $mail->isSMTP(). What is the file in question? Thnx in advance for your help!

Matthew Bilz
Matthew Bilz
15,829 Points
Matthew Bilz
Matthew Bilz
15,829 Points

Here's what my localhost has to send an email and I'm using XAMPP:

 //Send the email
      require 'PHPMailer/PHPMailerAutoload.php';

      $mail = new PHPMailer;

      //$mail->SMTPDebug = 3;                               // Enable verbose debug output

      $mail->isSMTP();                                      // Set mailer to use SMTP

      $mail->SMTPOptions = array(
      'ssl' => array(
          'verify_peer' => false,
          'verify_peer_name' => false,
          'allow_self_signed' => true
      )
  );

      $mail->Host = "your host";  // Specify main and backup SMTP servers
      $mail->SMTPAuth = true;                               // Enable SMTP authentication
      $mail->Username = "your email address";                 // SMTP username
      $mail->Password = "your password";                           // SMTP password
      $mail->SMTPSecure = "tls";                            // Enable TLS encryption, `ssl` also accepted
      $mail->Port = 587;                                    // TCP port to connect to

      $mail->From = "your email address";
      $mail->FromName = "you";
      $mail->addAddress("recipient email");     // Add a recipient


      $mail->isHTML(true);                                  // Set email format to HTML

      $mail->Subject = 'subject!';
      $mail->Body    = "body goes here";
      $mail->AltBody = 'body goes here.';

      if(!$mail->send()) {
          echo 'There was an error sending the contact form email. <br>';
          echo 'Mailer Error: ' . $mail->ErrorInfo;
      } 


      }
}
Zeljko Porobija
Zeljko Porobija
11,491 Points
Zeljko Porobija
Zeljko Porobija
11,491 Points

Well, what I'm trying to comprehend is to which file of the project you particularly refer? I suppose that the code you suggest can be employed somewhere within index.php (in folder contact). Or I need to add another file?