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- DESCRIPTION
- -----------
- Simplenews publishes and sends newsletters to lists of subscribers. Both
- anonymous and authenticated users can opt-in to different mailing lists.
- HTML email can be sent by adding Mime mail module.
- REQUIREMENTS
- ------------
- * For large mailing lists, cron is required.
- * HTML-format newsletters and/or newsletters with file attachments require the
- mime mail or HMTL mail module.
- * When sending newsletters on regular cron (cron.php), it is important that
- the base url (settings.php, variable $base_url) is set correctly or links
- inside the newsletter will not work. See the Tips (13.) below.
- * Additionally when using Drush to start cron, it is important to use the
- argument --uri=http://www.example.com
- INSTALLATION
- ------------
- 1. CREATE DIRECTORY
- Create a new directory "simplenews" in the sites/all/modules directory and
- place the entire contents of this simplenews folder in it.
- 2. ENABLE THE MODULE
- Enable the module on the Modules admin page.
- 3. ACCESS PERMISSION
- Grant the access at the Access control page:
- People > Permissions.
- 4. CONFIGURE SIMPLENEWS
- Configure Simplenews on the Simplenews admin pages:
- Configuration > Simplenews.
- Enable new content types to use as newsletter:
- Structure > edit content type > Publishing options
- Add and configure newsletter categories:
- Structure > Web Services > Newsletters > Add newsletter category
- Structure > Web Services > Newsletters > edit newsletter category
- 5. ENABLE SIMPLENEWS BLOCK
- With the Simplenews block users can subscribe to a newsletter.
- Enable a Simplenews block per Newsletter category:
- Structure > Newsletters > edit newsletter category
- 6. CONFIGURE SIMPLENEWS BLOCK
- Configure the Simplenews block on the Block configuration page. You reach
- this page from Block admin page (Structure > Blocks).
- Click the 'Configure' link of the appropriate simplenews block.
- Permission "subscribe to newsletters" is required to view the subscription
- form in the simplenews block or to view the link to the subscription form.
- 7. SIMPLENEWS BLOCK THEMING
- More control over the content of simplenews blocks can be achieved using
- the block theming. Theme your simplenews block by copying
- simplenews-block.tpl.php into your theme directory and edit the content.
- The file is self documented listing all available variables.
- The newsletter block can be themed generally and per newsletter:
- simplenews-block.tpl.php (for all newsletters)
- simplenews-block.tpl--[tid].php (for newsletter series tid)
- 8. MULTILINGUAL SUPPORT
- Simplenews supports multilingual newsletters for node translation,
- multilingual taxonomy and url path prefixes.
- When translated newsletter issues are available subscribers receive the
- newsletter in their preferred language (according to account setting).
- Translation module is required for newsletter translation.
- Multilingual taxonomy of 'Localized terms' and 'per language terms' is
- supported. 'per language vocabulary' is not supported.
- I18n-taxonomy module is required.
- Use 'Localized terms' for a multilingual newsletter. Taxonomy terms are
- translated and translated newsletters are each tagged with the same
- (translated) term. Subscribers receive the newsletter in the preferred
- language set in their account settings or in the site default language.
- Use 'per language terms' for mailing lists each with a different language.
- Newsletters of different language each have their own tag and own list of
- subscribers.
- Path prefixes are added to footer message according to the subscribers
- preferred language.
- The preferred language of anonymous users is set based on the interface
- language of the page they visit for subscription. Anonymous users can NOT
- change their preferred language. Users with an account on the site will be
- subscribed with the preferred language as set in their account settings.
- The confirmation mails can be translated by enableding the Simplenews
- variables at:
- Home > Administration > Configuration > Regional and language > Multilingual settings > Variables
- Afterwards, the mail subject and body can be entered for every enabled
- language.
- 9. NEWSLETTER THEMING
- You can customize the theming of newsletters. Copy any of the *.tpl.php
- files from the simplenews module directory to your theme directory. Both
- general and by-newsletter theming can be performed.
- Theme newsletter body:
- simplenews-newsletter-body.tpl.php (for all newsletters)
- simplenews-newsletter-body--[tid].tpl.php
- simplenews-newsletter-body--[view mode].tpl.php
- simplenews-newsletter-body--[tid]--[view mode].tpl.php
- [tid]: Machine readable name of the newsletter category
- [view mode]: 'email-plain', 'email-html', 'email-textalt'
- Example:
- simplenews-newsletter-body--1--email-plain.tpl.php
- Theme newsletter footer:
- simplenews-newsletter-footer.tpl.php (for all newsletters)
- simplenews-newsletter-footer--[tid].tpl.php
- simplenews-newsletter-footer--[view mode].tpl.php
- simplenews-newsletter-footer--[tid]--[view mode].tpl.php
- [tid]: Machine readable name of the newsletter category
- [view mode]: 'email-plain', 'email-html', 'email-textalt'
- Example:
- simplenews-newsletter-footer--1--email-plain.tpl.php
- The template files are self documented listing all available variables.
- Depending on how the mails are sent (e.g. how cron is triggered), either the
- default or the admin theme might be used, if one has been configured.
- To prevent this, Simplenews supports the mail theme setting from the
- mailsystem module (http://drupal.org/project/mailsystem). Install it, choose
- the mail theme and the newsletter templates from that theme will be used no
- matter which other themes are enabled.
- Using the fields Display settings each field of a simplenews newsletter can
- be displayed or hidden in 'plain text', 'HTML' and 'HTML text alternative'
- format. You find these settings at:
- Structure > Content types > Manage display
- Enable the view modes you want to configure and configure their display.
- 10. SEND MAILING LISTS
- Cron is required to send large mailing lists.
- If you have a medium or large size mailing list (i.e. more than 500
- subscribers) always use cron to send the newsletters.
- To use cron:
- * Check the 'Use cron to send newsletters' checkbox.
- * Set the 'Cron throttle' to the number of newsletters send per cron run.
- Too high values may lead to mail server overload or you may hit hosting
- restrictions. Contact your host.
- Don't use cron:
- * Uncheck the 'Use cron to send newsletters' checkbox.
- All newsletters will be sent immediately when saving the node. If not
- all emails can be sent within the available php execution time, the
- remainder will be sent by cron. Therefore ALWAYS enable cron.
- These settings are found on the Newsletter Settings page under
- 'Send mail' options at:
- Administer > Configuration > Web Services > Newsletters > Settings > Send mail.
- 11. (UN)SUBSCRIBE CONFIRMATION
- By default the unsubscribe link will direct the user to a confirmation page.
- Upon confirmation the user is directed to the home page, where a message
- will be displayed. On the Simplenews subscription admin page you can
- specify an alternative destination page.
- Structure > Configuration > Web Services > Newsletters > edit newsletter category > Subscription settings
- To skip the confirmation page you can add parameters to the subscription URL.
- Example: [simplenews-subscribe-url]/ok
- When an alternative destination page has been defined the extra parameters
- will be added to the destination URL.
- Example: [simplenews-subscriber:subscribe-url]/ok
- Destination: node/123
- Destination URL: node/123/ok
- 12. SINGLE OR DOUBLE OPT-IN AND OPT-OUT
- Every newsletter can be set to be double opt-in/out (default), single
- opt-in/out, or hidden.
- Double: A confirmation email is sent to confirm the (un)subscribe action.
- No confirmation is sent when a user is (un)subscribed by the
- administrator or when the user subscribes when creating an account.
- Single: No confirmation email is sent. (un)subscribe is immediately.
- Hidden: The newsletter is not listed in newsletter lists. Use this for
- mandatory newsletters. Only administrators or modules can add a user to this
- mailing list.
- Note that single opt-in/out or hidden (forced) subscription is in some
- countries forbidden by law.
- SECURITY NOTICE: a newsletter set to be single opt-in or opt-out is
- vulnerable to Cross Site Request Forgeries. Email addresses may be
- (un)subscribed without a notice. Do not use this setting in uncontrolled
- environments (like the internet!).
- 13. TIPS
- A subscription page is available at: /newsletter/subscriptions
- The Elysia Cron module (http://drupal.org/project/elysia_cron) can be used
- to start the simplenews cron hook more often than others, so that newsletter
- are sent faster without decreasing site performance due to long-running cron
- hooks.
- If your unsubscribe URL looks like:
- http://newsletter/confirm/remove/8acd182182615t632
- instead of:
- http://www.example.com/newsletter/confirm/remove/8acd182182615t632
- You should change the base URL in the settings.php file from
- # $base_url = 'http://www.example.com'; // NO trailing slash!
- to
- $base_url = 'http://www.example.com'; // NO trailing slash!
- RELATED MODULES
- ------------
- * Elysia Cron
- Allows fine grained control over cron tasks.
- http://http://drupal.org/project/elysia_cron
- * Mailsystem
- Extends drupal core mailystem wirh Administrative UI and Developers API.
- http://drupal.org/project/mailsystem
- * Maillog
- Captures outgoing mails, helps users debugging simplenews.
- http://drupal.org/project/maillog
- DOCUMENTATION
- -------------
- More help can be found on the help pages: example.com/admin/help/simplenews
- and in the drupal.org handbook: http://drupal.org/node/197057
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