PHP Integration Options

Our Email API offers multiple approaches for PHP integration:

1. Direct REST API calls (no dependencies)
2. API Client (using our PHP library)
3. SMTP Client (using our PHP library)
4. Laravel Integration

Comparison of Approaches

1. Direct REST API

View Direct API Implementation →

Pros

• No dependencies required
• Complete control over requests
• Lightweight implementation
• Maximum flexibility
• Simple integration
• Suitable for minimal projects

Example

$curl = curl_init('https://api.shoutbox.email/send');
curl_setopt_array($curl, [
    CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
    CURLOPT_POST => true,
    CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => json_encode([
        'from' => "sender@yourdomain.com",
        'to' => "recipient@example.com",
        'subject' => "Hello World",
        'html' => "<h1>Welcome!</h1>"
    ]),
    CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [
        'Authorization: Bearer ' . getenv('SHOUTBOX_API_KEY'),
        'Content-Type: application/json'
    ]
]);

$response = curl_exec($curl);

2. API Client

View API Client Implementation →

Pros

• Type-safe email options
• Built-in error handling
• Automatic request validation
• Simple file attachment handling
• Clean, object-oriented interface
• Regular updates and improvements

Example

use Shoutbox\Client;
use Shoutbox\EmailOptions;

$client = new Client('your-api-key');

$options = new EmailOptions();
$options->from = "sender@yourdomain.com";
$options->to = "recipient@example.com";
$options->subject = "Hello World";
$options->html = "<h1>Welcome!</h1>";

$client->sendEmail($options);

3. SMTP Client

View SMTP Client Implementation →

Pros

• SMTP protocol support
• Legacy system compatibility
• Same features as API client
• Multiple recipient support
• Custom headers support
• Attachment handling

Example

use Shoutbox\SMTPClient;
use Shoutbox\EmailOptions;

$client = new SMTPClient('your-api-key');

$options = new EmailOptions();
$options->from = "sender@yourdomain.com";
$options->to = ["recipient1@example.com", "recipient2@example.com"];
$options->subject = "Hello World";
$options->html = "<h1>Welcome!</h1>";

$client->sendEmail($options);

4. Laravel Integration

View Laravel Integration →

Pros

• Full Laravel Mail integration
• Queue system support
• Rate limiting capabilities
• Exception handling
• Configuration management
• Service provider auto-discovery
• Laravel storage integration

Example

// In your Laravel application
Mail::to('recipient@example.com')
    ->from('sender@yourdomain.com', 'Sender Name')
    ->replyTo('reply@example.com')
    ->send(new ShoutboxMail('<h1>Welcome!</h1>'));

// With queues
class SendEmailJob implements ShouldQueue
{
    public function handle()
    {
        Mail::to('recipient@example.com')
            ->send(new ShoutboxMail('<h1>Welcome!</h1>'));
    }
}

Feature Comparison

Feature	Direct API	API Client	SMTP Client	Laravel
Dependencies	None	Library	Library	Framework
Type Safety	❌	✅	✅	✅
Error Handling	Manual	Built-in	Built-in	Built-in
Request Validation	Manual	Auto	Auto	Auto
File Attachments	Manual	Simple	Simple	Simple
Multiple Recipients	Manual	✅	✅	✅
Custom Headers	✅	✅	✅	✅
Queue Support	Manual	Manual	Manual	Built-in
Rate Limiting	Manual	Manual	Manual	Built-in
Framework Features	❌	❌	❌	✅
Learning Curve	Low	Low	Low	Medium
Setup Complexity	Minimal	Simple	Simple	Moderate

Choosing the Right Approach

Use Direct API When:

• You want zero dependencies
• You need complete control
• You’re building a minimal application
• You prefer procedural code
• You want the lightest implementation

Use API Client When:

• You want a clean, object-oriented API
• You need type safety
• You want automatic error handling
• You’re using Composer
• You’re not using a framework

Use SMTP Client When:

• You need SMTP protocol support
• You’re integrating with legacy systems
• You want the same features as API client
• You need multiple recipient support
• You prefer SMTP over REST

Use Laravel Integration When:

• You’re using Laravel
• You want framework integration
• You need queue support
• You want built-in rate limiting
• You prefer dependency injection

Getting Started

Choose your preferred approach and follow the detailed implementation guide:

• Direct API Implementation Guide →
• API Client Implementation Guide →
• SMTP Client Implementation Guide →
• Laravel Integration Guide →

All approaches are fully supported and maintained. Choose based on your project’s specific needs and constraints.