Task Planner with Email Reminders

A lightweight PHP-based task management system with email reminders.
Tasks are stored in simple files (JSON + text), and users can subscribe to hourly reminder emails with a two-step verification process.

Features

Task Management

• Add new tasks
• Mark tasks as completed/uncompleted
• Delete tasks
• View all tasks

Email Subscription

• Subscribe to task reminders
• Verify email via link (2-step process)
• Hourly email reminders for uncompleted tasks
• Unsubscribe anytime from email link

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Project Structure

src/
├── mail/
│   └── config.php       # Email configuration
├── cron.log             # CRON job log file, for debugging
├── cron.php             # CRON job script for sending reminders
├── functions.php        # Core functionality and helper functions
├── index.php            # Main application interface
├── pending_subscriptions.txt  # Pending email verifications
├── setup_cron.sh             # Script to set up the CRON job
├── subscribers.txt      # Verified subscriber list
├── tasks.txt            # Task storage
├── unsubscribe.php      # Email unsubscription handler
└── verify.php          # Email verification handler

Requirements

• PHP 7.4+
• Web server (Apache/XAMPP or similar)
• Papercut SMTP(for local email testing)
• Windows users: WSL (for CRON) or Task Scheduler

Installation

1. Clone repository

   git clone https://github.com/Suk022/Task-planner.git
   cd php-assignment

2. Set up Papercut SMTP

   • Download and run Papercut.Service.exe
   • Papercut will start a local SMTP server on port 25
   • Access the Papercut web interface at http://localhost:5000 to view sent emails

3. Configure PHP mail settings:

   • Update your php.ini:

     [mail function]
     SMTP = localhost
     smtp_port = 25
     sendmail_from = noreply@localhost

   • Save the file and restart Apache

   Or use .htaccess in src/:

    php_value SMTP localhost
    php_value smtp_port 25
    php_value sendmail_from noreply@localhost

   • Restart Apache for the changes to take effect.

4. Set up CRON job (Linux/WSL)

   • Navigate to the project directory:

     cd /mnt/c/xampp/htdocs/php-assignment

   • Edit the CRON configuration:

     crontab -e

   • Add:

     0 * * * * cd /mnt/c/xampp/htdocs/php-assignment/src && /mnt/c/xampp/php/php.exe cron.php
   

   • Save and exit (Ctrl+X, then Y, then Enter)
   • Verify CRON job is set:

     crontab -l

Usage

1. Access the application at http://localhost/php-assignment/src/
2. Add and manage tasks:
   • Add via form
   • Toggle complete/incomplete
   • Delete tasks
3. Subscribe with email:
   • Enter email → get verification link
   • Verify via email → reminders enabled
4. Receive hourly reminders for pending tasks
5. Unsubscribe anytime via email link

Technical Details

Storage

• Tasks: tasks.txt (JSON format)
• Subscribers: subscribers.txt (plain text list)
• Pending verifications: pending_subscriptions.txt

Security

• Two-step email verification
• No password storage
• Unsubscribe link included in every email

Troubleshooting

Email not sending?

• Check PHP mail() config
• Confirm Papercut is running

CRON not working?

• Verify CRON service is running:

  sudo service cron status

• Check CRON logs:

  grep CRON /var/log/syslog

• Test manually:

  cd /mnt/c/xampp/htdocs/php-assignment/src && /mnt/c/xampp/php/php.exe cron.php

WSL Issues?

• Update WSL: wsl --update
• Start CRON: sudo service cron start

Page not loading?

• If you see:

   Not Found
   The requested URL was not found on this server.
   Apache/2.4.29 (Ubuntu) Server at localhost Port 80

• Run:

   sudo service apache2 stop

Important Note on Email Delivery

This project uses Papercut SMTP as a local SMTP testing tool. As a result:

• Emails are not sent to real inboxes.
• All outgoing messages (verification links, task reminders, etc.) are intercepted and viewable at http://localhost:5000.

Why Use Papercut SMTP?

Papercut ensures that PHP’s mail() function works correctly in a development environment without:

• Sending actual emails over the internet
• Risking misuse of real email services or triggering spam filters
• Requiring complex setup for secure, production-grade email delivery

Why Emails Aren’t Sent to Real Inboxes

This project uses PHP’s native mail() function, which:

• Lacks authentication and encryption support
• Depends on a local or relay SMTP server (like Papercut)

For this local demo, Papercut provides a safe and effective solution to test email-related features.

Screenshots/Visuals

The primary webpage contains features related to tasks and includes a field for email.

Confirmation message displayed after submitting a valid email.

Papercut SMTP tool catches emails sent from the local machine.

Verification email to verify email and subscribe to reminder emails.

Notification shown after email verification is completed successfully.

CRON setup, Email reminders will be sent every hour following successful verification.

Receive hourly emails regarding your pending tasks, with an option to unsubscribe.

Deployment Plans

While the current setup works well for local development using XAMPP, WSL, and Papercut SMTP, I am actively exploring ways to simplify and improve the deployment process. The goal is to make it more accessible, portable, and production-ready.

Simplified Local Deployment

• Remove WSL Dependency
  Replace the current CRON job setup with Windows Task Scheduler to run periodic scripts without needing a Linux environment.

• Switch to PHPMailer
  Use PHPMailer instead of PHP’s mail() function for better configuration, SMTP support, and reliable email delivery.

• Enable real delivery via Gmail SMTP / SendGrid

Web Hosting

• Deploy on Free Hosting Platforms
  Host the project using platforms like:

  • 000webhost
  • InfinityFree
  • Render

• Use cPanel or Hosting Schedulers
  Schedule tasks using cPanel’s built-in CRON tools instead of managing scripts manually.

Framework & Storage Upgrade (Planned)

• Framework Transition
  Rebuild the project using a framework like Laravel for improved routing, email handling, and task scheduling with Laravel’s Artisan command scheduler.

• Move to Database Storage
  Replace file-based storage with a lightweight database such as SQLite or MySQL to support better data integrity and scalability.

These enhancements will help reduce software overhead, improve user experience, and prepare the system for real-world deployment scenarios.

This project is still under development, thank you!