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Add email capabilities to PHP apps using Microsoft Graph

In this article, you extend the application you created in Build PHP apps with Microsoft Graph with Microsoft Graph mail APIs. You use Microsoft Graph to list the user's inbox and send an email.

List user's inbox

Start by listing messages in the user's email inbox.

  1. Add the following code to the GraphHelper class.

    public static function getInbox(): Models\MessageCollectionResponse {
    $configuration = new MessagesRequestBuilderGetRequestConfiguration();
    $configuration->queryParameters = new MessagesRequestBuilderGetQueryParameters();
    // Only request specific properties
    $configuration->queryParameters->select = ['from','isRead','receivedDateTime','subject'];
    // Sort by received time, newest first
    $configuration->queryParameters->orderby = ['receivedDateTime DESC'];
    // Get at most 25 results
    $configuration->queryParameters->top = 25;
    return GraphHelper::$userClient->me()
        ->mailFolders()
        ->byMailFolderId('inbox')
        ->messages()
        ->get($configuration)->wait();
}

  2. Replace the empty listInbox function in main.php with the following.

    function listInbox(): void {
    try {
        $messages = GraphHelper::getInbox();

        // Output each message's details
        foreach ($messages->getValue() as $message) {
            print('Message: '.$message->getSubject().PHP_EOL);
            print('  From: '.$message->getFrom()->getEmailAddress()->getName().PHP_EOL);
            $status = $message->getIsRead() ? "Read" : "Unread";
            print('  Status: '.$status.PHP_EOL);
            print('  Received: '.$message->getReceivedDateTime()->format(\DateTimeInterface::RFC2822).PHP_EOL);
        }

        $nextLink = $messages->getOdataNextLink();
        $moreAvailable = isset($nextLink) && $nextLink != '' ? 'True' : 'False';
        print(PHP_EOL.'More messages available? '.$moreAvailable.PHP_EOL.PHP_EOL);
    } catch (Exception $e) {
        print('Error getting user\'s inbox: '.$e->getMessage().PHP_EOL.PHP_EOL);
    }
}

  3. Run the app, sign in, and choose option 2 to list your inbox.

    Please choose one of the following options:
0. Exit
1. Display access token
2. List my inbox
3. Send mail
4. Make a Graph call
2
Message: Updates from Ask HR and other communities
  From: Contoso Demo on Yammer
  Status: Read
  Received: Mon, 18 Apr 2022 14:24:16 +0000
Message: Employee Initiative Thoughts
  From: Patti Fernandez
  Status: Read
  Received: Mon, 18 Apr 2022 13:52:03 +0000
Message: Voice Mail (11 seconds)
  From: Alex Wilber
  Status: Unread
  Received: Wed, 13 Apr 2022 02:30:27 +0000
Message: Our Spring Blog Update
  From: Alex Wilber
  Status: Unread
  Received: Tue, 12 Apr 2022 16:46:01 +0000
Message: Atlanta Flight Reservation
  From: Alex Wilber
  Status: Unread
  Received: Mon, 11 Apr 2022 13:39:10 +0000
Message: Atlanta Trip Itinerary - down time
  From: Alex Wilber
  Status: Unread
  Received: Fri, 08 Apr 2022 18:36:01 +0000

...

More messages available? True

getInbox explained

Consider the code in the getInbox function.

Accessing well-known mail folders

The function passes /me/mailFolders/inbox/messages to the request builder, which builds a request to the List messages API. Because it includes the /mailFolders/inbox segment, the API only returns messages in the requested mail folder. In this case, because the inbox is a default, well-known folder inside a user's mailbox, it's accessible via its well-known name. Nondefault folders are accessed the same way, by replacing the well-known name with the mail folder's ID property. For details on the available well-known folder names, see mailFolder resource type.

Accessing a collection

Unlike the getUser function from the previous section, which returns a single object, this method returns a collection of messages. Most APIs in Microsoft Graph that return a collection don't return all available results in a single response. Instead, they use paging to return a portion of the results while providing a method for clients to request the next page.

Default page sizes

APIs that use paging implement a default page size. For messages, the default value is 10. Clients can request more (or less) by using the $top query parameter. In getInbox, adding $top is accomplished with the queryParameters->top property in the query parameters.

Note

The value passed in queryParameters->top is an upper-bound, not an explicit number. The API returns a number of messages up to the specified value.

Getting subsequent pages

If there are more results available on the server, collection responses include an @odata.nextLink property with an API URL to access the next page. The PHP SDK provides the getOdataNextLink method on collection request objects. If this method returns a nonempty string, there are more results available. For more information, see Page through a collection using the Microsoft Graph SDKs.

Sorting collections

The function uses the $orderby query parameter to request results sorted by the time the message is received (receivedDateTime property). It includes the DESC keyword so that messages received more recently are listed first.

Send mail

Now add the ability to send an email message as the authenticated user.

  1. Add the following code to the GraphHelper class.

    public static function sendMail(string $subject, string $body, string $recipient): void {
    $message = new Models\Message();
    $message->setSubject($subject);

    $itemBody = new Models\ItemBody();
    $itemBody->setContent($body);
    $itemBody->setContentType(new Models\BodyType(Models\BodyType::TEXT));
    $message->setBody($itemBody);

    $email = new Models\EmailAddress();
    $email->setAddress($recipient);
    $to = new Models\Recipient();
    $to->setEmailAddress($email);
    $message->setToRecipients([$to]);

    $sendMailBody = new SendMailPostRequestBody();
    $sendMailBody->setMessage($message);

    GraphHelper::$userClient->me()->sendMail()->post($sendMailBody)->wait();
}

  2. Replace the empty sendMail function in main.php with the following.

    function sendMail(): void {
    try {
        // Send mail to the signed-in user
        // Get the user for their email address
        $user = GraphHelper::getUser();

        // For Work/school accounts, email is in Mail property
        // Personal accounts, email is in UserPrincipalName
        $email = $user->getMail();
        if (empty($email)) {
            $email = $user->getUserPrincipalName();
        }

        GraphHelper::sendMail('Testing Microsoft Graph', 'Hello world!', $email);

        print(PHP_EOL.'Mail sent.'.PHP_EOL.PHP_EOL);
    } catch (Exception $e) {
        print('Error sending mail: '.$e->getMessage().PHP_EOL.PHP_EOL);
    }
}

  3. Run the app, sign in, and choose option 3 to send an email to yourself.

    Please choose one of the following options:
0. Exit
1. Display access token
2. List my inbox
3. Send mail
4. Make a Graph call
3

Mail sent.

    Note

    If you're testing with a developer tenant from the Microsoft 365 Developer Program, the email you send might not be delivered, and you might receive a nondelivery report. If you want to unblock sending mail from your tenant, contact support via the Microsoft 365 admin center.

  4. To verify the message was received, choose option 2 to list your inbox.

sendMail explained

Consider the code in the sendMail function.

Sending mail

The function uses the $userClient->me()->sendMail() request builder, which builds a request to the Send mail API. The request builder takes a request body that contains the message to send.

Creating objects

Unlike the previous calls to Microsoft Graph that only read data, this call creates data. To create items with the client library, you create an associative array representing the data, set the desired properties, then send it in the API call. Because the call is sending data, the POST method is used instead of GET.

Next step

Add additional Microsoft Graph APIs