README.md

Email Service Project

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This project is a Django-based web application that allows users to send and receive emails using Gmail's IMAP and SMTP protocols. The project includes features such as:

• Sending emails via a web form.
• Viewing a list of incoming emails.
• Viewing detailed content of selected emails.

Prerequisites

To run this project, you need:

• Python 3.8+
• Django 3.2+
• A Gmail account with IMAP access enabled.
• The following Python packages:
  • django
  • python-dotenv (to load environment variables)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd email-service-project

2. Create a virtual environment:

   python -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows use `venv\Scripts\activate`

3. Install the required dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Set up environment variables:

   Create a .env file in the root of your project and add the following details:

   [email protected]
   EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD=your-app-password
   

   Note: Use an app password for Gmail instead of your regular password.

5. Run database migrations:

   python manage.py migrate

6. Start the development server:

   python manage.py runserver

Usage

• Navigate to http://127.0.0.1:8000/send-email-form/ to send an email.
• Navigate to http://127.0.0.1:8000/fetch-emails/ to view a list of incoming emails.

File Structure

The main files and their roles:

• mail/views.py: Handles the logic for sending and fetching emails.
• mail/templates/send_email.html: Template for sending emails via a web form.
• mail/templates/incoming_emails.html: Template for displaying the list of incoming emails.
• mail/urls.py: Maps URLs to views for sending and fetching emails.

Security

• Ensure that you keep your .env file secure and never commit it to version control.
• It is recommended to use app-specific passwords for Gmail instead of your regular password.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.