What are the advantages of using mail classes over the traditional mail() function in PHP?

Using mail classes over the traditional mail() function in PHP offers several advantages, such as better error handling, support for various email protocols (SMTP, sendmail, etc.), easier configuration options, and the ability to send emails asynchronously. Mail classes provide a more structured and object-oriented approach to handling email sending in PHP, making it easier to manage and maintain email functionality in your application.

// Using a mail class to send an email
use PHPMailer\PHPMailer\PHPMailer;
use PHPMailer\PHPMailer\Exception;

require 'vendor/autoload.php'; // Include the PHPMailer autoloader

// Instantiate the PHPMailer class
$mail = new PHPMailer(true);

try {
    // Server settings
    $mail->isSMTP();
    $mail->Host = 'smtp.example.com';
    $mail->SMTPAuth = true;
    $mail->Username = 'your@example.com';
    $mail->Password = 'yourpassword';
    $mail->SMTPSecure = 'tls';
    $mail->Port = 587;

    // Recipients
    $mail->setFrom('from@example.com', 'Your Name');
    $mail->addAddress('recipient@example.com', 'Recipient Name');

    // Content
    $mail->isHTML(true);
    $mail->Subject = 'Subject';
    $mail->Body = 'Email body';

    $mail->send();
    echo 'Email sent successfully';
} catch (Exception $e) {
    echo "Email could not be sent. Mailer Error: {$mail->ErrorInfo}";
}