What are the best practices for handling email sending in PHP when using XAMPP without a dedicated email server?

When using XAMPP without a dedicated email server, the best practice for handling email sending in PHP is to use a third-party email service provider such as Gmail SMTP or Mailgun. This allows you to send emails from your PHP application without the need for a dedicated email server setup.

// Example using Gmail SMTP to send email in PHP
$to = "recipient@example.com";
$subject = "Test Email";
$message = "This is a test email sent using Gmail SMTP in PHP.";

// Set SMTP settings for Gmail
$smtpHost = 'smtp.gmail.com';
$smtpUsername = 'your@gmail.com';
$smtpPassword = 'your_password';
$smtpPort = 587;

// Create a PHPMailer object
$mail = new PHPMailer(true);

// Set Gmail SMTP settings
$mail->IsSMTP();
$mail->Host = $smtpHost;
$mail->SMTPAuth = true;
$mail->Username = $smtpUsername;
$mail->Password = $smtpPassword;
$mail->SMTPSecure = 'tls';
$mail->Port = $smtpPort;

// Set email content
$mail->SetFrom($smtpUsername);
$mail->AddAddress($to);
$mail->Subject = $subject;
$mail->Body = $message;

// Send email
if($mail->Send()) {
    echo "Email sent successfully!";
} else {
    echo "Email sending failed: " . $mail->ErrorInfo;
}