Making HTML Email Fun(ish)

Remember when HTML email development used to be fun? Yeah, neither do I. Since the dawning of the Internet, HTML email development has been the worst possible task given to a Web developer. Traditionally used for hazing new hires and college recruits, email template development made IE6 testing look fun.

We can do better! We're software developers!

I'm pleased to announce that Groupon is open sourcing Gleemail, an email development environment that puts the fun back into HTML template development. Using Gleemail's custom HTML elements, simple CLI tools and slick third party integrations, creating cross-client-compatible emails has never been easier.

During the talk, we will start from scratch and use Gleemail's workflow to build, test and deliver an HTML email template.

Transcript

1. WELL, SORT OF MAKING HTML EMAIL FUN @CHRISJPOWERS CHRIS POWERS WELL, SORT OF
2. A REALLY BAD DAY JUST IMAGINE
3. A REALLY BAD DAY JUST IMAGINE
4. A REALLY BAD DAY JUST IMAGINE
5. A REALLY BAD DAY JUST IMAGINE
6. A REALLY BAD DAY JUST IMAGINE
7. SRSLY THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY
8. COULD BE BUILDING HTML EMAILS COULD BE WORSE!
11. A MICROSOFT STORY HOW DID WE GET HERE?
12. A CLIENT OF TWO MINDS OUTLOOK 2000, 2003
13. THE GREATER OF TWO EVILS OUTLOOK 2007-PRESENT
14. THE GREATER OF TWO EVILS OUTLOOK 2007-PRESENT
15. CODING LIKE IT’S 1998 TABLE BASED LAYOUTS
16. THANKS A LOT, SPAM UNTRUSTED IMAGES
17. PREPROCESSOR’D HARD WEB BASED CLIENTS
18. IT’S TESTING MAYHEM SOOOOO MANY CLIENTS
19. PROPRIETARY, NOT PORTABLE TEMPLATING LANGUAGES
20. LET ME USE MY OWN TOOLS! DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT
21. THERE IS HOPE STAY CALM
22. COMPATIBILITY TESTING LITMUS
24. I <3 STYLESHEETS CSS INLINING
25. EMAIL IS FUN-ISH AGAIN GLEEMAIL
26. GROUPON/GLEEMAIL OPEN SOURCED
27. FINGERS CROSSED… WE’LL DEMO IT LIVE
28. THANK YOU. @CHRISJPOWERS CHRIS POWERS