Deprecate the Email helper

3 files changed, 49 insertions, 15 deletions

diff --git a/user_guide_src/source/changelog.rst b/user_guide_src/source/changelog.rst
index dfb21a210..ccb6dbb82 100644
--- a/user_guide_src/source/changelog.rst
+++ b/user_guide_src/source/changelog.rst
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ Release Date: Not Released
    -  :doc:`Security Helper <helpers/security_helper>` function ``strip_image_tags()`` is now an alias for the same method in the :doc:`Security Library <libraries/security>`.
    -  Deprecated :doc:`String Helper <helpers/string_helper>` function ``repeater()`` - it's just an alias for PHP's native ``str_repeat()``.
    -  :doc:`Directory Helper <helpers/directory_helper>` ``directory_map()`` will now append DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR to directory names in the returned array.
+   -  Deprecated the :doc:`Email Helper <helpers/email_helper>` as its ``valid_email()``, ``send_email()`` functions are now only aliases for PHP native functions ``filter_var()`` and ``mail()`` respectively.
 
 -  Database
 
diff --git a/user_guide_src/source/helpers/email_helper.rst b/user_guide_src/source/helpers/email_helper.rst
index d4e94b1ed..10adf1d0e 100644
--- a/user_guide_src/source/helpers/email_helper.rst
+++ b/user_guide_src/source/helpers/email_helper.rst
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ Class <../libraries/email>`.
 
 .. contents:: Page Contents
 
+.. important:: The Email helper is DEPRECATED.
+
 Loading this Helper
 ===================
 
@@ -15,21 +17,21 @@ This helper is loaded using the following code::
 
 	$this->load->helper('email');
 
-
 The following functions are available:
 
-valid_email('email')
-====================
+valid_email()
+=============
 
-Checks if an email is a correctly formatted email. Note that is doesn't
-actually prove the email will recieve mail, simply that it is a validly
-formed address.
+.. php:function:: valid_email($email)
 
-It returns TRUE/FALSE
+	:param	string	$email: Email address
+	:returns:	bool
 
-::
+Checks if the input is a correctly formatted e-mail address. Note that is
+doesn't actually prove that the address will be able recieve mail, but
+simply that it is a validly formed address.
 
-	$this->load->helper('email');
+Example::
 
 	if (valid_email('email@somesite.com'))
 	{
@@ -40,10 +42,26 @@ It returns TRUE/FALSE
 		echo 'email is not valid';
 	}
 
-send_email('recipient', 'subject', 'message')
-=============================================
+.. note:: All that this function does is to use PHP's native ``filter_var()``:
+	|
+	| (bool) filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL);
 
-Sends an email using PHP's native
-`mail() <http://www.php.net/function.mail>`_ function. For a more robust
-email solution, see CodeIgniter's :doc:`Email
-Class <../libraries/email>`.
+send_email()
+============
+
+.. php:function:: send_email($recipient, $subject, $message)
+
+	:param	string	$recipient: E-mail address
+	:param	string	$subject: Mail subject
+	:param	string	$message: Message body
+	:returns:	bool
+
+Sends an email using PHP's native `mail() <http://www.php.net/function.mail>`_
+function.
+
+.. note:: All that this function does is to use PHP's native ``mail``:
+	|
+	| mail($recipient, $subject, $message);
+
+For a more robust email solution, see CodeIgniter's :doc:`Email Library
+<../libraries/email>`.
diff --git a/user_guide_src/source/installation/upgrade_300.rst b/user_guide_src/source/installation/upgrade_300.rst
index c06dab793..291d2a370 100644
--- a/user_guide_src/source/installation/upgrade_300.rst
+++ b/user_guide_src/source/installation/upgrade_300.rst
@@ -188,6 +188,21 @@ CodeIgniter 3.1+.
 .. note:: This function is still available, but you're strongly encouraged to remove it's usage sooner
 	rather than later.
 
+Email helper functions
+======================
+
+:doc:`Email Helper <../helpers/email_helper>` only has two functions
+
+ - :php:func:`valid_email()`
+ - :php:func:`send_email()`
+
+Both of them are now aliases for PHP's native ``filter_var()`` and ``mail()`` functions, respectively.
+Therefore the :doc:`Email Helper <../helpers/email_helper>` altogether is being deprecated and
+is scheduled for removal in CodeIgniter 3.1+.
+
+.. note:: These functions are still available, but you're strongly encouraged to remove their usage
+	sooner rather than later.
+
 Date helper standard_date()
 ===========================