The problem

How can I use the kickass EmailComponent from my Shell?

The solution

EmailTask

The description

This little Shell Task will allow you to use the EmailComponent from your shell applications like you normally do from WWW.

The code should pretty much explain itself. Below is a simple use example:

Demo

Put this code in APP/vendors/shells/my.php

MAKE SURE TO CHANGE THE EMAIL ADDRESSES TO VALID ONES

PHP Snippet:

<?php 
class MyShell extends Shell {
/**
 * List of tasks for this shell
 *
 * @var array
 */
    var $tasks = array('Email');

/**
 * Email task
 *
 * @var EmailTask
 */
    var $Email;

/**
 * Startup method for the shell
 *
 * Lets set some default params for the EmailTask
 *
 */
    function startup() {
        $this->Email->settings(array(
            'from' => 'Me <my@mail.com>',
            'template' => 'test'
        ));
    }

/**
 * Send just one email
 *
 */
    function sendMeAnEmail() {
        return $this->Email->send(array(
            'to' => 'some@mail.com',
            'subject' => 'Talking to myself'
        ));
    }

/**
 * Send multiple emails, change a few variables on the fly
 * and test that we can 'set' variables to the view
 *
 */
    function sendMyFriendsAnEmail() {
        $myFriends = array('fake@mail.com', 'fake@mail.box', 'fake@user.com');
        $this->Email->settings(array('subject' => 'Hello friends'));
        foreach ($myFriends AS $friend) {
            $this->Email->set('someVar', $friend);
            $this->Email->send(array(
                'to' => $friend, 
                'subject' => 'Hello ' . $friend
            ));
        }
    }
}
?>

Code

Put this code in APP/vendors/shells/tasks/email.php

PHP Snippet:

<?php 
App::import('Core', 'Controller');
App::import('Component', 'Email');

class EmailTask extends Shell {
/**
* Controller class
*
* @var Controller
*/
    var $Controller;

/**
* EmailComponent
*
* @var EmailComponent
*/
    var $Email;

/**
* List of default variables for EmailComponent
*
* @var array
*/
    var $defaults = array(
        'to'        => null,
        'subject'   => null,
        'charset'   => 'UTF-8',
        'from'      => null,
        'sendAs'    => 'html',
        'template'  => null,
        'debug'     => false,
        'additionalParams'    => '',
        'layout'    => 'default'
    );

/**
* Startup for the EmailTask
*
*/
    function initialize() {
        $this->Controller =& new Controller();
        $this->Email =& new EmailComponent(null);
        $this->Email->startup($this->Controller);
    }

/**
* Send an email useing the EmailComponent
*
* @param array $settings
* @return boolean
*/
    function send($settings = array()) {
        $this->settings($settings);
        return $this->Email->send();
    }

/**
* Used to set view vars to the Controller so
* that they will be available when the view render
* the template
*
* @param string $name
* @param mixed $data
*/
    function set($name, $data) {
        $this->Controller->set($name, $data);
    }

/**
* Change default variables
* Fancy if you want to send many emails and only want
* to change 'from' or few keys
*
* @param array $settings
*/
    function settings($settings = array()) {
        $this->Email->_set($this->defaults = array_filter(am($this->defaults, $settings)));
    }
}
?>

Watch the magic

Make sure you have created a .ctp file in APP/views/elements/email/html/test.ctp

Make sure you have created a .ctp file in
APP/views/layouts/email/html/default.ctp

Go into the CAKE/console directory and execute:
(Windows) cake.bat my sendMyFriendsAnEmail
(Linux) ./cake my sendMyFriendsAnEmail

Thanks to gwoo for feedback and on this little snippet and mariano_iglesias for proofing :)