view_conversation.page.inc.php
<?php
$errors = array();
$valid_conversation = (isset($_GET['conversation_id']) && validate_conversation_id($_GET['conversation_id']));
if ($valid_conversation === false){
	$errors[] = 'Invalid conversation ID.';
}
if (empty($errors) === false){
	foreach ($errors as $error){
		echo '<div class="msg_error">', $error, '</div>';
	}
}
if ($valid_conversation){
	$messages = fetch_conversation_messages($_GET['conversation_id']);
	
	?>
	<div class="actions">
		<a href="index.php?page=inbox">Inbox</a>
		<a href="index.php?page=logout">Logout</a>
	</div>
	<div class="messages">
		<?php
		
		foreach ($messages as $message){
			?>
			<div class="message <?php if ($message['unread']) echo 'unread'; ?>">
				<p class="name"><?php echo $message['user_name']; ?> (<?php echo date('d/m/Y H:i:s', $message['date']); ?>)</p>
				<p class="text"><?php echo $message['text']; ?></p>
			</div>
			<?php
		}
		
		?>
	</div>
	<?php
}
private_message.inc.php
<?php
// Fetches a summary of the conversations
function fetch_conversation_summary(){
	$sql = "SELECT 
				`conversations`.`conversation_id`,
				`conversations`.`conversation_subject`,
				MAX(`conversations_messages`.`message_date`) AS `conversation_last_reply`,
				MAX(`conversations_messages`.`message_date`) > `conversations_members`.`conversation_last_view` AS `conversation_unread`
			FROM `conversations`
			LEFT JOIN `conversations_messages` ON `conversations`.`conversation_id` = `conversations_messages`.`conversation_id`
			INNER JOIN `conversations_members` ON `conversations`.`conversation_id` = `conversations_members`.`conversation_id`
			WHERE `conversations_members`.`user_id` = {$_SESSION['user_id']}
			AND `conversations_members`.`conversation_deleted` = 0
			GROUP BY `conversations`.`conversation_id`
			ORDER BY `conversation_last_reply` DESC";
			
	$result = mysql_query($sql);
	$conversations = array();
	
	while (($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) !== false){
		$conversations[] = array(
			'id'				=> $row['conversation_id'],
			'subject'			=> $row['conversation_subject'],
			'last_reply'		=> $row['conversation_last_reply'],
			'unread_messages'	=> ($row['conversation_unread'] == 1),
		);
	}
	
	return $conversations;
}
// Fetches all of the messages in the given conversation
function fetch_conversation_messages($conversation_id){
	$conversation_id = (int)$conversation_id;
	
	$sql = "SELECT 
				`conversations_messages`.`message_date`,
				`conversations_messages`.`message_date` > `conversations_members`.`conversation_last_view` AS `message_unread`,
				`conversations_messages`.`message_text`,
				`users`.`user_name`
			FROM `conversations_messages`
			INNER JOIN `users` ON `conversations_messages`.`user_id` = `users`.`user_id`
			INNER JOIN `conversations_members` ON `conversations_messages`.`conversation_id` = `conversations_members`.`conversation_id`
			WHERE `conversations_messages`.`conversation_id` = {$conversation_id}
			AND `conversations_members`.`user_id` = {$_SESSION['user_id']}
			ORDER BY `conversations_messages`.`message_date` DESC";
			
	$result = mysql_query($sql);
	
	$messages = array();
	
	while (($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) !== false){
		$messages[] = array(
			'date'		=> $row['message_date'],
			'unread'	=> $row['message_unread'],
			'text'		=> $row['message_text'],
			'user_name'	=> $row['user_name'],
		);
	}
	
	return $messages;
}
// creates a new conversation, making the given users a member.
function create_conversation($user_ids, $subject, $body){
	$subject	= mysql_real_escape_string(htmlentities($subject));
	$body		= mysql_real_escape_string(htmlentities($body));
	
	mysql_query("INSERT INTO `conversations` (`conversation_subject`) VALUES ('{$subject}')");
	$conversation_id = mysql_insert_id();
	
	$sql = "INSERT INTO `conversations_messages` (`conversations_id`, `user_id`, `message_date`, `message_text`)
			VALUES ({$conversation_id}, {$_SESSION['user_id']}, UNIX_TIMESTAMP(), '{$body}')";
	mysql_query($sql);
	
	$values = array("({$conversation_id}, {$_SESSION['user_id']}, UNIX_TIMESTAMP(), 0)");
	
	foreach ($user_ids as $user_id){
		$user_id = (int) $user_id;
		
		$values[] = "({$conversation_id}, {$user_id}, 0, 0)";
	}
	$sql = "INSERT INTO `conversations_members` (`conversation_id`, `user_id`, `conversation_last_view`, `conversation_deleted`)
			VALUES " . implode(", ", $values);
		
	mysql_query($sql);
}
// Checks to see if the given user is a member of the given conversation
function validate_conversation_id($conversation_id){
	$conversation_id = (int)$conversation_id;
	
	$sql = "SELECT COUNT(1)
			FROM `conversations_members`
			WHERE `conversation_id` = {$conversation_id}
			AND `user_id` = {$_SESSION['user_id']}
			AND `conversation_deleted` = 0";
	
	$result = mysql_query($sql);
	
	return (mysql_result($result, 0) == 1);
	
}
// Deletes a given conversation
function delete_conversation($conversation_id){
	$conversation_id = (int)$conversation_id;
	
	$sql = "SELECT DISTINCT `conversation_deleted`
			FROM `conversations_members`
			WHERE `user_id` != {$_SESSION['user_id']}
			AND `conversation_id` = {$conversation_id}";
	
	$result = mysql_query($sql);
	
	if (mysql_num_rows($result) === 1 && mysql_result($result, 0) == 1){
		mysql_query("DELETE FROM `conversations` WHERE `conversation_id` = {$conversation_id}");
		mysql_query("DELETE FROM `conversations_members` WHERE `conversation_id` = {$conversation_id}");
		mysql_query("DELETE FROM `conversations_messages` WHERE `conversation_id` = {$conversation_id}");
	}else{
		$sql = "UPDATE `conversations_members`
				SET `conversation_deleted` = 1
				WHERE `conversation_id` = {$conversation_id}
				AND `user_id` = {$_SESSION['user_id']}";
				
		mysql_query($sql);
	}
}
?>