Provided by: libmail-box-imap4-perl_3.002-1_all 
NAME
Mail::Box::IMAP4 - handle IMAP4 folders as client
INHERITANCE
Mail::Box::IMAP4
is a Mail::Box::Net
is a Mail::Box
is a Mail::Reporter
SYNOPSIS
use Mail::Box::IMAP4;
my $folder = Mail::Box::IMAP4->new(folder => $ENV{MAIL}, ...);
DESCRIPTION
Maintain a folder which has its messages stored on a remote server. The communication
between the client application and the server is implemented using the IMAP4 protocol.
See also Mail::Server::IMAP4.
This class uses Mail::Transport::IMAP4 to hide the transport of information, and focusses
solely on the correct handling of messages within a IMAP4 folder. More than one IMAP4
folder can be handled by one single IMAP4 connection.
Extends "DESCRIPTION" in Mail::Box::Net.
OVERLOADED
Extends "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Box::Net.
overload: ""
Inherited, see "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Box
overload: @{}
Inherited, see "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Box
overload: cmp
Inherited, see "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Box
METHODS
Extends "METHODS" in Mail::Box::Net.
Constructors
Extends "Constructors" in Mail::Box::Net.
Mail::Box::IMAP4->new(%options)
The "new" can have many %options. Not only the ones listed here below, but also all
the %options for Mail::Transport::IMAP4::new() can be passed.
The default depends on the value of new(cache_head).
Without folder name, no folder is selected. Only few methods are available now, for
instance listSubFolders() to get the top-level folder names. Usually, the folder
named "INBOX" will be present.
-Option --Defined in --Default
access Mail::Box 'r'
body_delayed_type Mail::Box Mail::Message::Body::Delayed
body_type Mail::Box Mail::Message::Body::Lines
cache_body NO
cache_head NO or DELAY
cache_labels NO or DELAY
coerce_options Mail::Box []
create Mail::Box <false>
extract Mail::Box 10240
field_type Mail::Box undef
fix_headers Mail::Box <false>
folder Mail::Box /
folderdir Mail::Box <network location>
head_delayed_type Mail::Box Mail::Message::Head::Delayed
head_type Mail::Box Mail::Box::IMAP4::Head or Mail::Message::Head::Complete
join_connection true
keep_dups Mail::Box <false>
lock_file Mail::Box undef
lock_timeout Mail::Box 1 hour
lock_type Mail::Box 'NONE'
lock_wait Mail::Box 10 seconds
locker Mail::Box undef
log Mail::Reporter 'WARNINGS'
manager Mail::Box undef
message_type Mail::Box Mail::Box::IMAP4::Message
multipart_type Mail::Box Mail::Message::Body::Multipart
password Mail::Box::Net undef
remove_when_empty Mail::Box <false>
save_on_exit Mail::Box <true>
server_name Mail::Box::Net undef
server_port Mail::Box::Net 143
trace Mail::Reporter 'WARNINGS'
transporter Mail::Transport::IMAP4
trusted Mail::Box <false>
username Mail::Box::Net undef
access => MODE
body_delayed_type => CLASS
body_type => CLASS|CODE
cache_body => 'NO'|'YES'|'DELAY'
Body objects are immutable, but may still cached or not. In common case, the body
of a message is requested via Mail::Message::body() or Mail::Message::decoded().
This returns a handle to a body object. You may decide whether that body object can
be reused or not. "NO" means: retrieve the data each time again, "YES" will cache
the body data, "DELAY" will send the whole message when the folder is closed.
[local cache] [write]
NO no no
YES yes no
DELAY yes yes
cache_head => 'NO'|'PARTIAL'|'DELAY'
For a read-only folder, "DELAY" is the default, otherwise "NO" is chosen. The four
configuration parameter have subtile consequences. To start with a table:
[local cache] [write] [default head_type]
NO no no Mail::Box::IMAP4::Head
PARTIAL yes no Mail::Box::IMAP4::Head
DELAY yes yes Mail::Message::Head::Complete
The default "head_type" is Mail::Box::IMAP4::Head, the default "cached_head_type" is
Mail::Message::Head::Complete.
Having a local cache means that a lookup for a field is first done in a local data-
structure (which extends Mail::Message::Head::Partial), and only on the remote
server if it was not found. This is dangerous, because your locally cached data can
be out-of-sync with the server. However, it may give you a nice performance
benefit.
"DELAY" will always collect the whole header for you. This is required when you
want to look for Resent Groups (See Mail::Message::Head::ResentGroup) or other field
order dependent header access. A Mail::Message::Head::Delayed will be created
first.
cache_labels => 'NO'|'WRITE'|'DELAY'
When labels from a message are received, these values can be kept. However, this
imposes dangers where the server's internal label storage may get out of sync with
your data.
With "NO", no caching will take place (but the performance will be worse). With
"WRITE", all label access will be cached, but written to the server as well. Both
"NO" and "WRITE" will update the labels on the served, even when the folder was
opened read-only. "DELAY" will not write the changed information to the server, but
delay that till the moment that the folder is closed. It only works when the folder
is opened read/write or write is enforced.
The default is "DELAY" for folders which where opened read-only. This means that
you still can force an update with close(write). For folders which are opened read-
write, the default is the safeset setting, which is "NO".
coerce_options => ARRAY
create => BOOLEAN
extract => INTEGER | CODE | METHOD | 'LAZY'|'ALWAYS'
field_type => CLASS
fix_headers => BOOLEAN
folder => FOLDERNAME
folderdir => DIRECTORY
head_delayed_type => CLASS
head_type => CLASS
join_connection => BOOLEAN
Within this Mail::Box::IMAP4 class is registered which transporters are already in
use, i.e. which connections to the IMAP server are already in established. When
this option is set, multiple folder openings on the same server will try to reuse
one connection.
keep_dups => BOOLEAN
lock_file => FILENAME
lock_timeout => SECONDS
lock_type => CLASS|STRING|ARRAY
lock_wait => SECONDS
locker => OBJECT
log => LEVEL
manager => MANAGER
message_type => CLASS
multipart_type => CLASS
password => STRING
remove_when_empty => BOOLEAN
save_on_exit => BOOLEAN
server_name => HOSTNAME
server_port => INTEGER
trace => LEVEL
transporter => OBJECT|CLASS
The name of the CLASS which will interface with the connection. When you implement
your own extension to Mail::Transport::IMAP4, you can either specify a fully
instantiated transporter OBJECT, or the name of your own CLASS. When an OBJECT is
given, most other options will be ignored.
trusted => BOOLEAN
username => STRING
example:
my $imap = Mail::Box::IMAP4->new(username => 'myname',
password => 'mypassword', server_name => 'imap.xs4all.nl');
my $url = 'imap4://user:password@imap.xs4all.nl');
my $imap = $mgr->open($url);
my $client = Mail::IMAPClient->new(...);
my $imap = Mail::Box::IMAP4->new(imap_client => $client);
The folder
Extends "The folder" in Mail::Box::Net.
$obj->addMessage($message, %options)
Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
$obj->addMessages(@messages)
Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
Mail::Box::IMAP4->appendMessages(%options)
Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
$obj->close(%options)
Close the folder. In the case of IMAP, more than one folder can use the same
connection, therefore, closing a folder does not always close the connection to the
server. Only when no folder is using the connection anymore, a logout will be invoked
by Mail::Transport::IMAP4::DESTROY()
-Option --Defined in --Default
force Mail::Box <false>
save_deleted Mail::Box false
write Mail::Box MODIFIED
force => BOOLEAN
save_deleted => BOOLEAN
write => 'ALWAYS'|'NEVER'|'MODIFIED'
$obj->copyTo($folder, %options)
Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
$obj->delete(%options)
Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
$obj->folderdir( [$directory] )
Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
$obj->name()
Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
$obj->organization()
Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
$obj->size()
Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
$obj->type()
Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
$obj->update(%options)
Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
$obj->url()
Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
Folder flags
Extends "Folder flags" in Mail::Box::Net.
$obj->access()
Inherited, see "Folder flags" in Mail::Box
$obj->isModified()
Inherited, see "Folder flags" in Mail::Box
$obj->modified( [BOOLEAN] )
Inherited, see "Folder flags" in Mail::Box
$obj->writable()
Inherited, see "Folder flags" in Mail::Box
The messages
Extends "The messages" in Mail::Box::Net.
$obj->current( [$number|$message|$message_id] )
Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box
$obj->find($message_id)
Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box
$obj->findFirstLabeled( $label, [BOOLEAN, [$msgs]] )
Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box
$obj->message( $index, [$message] )
Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box
$obj->messageId( $message_id, [$message] )
Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box
$obj->messageIds()
Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box
$obj->messages( <'ALL'|$range|'ACTIVE'|'DELETED'|$label| !$label|$filter> )
Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box
$obj->nrMessages(%options)
Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box
$obj->scanForMessages($message, $message_ids, $timespan, $window)
Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box
Sub-folders
Extends "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box::Net.
$obj->listSubFolders(%options)
Mail::Box::IMAP4->listSubFolders(%options)
Inherited, see "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box
$obj->nameOfSubFolder( $subname, [$parentname] )
Mail::Box::IMAP4->nameOfSubFolder( $subname, [$parentname] )
Inherited, see "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box
$obj->openRelatedFolder(%options)
Inherited, see "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box
$obj->openSubFolder($subname, %options)
Inherited, see "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box
$obj->topFolderWithMessages()
Mail::Box::IMAP4->topFolderWithMessages()
Inherited, see "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box
Internals
Extends "Internals" in Mail::Box::Net.
$obj->body( [$body] )
$obj->coerce($message, %options)
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
$obj->create($folder, %options)
Mail::Box::IMAP4->create($folder, %options)
Inherited, see "METHODS" in Mail::Box::Net
$obj->createTransporter($class, %options)
Create a transporter object (an instance of Mail::Transport::IMAP4), where $class
defines the exact object type. As %options, everything which is acceptable to a
transporter initiation can be used (see Mail::Transport::IMAP4::new().
-Option --Default
join_connection true
join_connection => BOOLEAN
See new(join_connection). When false, the connection will never be shared with
other IMAP mail boxes.
$obj->determineBodyType($message, $head)
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
$obj->fetch( <$messages|$selection>, $info )
Low-level data retreival about one or more messages via IMAP4 from the remote server.
Some of this data may differ from the information which is stored in the message
objects which are created by MailBox, so you should avoid the use of this method for
your own purposes. The IMAP implementation provides some wrappers around this,
providing the correct behavior.
An ARRAY of $messages may be specified or some message $selection, acceptable to
Mail::Box::messages(). Examples of the latter are 'ALL', 'DELETED', or "spam"
(messages labelled to contain spam).
The $info contains one or more attributes as defined by the IMAP protocol. You have
to read the full specs of the related RFCs to see these.
Mail::Box::IMAP4->foundIn( [$foldername], %options )
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
$obj->getHead($message)
Read the header for the specified message from the remote server. "undef" is returned
in case the message disappeared.
$obj->getHeadAndBody($message)
Read all data for the specified message from the remote server. Return head and body
of the mesasge as list, or an empty list if the $message disappeared from the server.
$obj->lineSeparator( [<STRING|'CR'|'LF'|'CRLF'>] )
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
$obj->locker()
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
$obj->read(%options)
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
$obj->readMessages(%options)
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
$obj->storeMessage($message)
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
$obj->toBeThreaded($messages)
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
$obj->toBeUnthreaded($messages)
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
$obj->transporter( [$object] )
Returns the object which is the interface to the IMAP4 protocol handler. The IMAP4
handler has the current folder selected. When an $object is specified, it is set to
be the transporter from that moment on. The $object must extend
Mail::Transport::IMAP4.
$obj->updateMessages(%options)
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
$obj->write(%options)
The IMAP protocol usually writes the data immediately to the remote server, because
that's what the protocol wants. However, some options to new() may delay that to
boost performance. This method will, when the folder is being closed, write that info
after all.
-Option --Defined in --Default
force Mail::Box <false>
save_deleted <false>
force => BOOLEAN
save_deleted => BOOLEAN
You may be able to save the messages which are flagged for deletion now, but they
will be removed anyway when the folder is closed.
$obj->writeMessages(%options)
-Option --Defined in --Default
messages Mail::Box <required>
transporter <required>
messages => ARRAY
transporter => OBJECT
Other methods
Extends "Other methods" in Mail::Box::Net.
$obj->timespan2seconds($time)
Mail::Box::IMAP4->timespan2seconds($time)
Inherited, see "Other methods" in Mail::Box
Error handling
Extends "Error handling" in Mail::Box::Net.
$obj->AUTOLOAD()
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->addReport($object)
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->defaultTrace( [$level]|[$loglevel, $tracelevel]|[$level, $callback] )
Mail::Box::IMAP4->defaultTrace( [$level]|[$loglevel, $tracelevel]|[$level, $callback] )
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->errors()
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->log( [$level, [$strings]] )
Mail::Box::IMAP4->log( [$level, [$strings]] )
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->logPriority($level)
Mail::Box::IMAP4->logPriority($level)
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->logSettings()
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->notImplemented()
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->report( [$level] )
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->reportAll( [$level] )
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->trace( [$level] )
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->warnings()
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
Cleanup
Extends "Cleanup" in Mail::Box::Net.
$obj->DESTROY()
Inherited, see "Cleanup" in Mail::Box
DETAILS
Extends "DETAILS" in Mail::Box::Net.
DIAGNOSTICS
Warning: Cannot find head back for $uidl in $folder.
The header was read before, but now seems empty: the IMAP4 server does not produce the
header lines anymore.
Warning: Cannot read body for $uidl in $folder.
The header of the message was retrieved from the IMAP4 server, but the body is not
read, for an unknown reason.
Error: Copying failed for one message.
For some reason, for instance disc full, removed by external process, or read-
protection, it is impossible to copy one of the messages. Copying will proceed for
the other messages.
Error: Couldn't select IMAP4 folder $name
Error: Destination folder $name is not writable.
The folder where the messages are copied to is not opened with write access (see
new(access)). This has no relation with write permission to the folder which is
controlled by your operating system.
Warning: Different messages with id $msgid
The message id is discovered more than once within the same folder, but the content of
the message seems to be different. This should not be possible: each message must be
unique.
Error: Folder $name not deleted: not writable.
The folder must be opened with write access via new(access), otherwise removing it
will be refused. So, you may have write-access according to the operating system, but
that will not automatically mean that this "delete" method permits you to. The
reverse remark is valid as well.
Notice: Impossible to keep deleted messages in IMAP
Some folder type have a 'deleted' flag which can be stored in the folder to be
performed later. The folder keeps that knowledge even when the folder is rewritten.
Well, IMAP4 cannot play that trick.
Error: Invalid timespan '$timespan' specified.
The string does not follow the strict rules of the time span syntax which is permitted
as parameter.
Warning: Message $uidl disappeared from $folder.
Trying to get the specific message from the server, but it appears to be gone.
Warning: Message $uidl disappeared from $folder.
Trying to get the specific message from the server, but it appears to be gone.
Warning: Message-id '$msgid' does not contain a domain.
According to the RFCs, message-ids need to contain a unique random part, then an "@",
and then a domain name. This is made to avoid the creation of two messages with the
same id. The warning emerges when the "@" is missing from the string.
Error: No IMAP4 transporter configured
Error: Package $package does not implement $method.
Fatal error: the specific package (or one of its superclasses) does not implement this
method where it should. This message means that some other related classes do
implement this method however the class at hand does not. Probably you should
investigate this and probably inform the author of the package.
Error: Unable to create subfolder $name of $folder.
The copy includes the subfolders, but for some reason it was not possible to copy one
of these. Copying will proceed for all other sub-folders.
SEE ALSO
This module is part of Mail-Box-IMAP4 distribution version 3.002, built on June 29, 2017.
Do not forget to read Mail::Box-Overview, Mail::Box-Cookbook, and Mail::Box-Index.
Examples are included in the Mail-Box distribution, directories 'examples' and 'scripts'.
Browseable manuals, papers, and other released material van be found at Website:
http://perl.overmeer.net/mailbox/
The central modules (in separate distributions) in the MailBox suite are: Mail::Message,
Mail::Box, Mail::Box::IMAP4, Mail::Box::POP3, Mail::Box::Parser::C, Mail::Box::Dbx
(unpublished), Mail::Transport, Object::Realize::Later, and User::Identity.
Please post questions or ideas to the author markov@cpan.org.
LICENSE
Copyrights 2001-2017 by [Mark Overmeer]. For other contributors see ChangeLog.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same
terms as Perl itself. See http://dev.perl.org/licenses/