Ubuntu Manpage: imap4 - imap client-side tcl implementation of imap protocol

NAME

       imap4 - imap client-side tcl implementation of imap protocol

SYNOPSIS

       package require Tcl  8.5

       package require imap4  ?0.5.3?

       ::imap4::open hostname ?port?

       ::imap4::starttls chan

       ::imap4::login chan user pass

       ::imap4::folders chan ?-inline? ?mboxref? ?mboxname?

       ::imap4::select chan ?mailbox?

       ::imap4::examine chan ?mailbox?

       ::imap4::fetch chan range ?-inline? ?attr ...?

       ::imap4::noop chan

       ::imap4::check chan

       ::imap4::folderinfo chan ?info?

       ::imap4::msginfo chan msgid ?info? ?defval?

       ::imap4::mboxinfo chan ?info?

       ::imap4::isableto chan ?capability?

       ::imap4::create chan mailbox

       ::imap4::delete chan mailbox

       ::imap4::rename chan oldname newname

       ::imap4::subscribe chan mailbox

       ::imap4::unsubscribe chan mailbox

       ::imap4::search chan expr ?...?

       ::imap4::close chan

       ::imap4::cleanup chan

       ::imap4::debugmode chan ?errormsg?

       ::imap4::store chan range data flaglist

       ::imap4::expunge chan

       ::imap4::copy chan msgid mailbox

       ::imap4::logout chan

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION

       The imap4 library package provides the client side of the Internet Message Access Protocol
       (IMAP) using standard sockets or secure connection via  TLS/SSL.   The  package  is  fully
       implemented in Tcl.

       This document describes the procedures and explains their usage.

PROCEDURES

This package defines the following public procedures:

::imap4::open hostname ?port?

Open a new IMAP connection and initalize the handler, the imap communication
channel (handler) is returned.

hostname - mail server

port - connection port, defaults to 143

The namespace variable ::imap4::use_ssl can be used to establish to a secure
connection via TSL/SSL if set to true. In this case default connection port
defaults to 993.

Note: For connecting via SSL the Tcl module tls must be already loaded otherwise an
error is raised.

package require tls ; # must be loaded for TLS/SSL
set ::imap4::use_ssl 1 ; # request a secure connection
set chan [::imap4::open $server] ; # default port is now 993

::imap4::starttls chan
Use this when tasked with connecting to an unsecure port which must be changed to a
secure port prior to user login. This feature is known as STARTTLS.

::imap4::login chan user pass

chan - imap channel

user - username

pass - password

::imap4::folders chan ?-inline? ?mboxref? ?mboxname?

Get list of matching folders, 0 is returned on success.

Wildcards '*' as '%' are allowed for mboxref and mboxname, command
::imap4::folderinfo can be used to retrieve folder information.

chan - imap channel

mboxref - mailbox reference, defaults to ""

mboxname - mailbox name, defaults to "*"

If -inline is specified a compact folderlist is returned instead of the result
code. All flags are converted to lowercase and leading special characters are
removed.

{{Arc08 noselect} {Arc08/Private {noinferiors unmarked}} {INBOX noinferiors}}

::imap4::select chan ?mailbox?

Select a mailbox, 0 is returned on success.

chan - imap channel

mailbox - Path of the mailbox, defaults to INBOX

Prior to examine/select an open mailbox must be closed - see: ::imap4::close.

::imap4::examine chan ?mailbox?

"Examines" a mailbox, read-only equivalent of ::imap4::select.

chan - imap channel

mailbox - mailbox name or path to mailbox, defaults to INBOX

Prior to examine/select an open mailbox must be closed - see: ::imap4::close.

::imap4::fetch chan range ?-inline? ?attr ...?

Fetch attributes from messages.

The attributes are fetched and stored in the internal state which can be retrieved
with command ::imap4::msginfo, 0 is returned on success. If -inline is specified,
alle records are returned as list in order as defined in the attr argument.

chan - imap channel

range - message index in format FROM:TO

attr - imap attributes to fetch

Note: If FROM is omitted, the 1st message is assumed, if TO is ommitted the last
message is assumed. All message index ranges are 1-based.

::imap4::noop chan
Send NOOP command to server. May get information as untagged data.

chan - imap channel

::imap4::check chan
Send CHECK command to server. Flush to disk.

chan - imap channel

::imap4::folderinfo chan ?info?

Get information on the recently selected folderlist. If the info argument is
omitted or a null string, the full list of information available for the mailbox is
returned.

If the required information name is suffixed with a ? character, the command
returns true if the information is available, or false if it is not.

chan - imap channel

info - folderlist options to retrieve

Currently supported options: delim - hierarchy delimiter only, match - ref and mbox
search patterns (see ::imap4::folders), names - list of folder names only, flags -
list of folder names with flags in format { {name {flags}} ... } (see also compact
format in function ::imap4::folders).

{{Arc08 {{\NoSelect}}} {Arc08/Private {{\NoInferiors} {\UnMarked}}} {INBOX {\NoInferiors}}}

::imap4::msginfo chan msgid ?info? ?defval?

Get information (from previously collected using fetch) from a given msgid. If the
'info' argument is omitted or a null string, the list of available information
options for the given message is returned.

If the required information name is suffixed with a ? character, the command
returns true if the information is available, or false if it is not.

chan - imap channel

msgid - message number

info - imap keyword to retrieve

defval - default value, returned if info is empty

Note: All message index ranges are 1-based.

::imap4::mboxinfo chan ?info?

Get information on the currently selected mailbox. If the info argument is omitted
or a null string, the list of available information options for the mailbox is
returned.

If the required information name is suffixed with a ? character, the command
returns true if the information is available, or false if it is not.

chan - imap channel

opt - mailbox option to retrieve

Currently supported options: EXISTS (noof msgs), RECENT (noof 'recent' flagged
msgs), FLAGS

In conjunction with OK: PERMFLAGS, UIDNEXT, UIDVAL, UNSEEN

Div. states: CURRENT, FOUND, PERM.

::imap4::select $chan INBOX
puts "[::imap4::mboxinfo $chan exists] mails in INBOX"

::imap4::isableto chan ?capability?

Test for capability. It returns 1 if requested capability is supported, 0
otherwise. If capability is omitted all capability imap codes are retured as list.

chan - imap channel

info - imap keyword to retrieve

Note: Use the capability command to ask the server if not already done by the user.

::imap4::create chan mailbox

Create a new mailbox.

chan - imap channel

mailbox - mailbox name

::imap4::delete chan mailbox

Delete a new mailbox.

chan - imap channel

mailbox - mailbox name

::imap4::rename chan oldname newname

Rename a new mailbox.

chan - imap channel

mailbox - old mailbox name

mailbox - new mailbox name

::imap4::subscribe chan mailbox

Subscribe a new mailbox.

chan - imap channel

mailbox - mailbox name

::imap4::unsubscribe chan mailbox

Unsubscribe a new mailbox.

chan - imap channel

mailbox - mailbox name

::imap4::search chan expr ?...?

Search for mails matching search criterions, 0 is returned on success.

chan - imap channel

expr - imap search expression

Notes: Currently the following search expressions are handled:

Mail header flags: all mail header entries (ending with a colon ":"), like "From:",
"Bcc:", ...

Imap message search flags: ANSWERED, DELETED, DRAFT, FLAGGED, RECENT, SEEN, NEW,
OLD, UNANSWERED, UNDELETED, UNDRAFT, UNFLAGGED, UNSEEN, ALL

Imap header search flags: BODY, CC, FROM, SUBJECT, TEXT, KEYWORD, BCC

Imap conditional search flags: SMALLER, LARGER, ON, SENTBEFORE, SENTON, SENTSINCE,
SINCE, BEFORE (not implemented), UID (not implemented)

Logical search conditions: OR, NOT

::imap4::search $chan larger 4000 seen
puts "Found messages: [::imap4::mboxinfo $chan found]"
Found messages: 1 3 6 7 8 9 13 14 15 19 20

::imap4::close chan

Close the mailbox. Permanently removes \Deleted messages and return to the AUTH
state.

chan - imap channel

::imap4::cleanup chan

Destroy an IMAP connection and free the used space. Close the mailbox. Permanently
removes \Deleted messages and return to the AUTH state.

chan - imap channel

::imap4::debugmode chan ?errormsg?
Switch client into command line debug mode.

This is a developers mode only that pass the control to the programmer. Every line
entered is sent verbatim to the server (after the addition of the request
identifier). The ::imap4::debug variable is automatically set to '1' on enter.

It's possible to execute Tcl commands starting the line with a slash.

chan - imap channel

errormsg - optional error message to display

::imap4::store chan range data flaglist

Alters data associated with a message in the selected mailbox.

chan - imap channel

range - message index in format FROM:TO

flaglist - Flags the data operates on.

data - The currently defined data items that can be stored are shown below. Note
that all of these data types may also be suffixed with ".SILENT" to suppress the
untagged FETCH response.

FLAGS Replace the flags for the message (other than \Recent) with the flaglist.

+FLAGS Add the flags in flaglist to the existing flags for the message.

-FLAGS Remove the flags in flaglist to the existing flags for the message.

For example:

::imap4::store $chan $start_msgid:$end_msgid +FLAGS "Deleted"

::imap4::expunge chan

Permanently removes all messages that have the \Deleted flag set from the currently
selected mailbox, without the need to close the connection.

chan - imap channel

::imap4::copy chan msgid mailbox

Copies the specified message (identified by its message number) to the named
mailbox, i.e. imap folder.

chan - imap channel

msgid - message number

mailbox - mailbox name

::imap4::logout chan

Informs the server that the client is done with the connection and closes the
network connection. Permanently removes \Deleted messages.

A new connection will need to be established to login once more.

chan - imap channel

EXAMPLES

                  set user myusername
                  set pass xtremescrt
                  set server imap.test.tld
                  set FOLDER INBOX
                  # Connect to server
                  set imap [::imap4::open $server]
                  ::imap4::login $imap $user $pass
                  ::imap4::select $imap $FOLDER
                  # Output all the information about that mailbox
                  foreach info [::imap4::mboxinfo $imap] {
                      puts "$info -> [::imap4::mboxinfo $imap $info]"
                  }
                  # fetch 3 records inline
                  set fields {from: to: subject: size}
                  foreach rec [::imap4::fetch $imap :3 -inline {*}$fields] {
                      puts -nonewline "#[incr idx])"
                      for {set j 0} {$j<[llength $fields]} {incr j} {
                          puts "\t[lindex $fields $j] [lindex $rec $j]"
                      }
                  }

                  # Show all the information available about the message ID 1
                  puts "Available info about message 1: [::imap4::msginfo $imap 1]"

                  # Use the capability stuff
                  puts "Capabilities: [::imap4::isableto $imap]"
                  puts "Is able to imap4rev1? [::imap4::isableto $imap imap4rev1]"

                  # Cleanup
                  ::imap4::cleanup $imap

TLS SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS

       This package uses the TLS package to handle the security for https urls and  other  socket
       connections.

       Policy  decisions like the set of protocols to support and what ciphers to use are not the
       responsibility of TLS, nor of  this  package  itself  however.   Such  decisions  are  the
       responsibility of whichever application is using the package, and are likely influenced by
       the set of servers the application will talk to as well.

       For      example,      in      light      of      the      recent      POODLE       attack
       [http://googleonlinesecurity.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/this-poodle-bites-exploiting-
       ssl-30.html] discovered by  Google  many  servers  will  disable  support  for  the  SSLv3
       protocol.   To handle this change the applications using TLS must be patched, and not this
       package, nor TLS itself.  Such a patch may be  as  simple  as  generally  activating  tls1
       support, as shown in the example below.

                  package require tls
                  tls::init -tls1 1 ;# forcibly activate support for the TLS1 protocol

                  ... your own application code ...

REFERENCES

       Mark R. Crispin, "INTERNET MESSAGE ACCESS PROTOCOL - VERSION 4rev1", RFC 3501, March 2003,
       http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc3501.txt

       OpenSSL, http://www.openssl.org/

BUGS, IDEAS, FEEDBACK

       This document, and the package it describes,  will  undoubtedly  contain  bugs  and  other
       problems.    Please   report   such   in   the  category  imap4  of  the  Tcllib  Trackers
       [http://core.tcl.tk/tcllib/reportlist].  Please also report any ideas for enhancements you
       may have for either package and/or documentation.

       When proposing code changes, please provide unified diffs, i.e the output of diff -u.

       Note further that attachments are strongly preferred over inlined patches. Attachments can
       be made by going to the Edit form of the ticket immediately after its creation,  and  then
       using  the left-most button in the secondary navigation bar.  Only a small part of rfc3501
       implemented.

KEYWORDS

       email, imap, internet, mail, net, rfc3501, ssl, tls

NAME

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

PROCEDURES

EXAMPLES

TLS SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS

REFERENCES

BUGS, IDEAS, FEEDBACK

SEE ALSO

KEYWORDS

CATEGORY