Provided by: libmail-box-perl_3.010-2_all 
NAME
Mail::Box::Manager - manage a set of folders
INHERITANCE
Mail::Box::Manager
is a Mail::Reporter
Mail::Box::Manager is extended by
Mail::Box::Manage::User
SYNOPSIS
use Mail::Box::Manager;
my $mgr = new Mail::Box::Manager;
# Create folder objects.
my $folder = $mgr->open(folder => $ENV{MAIL});
my $message1 = $folder->message(0);
$mgr->copyMessage('Draft', $message);
my @messages = $folder->message(0,3);
$mgr->moveMessage('Outbox', @messages, create => 1 );
$mgr->close($folder);
# Create thread-detectors (see Mail::Box::Thread::Manager)
my $t = $mgr->threads($inbox, $outbox);
my $threads = $mgr->threads(folder => $folder);
foreach my $thread ($threads->all)
{ $thread->print;
}
$mgr->registerType(mbox => 'Mail::Box::MyType');
DESCRIPTION
The manager keeps track on a set of open folders and a set of message-thread supporting
objects. You are not obliged to use this object (you can directly create a
Mail::Box::Mbox if you prefer), but you will create more portable and safer code if you do
use it.
Extends "DESCRIPTION" in Mail::Reporter.
METHODS
Extends "METHODS" in Mail::Reporter.
Constructors
Extends "Constructors" in Mail::Reporter.
Mail::Box::Manager->new($args)
-Option --Defined in --Default
autodetect undef
default_folder_type 'mbox'
folder_types <all standard types>
folderdir [ '.' ]
folderdirs <synonym for C<folderdir>>
log Mail::Reporter 'WARNINGS'
trace Mail::Reporter 'WARNINGS'
autodetect => TYPE|ARRAY-OF-TYPES
Select only a subset of the folder types which are implemented by MailBox to be
detected automatically. This may improve the auto-detection of folder types.
Normally, all folder types will be tried when a folder's name is incorrect, but this
option limits the types which are checked and therefore may respond faster.
default_folder_type => NAME|CLASS
Specifies the default folder type for newly created folders. If this option is not
specified, the most recently registered type is used (see registerType() and the
new(folder_types) option.
folder_types => NEW-TYPE | ARRAY-OF-NEW-TYPES
Add one or more new folder types to the list of known types. The order is
important: when you open a file without specifying its type, the manager will start
trying the last added list of types, in order.
Each TYPE is specified as an array which contains name, class, and defaults for
options which overrule the usual defaults. You may specify folder-specific defaults
as OPTIONS. They override the settings of the manager.
folderdir => DIRECTORY
The default directory, or directories, where folders are located. The
"Mail::Box::Manager" can autodetect the existing folder-types. There may be
different kinds of folders opened at the same time, and messages can be moved
between those types, although that may result in a loss of information depending on
the folder types.
folderdirs => [DIRECTORIES]
log => LEVEL
trace => LEVEL
Attributes
$obj->defaultFolderType()
Returns the default folder type, some class name.
$obj->folderTypes()
Returns the list of currently defined folder types.
example:
print join("\n", $manager->folderTypes), "\n";
$obj->folderdir()
In list context, this returns all folderdirs specified. In SCALAR context only the
first.
$obj->registerType($type, $class, %options)
With "registerType" you can register one $type of folders. The $class is compiled
automatically, so you do not need to "use" them in your own modules. The $type is
just an arbitrary name.
The added types are prepended to the list of known types, so they are checked first
when a folder is opened in autodetect mode.
example:
$manager->registerType(mbox => 'Mail::Box::Mbox',
save_on_exit => 0, folderdir => '/tmp');
Manage open folders
$obj->close($folder, %options)
"close" removes the specified folder from the list of open folders. Indirectly it
will update the files on disk if needed (depends on the Mail::Box::new(save_on_exit)
flag for each folder). %options are passed to Mail::Box::close() of the folder.
The folder's messages will also be withdrawn from the known message threads. You may
also close the folder directly. The manager will be informed about this event and take
appropriate actions.
-Option --Default
close_by_self <false>
close_by_self => BOOLEAN
Used internally to avoid confusion about how the close was started. Do not change
this.
example:
my $inbox = $mgr->open('inbox');
$mgr->close($inbox);
$inbox->close; # alternative
$obj->closeAllFolders(, %options)
"closeAllFolders" calls close() for each folder managed by this object. It is called
just before the program stops (before global cleanup).
$obj->isOpenFolder($folder)
Returns true if the $folder is currently open.
example:
print "Yes\n" if $mgr->isOpenFolder('Inbox');
$obj->open( [$foldername], %options )
Open a folder which name is specified as first parameter or with the option flag
"folder". The folder type is autodetected unless the "type" is specified.
"open" carries options for the manager which are described here, but may also have
additional options for the folder type. For a description of the folder options, see
the options to the constructor Mail::Box::new() for each type of mail box.
-Option --Default
authenticate 'AUTO'
create <false>
folder $ENV{MAIL}
folderdir '.'
type <first, usually C<mbox>>
authenticate => TYPE|ARRAY-OF-TYPES|'AUTO'
The TYPE of authentication to be used, or a list of TYPES which the client prefers.
The server may provide preferences as well, and that order will be kept. This
option is only supported by a small subset of folder types, especially by POP and
IMAP.
create => BOOLEAN
Create the folder if it does not exist. By default, this is not done. The "type"
option specifies which type of folder is created.
folder => NAME|URL
Which folder to open, specified by NAME or special URL. The URL format is composed
as
type://username:password@hostname:port/foldername
Like real URLs, all fields are optional and have smart defaults, as long as the
string starts with a known folder type. Far from all folder types support all these
options, but at least they are always split-out. Be warned that special characters
in the password should be properly url-encoded.
When you specify anything which does not match the URL format, it is passed directly
to the "new" method of the folder which is opened.
folderdir => DIRECTORY
The directory where the folders are usually stored.
type => FOLDERTYPENAME|FOLDERTYPE
Specify the type of the folder. If you do not specify this option while opening a
folder for reading, the manager checks all registered folder types in order for the
ability to open the folder. If you open a new folder for writing, then the default
will be the most recently registered type. (If you add more than one type at once,
the first of the list is used.)
Currently, the types are "mbox", "mh", "maildir", "pop3", "pop3s", "imap4", and
"imap4s". You may also use names "pop", "pops", "imap", and "imaps".
example: opening folders via the manager
my $jack = $manager->open(folder => '=jack',
type => 'mbox');
my $rcvd = $manager->open('myMail',
type => 'Mail::Box::Mbox', access => 'rw');
my $inbox = $manager->open('Inbox')
or die "Cannot open Inbox.\n";
my $pop = 'pop3://myself:secret@pop3.server.com:120/x';
my $send = $manager->open($url);
my $send = $manager->open(folder => '/x',
type => 'pop3', username => 'myself', password => 'secret'
server_name => 'pop3.server.com', server_port => '120');
$obj->openFolders()
Returns a list of all open folders.
Manage existing folders
$obj->delete($foldername, %options)
Remove the named folder. The %options are the same as those for open().
The deletion of a folder can take some time. Dependent on the type of folder, the
folder must be read first. For some folder-types this will be fast.
-Option --Default
recursive <folder's default>
recursive => BOOLEAN
Some folder can only be recursively deleted, other have more flexibility.
Move messages to folders
$obj->appendMessage( [$folder|$foldername], $messages, %options )
Append one or more messages to a folder (therefore, an "appendMessages()" is defined
as well). You may specify a $foldername or an opened folder as the first argument.
When the name is that of an open folder, it is treated as if the folder-object was
specified, and not directly access the folder-files. You may also specify the
foldername as part of the options list.
If a message is added to an already opened folder, it is only added to the structure
internally in the program. The data will not be written to disk until a write of that
folder takes place. When the name of an unopened folder is given, the folder is
opened, the messages stored on disk, and then the folder is closed.
A message must be an instance of a Mail::Message. The actual message type does not
have to match the folder type--the folder will try to resolve the differences with
minimal loss of information. The coerced messages (how the were actually written) are
returned as list.
The %options is a list of key/values, which are added to (overriding) the default
options for the detected folder type.
example:
$mgr->appendMessage('=send', $message, folderdir => '/');
$mgr->appendMessage($received, $inbox->messages);
my @appended = $mgr->appendMessages($inbox->messages,
folder => 'Drafts');
$_->label(seen => 1) foreach @appended;
$obj->copyMessage( [$folder|$foldername], $messages, %options )
Copy a message from one folder into another folder. If the destination folder is
already opened, Mail::Box::copyTo() is used. Otherwise, Mail::Box::appendMessages()
is called.
You need to specify a folder's name or folder object as the first argument, or in the
options list. The options are the same as those which can be specified when opening a
folder.
-Option--Default
share <false>
share => BOOLEAN
Try to share the physical storage of the messages. The folder types may be
different, but it all depends on the actual folder where the message is copied to.
Silently ignored when not possible to share.
example:
my $drafts = $mgr->open(folder => 'Drafts');
my $outbox = $mgr->open(folder => 'Outbox');
$mgr->copyMessage($outbox, $drafts->message(0));
my @messages = $drafts->message(1,2);
$mgr->copyMessage('=Trash', @messages,
folderdir => '/tmp', create => 1);
$mgr->copyMessage($drafts->message(1),
folder => '=Drafts' folderdir => '/tmp',
create => 1);
$obj->moveMessage( [$folder|$foldername], $messages, %options )
Move a message from one folder to another.
BE WARNED that removals from a folder only take place when the folder is closed, so
the message is only flagged to be deleted in the opened source folder.
BE WARNED that message labels may get lost when a message is moved from one folder
type to an other. An attempt is made to translate labels, but there are many
differences in interpretation by applications.
$mgr->moveMessage($received, $inbox->message(1))
is equivalent to
$mgr->copyMessage($received, $inbox->message(1), share => 1);
$inbox->message(1)->delete;
-Option--Default
share <true>
share => BOOLEAN
Manage message threads
$obj->threads( [$folders], %options )
Create a new object which keeps track of message threads. You can read about the
possible options in Mail::Box::Thread::Manager. As %options specify one folder or an
array of $folders. It is also permitted to specify folders before the options.
example:
my $t1 = $mgr->threads(folders => [ $inbox, $send ]);
my $t2 = $mgr->threads($inbox);
my $t3 = $mgr->threads($inbox, $send);
Internals
$obj->decodeFolderURL($url)
Try to decompose a folder name which is specified as $url (see open()) into separate
options. Special characters like @-sign, colon, and slash used in the user or
password parts must be passed $url-encoded.
$obj->toBeThreaded($folder, $messages)
Signal to the manager that all thread managers which are using the specified folder
must be informed that new messages are coming in.
$obj->toBeUnthreaded($folder, $messages)
Signal to the manager that all thread managers which are using the specified folder
must be informed that new messages are or going out.
Error handling
Extends "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter.
$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, $callback] )
Mail::Box::Manager->defaultTrace( [$level]|[$loglevel, $tracelevel]|[$level, $callback] )
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->errors()
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->log( [$level, [$strings]] )
Mail::Box::Manager->log( [$level, [$strings]] )
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->logPriority($level)
Mail::Box::Manager->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::Reporter.
$obj->DESTROY()
Inherited, see "Cleanup" in Mail::Reporter
DETAILS
On many places in the documentation you can read that it is useful to have a manager
object. There are two of them: the Mail::Box::Manager, which maintains a set of open
folders, and an extension of it: the Mail::Box::Manage::User.
Managing open folders
It is useful to start your program by creating a folder manager object, an
Mail::Box::Manager. The object takes a few burdons from your neck:
• autodetect the type of folder which is used.
This means that your application can be fully folder type independent.
• autoload the required modules
There are so many modules involved in MailBox, that it is useful to have some lazy
autoloading of code. The manager knows which modules belong to which type of folder.
• avoid double openings
Your programming mistakes may cause the same folder to be opened twice. The result of
that could be very destructive. Therefore, the manager keeps track on all open
folders and avoids the same folder to be opened for the second time.
• close folders at clean-up
When the program is ending, the manager will cleanly close all folders which are still
open. This is required, because the autodestruct sequence of Perl works in an
unpredicatable order.
• message thread detection
MailBox can discover message threads which span multiple folders. Any set of open
folders may be grouped in a tree of replies on replies on replies. When a folder is
closed, it will automatically be removed from the threads, and a new folder can
dynamically be added to the structure.
The manager is really simplifying things, and should therefore be the base of all
programs. However, it is possible to write useful programs without it.
Managing a user
One step further is the Mail::Box::Manage::User object (since MailBox v2.057), which not
only keeps track on open folders, but also collects information about not-open folders.
The user class is, as the name says, targeted on managing one single user. Where the
Mail::Box::Manager will open any set of folder files, probably from multiple users, the
user class want one root folder directory.
In many aspects, the user manager simplifies the task for user-based servers and other
user-centric applications by setting smart defaults.
DIAGNOSTICS
Error: Folder $name is already open.
You cannot ask the manager for a folder which is already open. In some older releases
(before MailBox 2.049), this was permitted, but then behaviour changed, because many
nasty side-effects are to be expected. For instance, an Mail::Box::update() on one
folder handle would influence the second, probably unexpectedly.
Error: Folder $name is not a Mail::Box; cannot add a message.
The folder where the message should be appended to is an object which is not a folder
type which extends Mail::Box. Probably, it is not a folder at all.
Warning: Folder does not exist, failed opening $type folder $name.
The folder does not exist and creating is not permitted (see open(create)) or did not
succeed. When you do not have sufficient access rights to the folder (for instance
wrong password for POP3), this warning will be produced as well.
The manager tried to open a folder of the specified type. It may help to explicitly
state the type of your folder with the "type" option. There will probably be another
warning or error message which is related to this report and provides more details
about its cause. You may also have a look at new(autodetect) and new(folder_types).
Warning: Folder type $type is unknown, using autodetect.
The specified folder type (see open(type), possibly derived from the folder name when
specified as url) is not known to the manager. This may mean that you forgot to
require the Mail::Box extension which implements this folder type, but probably it is
a typo. Usually, the manager is able to figure-out which type to use by itself.
Error: Illegal folder URL '$url'.
The folder name was specified as URL, but not according to the syntax. See
decodeFolderURL() for an description of the syntax.
Error: No foldername specified to open.
"open()" needs a folder name as first argument (before the list of options), or with
the "folder" option within the list. If no name was found, the MAIL environment
variable is checked. When even that does not result in a usable folder, then this
error is produced. The error may be caused by an accidental odd-length option list.
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: Use appendMessage() to add messages which are not in a folder.
You do not need to copy this message into the folder, because you do not share the
message between folders.
Warning: Use moveMessage() or copyMessage() to move between open folders.
The message is already part of a folder, and now it should be appended to a different
folder. You need to decide between copy or move, which both will clone the message
(not the body, because they are immutable).
Warning: Will never create a folder $name without having write access.
You have set open(create), but only want to read the folder. Create is only useful
for folders which have write or append access modes (see Mail::Box::new(access)).
SEE ALSO
This module is part of Mail-Box distribution version 3.010, built on July 18, 2023.
Website: http://perl.overmeer.net/CPAN/
LICENSE
Copyrights 2001-2023 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/