Provided by: libmail-message-perl_3.019-1_all 
NAME
Mail::Box::Parser - reading and writing messages
INHERITANCE
Mail::Box::Parser
is a Mail::Reporter
Mail::Box::Parser is extended by
Mail::Box::Parser::C
Mail::Box::Parser::Lines
Mail::Box::Parser::Perl
SYNOPSIS
# Not instatiatiated itself
DESCRIPTION
The "Mail::Box::Parser" manages the parsing of folders. Usually, you won't need to know anything about
this module, except the options which are involved with this code.
There are currently three implementations of this module:
• Mail::Box::Parser::C
A fast parser written in "C". This package is released as separate module on CPAN, because the
module distribution via CPAN can not handle XS files which are not located in the root directory of
the module tree. If a C compiler is available on your system, it will be used automatically.
• Mail::Box::Parser::Perl
A slower parser when the message is in a file, like mbox, which only uses plain Perl. This module is
a bit slower, and does less checking and less recovery.
• Mail::Box::Parser::Lines
Useful when the message is already in memory. When you plan to use this yourself, you probably need
to use Mail::Message::Construct::Read.
Extends "DESCRIPTION" in Mail::Reporter.
METHODS
Extends "METHODS" in Mail::Reporter.
Constructors
Extends "Constructors" in Mail::Reporter.
$class->new(%options)
Create a parser object which can handle one file. For mbox-like mailboxes, this object can be used
to read a whole folder. In case of MH-like mailboxes, each message is contained in a single file, so
each message has its own parser object. Improves base, see "Constructors" in Mail::Reporter
-Option --Defined in --Default
fix_header_errors false
log Mail::Reporter 'WARNINGS'
trace Mail::Reporter 'WARNINGS'
trusted false
fix_header_errors => BOOLEAN
When header errors are detected, the parsing of the header will be stopped. Other header lines
will become part of the body of the message. Set this flag to have the erroneous line added to the
previous header line.
log => LEVEL
trace => LEVEL
trusted => BOOLEAN
Is the input from the file to be trusted, or does it require extra tests. Related to
Mail::Box::new(trusted).
Attributes
Extends "Attributes" in Mail::Reporter.
$any->defaultParserType( [$class] )
Returns the parser to be used to parse all subsequent messages, possibly first setting the parser
using the optional argument. Usually, the parser is autodetected; the "C"-based parser will be used
when it can be, and the Perl-based parser will be used otherwise.
The $class argument allows you to specify a package name to force a particular parser to be used
(such as your own custom parser). You have to "use" or "require" the package yourself before calling
this method with an argument. The parser must be a sub-class of "Mail::Box::Parser".
$obj->fixHeaderErrors( [BOOLEAN] )
If set to "true", parsing of a header will not stop on an error, but attempt to add the erroneous
this line to previous field. Without "BOOLEAN", the current setting is returned.
» example:
$folder->parser->fixHeaderErrors(1);
my $folder = $mgr->open('folder', fix_header_errors => 1);
$obj->logSettings()
Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->trusted()
Trust the source of the data: do not run additional tests.
Parsing
$obj->bodyAsFile( $fh [$chars, [$lines]] )
Try to read one message-body from the file, and immediately write it to the specified file-handle.
Optionally, the predicted number of CHARacterS and/or $lines to be read can be supplied. These
values may be "undef" and may be wrong.
The return is a list of three scalars: the location of the body (begin and end) and the number of
lines in the body.
$obj->bodyAsList( [$chars, [$lines]] )
Try to read one message-body from the file. Optionally, the predicted number of CHARacterS and/or
$lines to be read can be supplied. These values may be "undef" and may be wrong.
The return is a list of scalars, each containing one line (including line terminator), preceded by
two integers representing the location in the file where this body started and ended.
$obj->bodyAsString( [$chars, [$lines]] )
Try to read one message-body from the file. Optionally, the predicted number of CHARacterS and/or
$lines to be read can be supplied. These values may be "undef" and may be wrong.
Returned is a list of three scalars: the location in the file where the body starts, where the body
ends, and the string containing the whole body.
$obj->bodyDelayed( [$chars, [$lines]] )
Try to read one message-body from the file, but the data is skipped. Optionally, the predicted
number of CHARacterS and/or $lines to be skipped can be supplied. These values may be "undef" and
may be wrong.
The return is a list of four scalars: the location of the body (begin and end), the size of the body,
and the number of lines in the body. The number of lines may be "undef".
$obj->lineSeparator()
Returns the character or characters which are used to separate lines in the folder file. This is
based on the first line of the file. UNIX systems use a single LF to separate lines. Windows uses a
CR and a LF. Mac uses CR.
$obj->readHeader()
Read the whole message-header and return it as list of field-value pairs. Mind that some fields will
appear more than once.
The first element will represent the position in the file where the header starts. The follows the
list of header field names and bodies.
» example:
my ($where, @header) = $parser->readHeader;
$obj->stop()
Stop the parser.
Administering separators
The various "separators" methods are used by Mail::Message::Body::Multipart to detect parts, and for the
file based mailboxes to flag where the new message starts.
$obj->activeSeparator()
$obj->popSeparator()
Remove the last-pushed separator from the list which is maintained by the parser. This will return
"undef" when there is none left.
$obj->pushSeparator(STRING|Regexp)
Add a boundary line. Separators tell the parser where to stop reading. A famous separator is the
"From"-line, which is used in Mbox-like folders to separate messages. But also parts (attachments)
is a message are divided by separators.
The specified "STRING" describes the start of the separator-line. The Regexp can specify a more
complicated format.
$obj->readSeparator(%options)
Read the currently active separator (the last one which was pushed). The line (or "undef") is
returned. Blank-lines before the separator lines are ignored.
The return are two scalars, where the first gives the location of the separator in the file, and the
second the line which is found as separator. A new separator is activated using pushSeparator().
$obj->resetSeparators()
$obj->separators()
$obj->stripGt()
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
$any->defaultTrace( [$level]|[$loglevel, $tracelevel]|[$level, $callback] )
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->errors()
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$any->log( [$level, [$strings]] )
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$any->logPriority($level)
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
DIAGNOSTICS
Error: Filename or handle required to create a parser.
A message parser needs to know the source of the message at creation. These sources can be a
filename (string), file handle object, or GLOB. See new(filename) and new(file). Cast by new()
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. Cast by notImplemented()
Warning: Unexpected end of header in $source: $line
While parsing a message from the specified source (usually a file name), the parser found a syntax
error. According to the MIME specification in the RFCs, each header line must either contain a
colon, or start with a blank to indicate a folded field. Apparently, this header contains a line
which starts on the first position, but not with a field name.
By default, parsing of the header will be stopped. If there are more header lines after the
erroneous line, they will be added to the body of the message. In case of new(fix_header_errors)
set, the parsing of the header will be continued. The erroneous line will be added to the preceding
field. Cast by readHeader()
SEE ALSO
This module is part of Mail-Message version 3.019, built on November 24, 2025. Website:
http://perl.overmeer.net/CPAN/
LICENSE
For contributors see file ChangeLog.
This software is copyright (c) 2001-2025 by Mark Overmeer.
This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as the Perl 5
programming language system itself.
perl v5.40.1 2025-12-07 Mail::Box::Parser(3pm)