Provided by: libmail-box-imap4-perl_3.010-1_all 
NAME
Mail::Server::IMAP4::User - manage the folders of one user
INHERITANCE
Mail::Server::IMAP4::User
is a Mail::Box::Manage::User
is a Mail::Box::Manager
is a Mail::Reporter
SYNOPSIS
my $mgr = Mail::Server::IMAP4::User->new(...);
DESCRIPTION
This class adds IMAP protocol features to the normal Mail::Box::Manager.
Extends "DESCRIPTION" in Mail::Box::Manage::User.
METHODS
Extends "METHODS" in Mail::Box::Manage::User.
Constructors
Extends "Constructors" in Mail::Box::Manage::User.
$class->new(%options)
Inherited, see "METHODS" in Mail::Box::Manage::User
-Option --Defined in --Default
autodetect Mail::Box::Manager undef
collection_type Mail::Box::Manage::User Mail::Box::Collection
default_folder_type Mail::Box::Manager 'mbox'
delimiter Mail::Box::Manage::User "/"
folder_id_type Mail::Box::Manage::User Mail::Box::Identity
folder_types Mail::Box::Manager <all standard types>
folderdir Mail::Box::Manager [ '.' ]
folderdirs Mail::Box::Manager <synonym for C<folderdir>>
identity Mail::Box::Manage::User <required>
inbox Mail::Box::Manage::User undef
index_filename $folderdir/index
log Mail::Reporter 'WARNINGS'
topfolder_name Mail::Box::Manage::User '='
trace Mail::Reporter 'WARNINGS'
autodetect => $type|\@types
collection_type => $class
default_folder_type => $type|CLASS
delimiter => STRING
folder_id_type => CLASS|OBJECT
folder_types => $typedef|\@typedefs
folderdir => DIRECTORY
folderdirs => [DIRECTORIES]
identity => OBJECT
inbox => $name
index_filename => FILENAME
log => LEVEL
topfolder_name => $name
trace => LEVEL
Attributes
Extends "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Manage::User.
$obj->defaultFolderType()
Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Manager
$obj->delimiter()
Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Manage::User
$obj->folderTypeDefs()
Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Manager
$obj->folderTypes()
Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Manager
$obj->folderdir()
Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Manager
$obj->identity()
Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Manage::User
$obj->inbox( [$name] )
Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Manage::User
$obj->indexFilename()
Returns the filename of the index file.
$obj->logSettings()
Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->registerType($type, $class, %options)
Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Manager
$obj->threads( [@params] )
Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Manager
$obj->topfolder()
Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Manage::User
Manage open folders
Extends "Manage open folders" in Mail::Box::Manage::User.
$obj->close($folder, %options)
Inherited, see "Manage open folders" in Mail::Box::Manager
$obj->closeAllFolders(%options)
Inherited, see "Manage open folders" in Mail::Box::Manager
$obj->isOpenFolder($folder)
Inherited, see "Manage open folders" in Mail::Box::Manager
$obj->open( [$foldername], %options )
Inherited, see "Manage open folders" in Mail::Box::Manager
$obj->openFolders()
Inherited, see "Manage open folders" in Mail::Box::Manager
Manage existing folders
Extends "Manage existing folders" in Mail::Box::Manage::User.
$obj->folder($name)
Inherited, see "Manage existing folders" in Mail::Box::Manage::User
$obj->folderCollection($name)
Inherited, see "Manage existing folders" in Mail::Box::Manage::User
$obj->rename($oldname, $newname, %options)
Inherited, see "Manage existing folders" in Mail::Box::Manage::User
Move messages to folders
Extends "Move messages to folders" in Mail::Box::Manage::User.
$obj->appendMessage( [$folder|$foldername], $messages, %options )
Inherited, see "Move messages to folders" in Mail::Box::Manager
$obj->copyMessage( [$folder|$foldername], @messages, %options )
Inherited, see "Move messages to folders" in Mail::Box::Manager
$obj->moveMessage( [$folder|$foldername], @messages, %options )
Inherited, see "Move messages to folders" in Mail::Box::Manager
Manage message threads
Extends "Manage message threads" in Mail::Box::Manage::User.
$obj->discoverThreads( [@folders], %options )
Inherited, see "Manage message threads" in Mail::Box::Manager
Internals
Extends "Internals" in Mail::Box::Manage::User.
$obj->decodeFolderURL($url)
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box::Manager
$obj->toBeThreaded($folder, $messages)
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box::Manager
$obj->toBeUnthreaded($folder, $messages)
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box::Manager
Error handling
Extends "Error handling" in Mail::Box::Manage::User.
$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::Box::Manage::User.
$obj->DESTROY()
Inherited, see "Cleanup" in Mail::Reporter
Manage folders
$obj->create($name, %options)
Creates a new folder with the specified name. Folder info is returned, which will be very simple.
In the accidental case that the folder already exists, a warning will be issued, and that folder's
data returned. Improves base, see "Manage existing folders" in Mail::Box::Manage::User
-Option --Defined in --Default
create_real Mail::Box::Manage::User true
create_supers Mail::Box::Manage::User false
deleted Mail::Box::Manage::User false
id_options Mail::Box::Manage::User []
create_real => BOOLEAN
create_supers => BOOLEAN
deleted => BOOLEAN
id_options => ARRAY
$obj->delete($name, %options)
Remove all signs from the folder on the file-system. Messages still in the folder will be removed.
This method returns a "true" value when the folder has been removed or not found, so ""false"" means
failure.
It is also possible to delete a folder using "$folder->delete", which will call this method here.
The %options, which are used for some other folder types, will be ignored here: the user's index
contains the required details. Improves base, see "Manage existing folders" in
Mail::Box::Manage::User
-Option --Defined in --Default
recursive Mail::Box::Manager <folder's default>
recursive => BOOLEAN
» example: how to delete a folder
print "no xyz (anymore)\n" if $user->delete('xyz');
$obj->folderInfo($name)
Returns a hash with folder information. In normal circumstances, it is cheap to get these details,
because they are cached in an index file. DO NOT modify the values you find in the hash, because
that data may or may not be lost.
DO NOT trust on the existence of any field in the info: fields may get renamed, removed, or added
over time. Not all folder indexes will be generated by the same software release.
» example: how to get global info about a folder
my $info = $user->folderInfo($name); # get info
DETAILS
Extends "DETAILS" in Mail::Box::Manage::User.
DIAGNOSTICS
Error: Cannot create folder directory $dir: $!
Cast by create()
Error: Cannot rename $name to $new: higher levels missing
Unless you set create(create_supers), all higher level folders must exist before this new one can be
created. Cast by rename()
Error: Cannot write name for folder in $file: $!
Cast by create()
Error: Failed writing folder name to $file: $!
Cast by create()
Warning: Folder $name already exists, creation skipped
Cast by create()
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. Cast by open()
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. Cast by appendMessage()
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). Cast by open()
Warning: Folder type $type is unknown, using autodetect.
The specified folder type (see open(type), possibly derived from the folder name when specified as
url) is not known to the manager. This may mean that you forgot to require the Mail::Box extension
which implements this folder type, but probably it is a typo. Usually, the manager is able to
figure-out which type to use by itself. Cast by open()
Error: Illegal folder URL '$url'.
The folder name was specified as URL, but not according to the syntax. See decodeFolderURL() for an
description of the syntax. Cast by open()
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. Cast by open()
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()
Error: Unable to remove folder $dir
Cast by delete()
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. Cast by copyMessage()
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). Cast by appendMessage()
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)). Cast by open()
SEE ALSO
This module is part of Mail-Box-IMAP4 version 3.010, 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::Server::IMAP4::User(3pm)