Provided by: libmail-box-imap4-perl_3.010-1_all 
NAME
Mail::Transport::IMAP4 - proxy to Mail::IMAPClient
INHERITANCE
Mail::Transport::IMAP4
is a Mail::Transport::Receive
is a Mail::Transport
is a Mail::Reporter
SYNOPSIS
my $imap = Mail::Transport::IMAP4->new(...);
my $message = $imap->receive($id);
$imap->send($message);
my Mail::Box::Manager $mgr = Mail::Box::Manager->new;
$mgr->open(
# Generic folder options
folder => 'imaps://...',
access => 'rw',
extract => 'ALWAYS',
# Mail::IMAPClient options start with [A-Z]
IgnoreSizeErrors => 1,
Ssl => 1,
);
DESCRIPTION
The IMAP4 protocol is quite complicated: it is feature rich and allows various asynchronous actions. The
main document describing IMAP is rfc3501 (which obsoleted the original specification of protocol 4r1 in
rfc2060 in March 2003).
This package, as part of MailBox, does not implement the actual protocol itself but uses Mail::IMAPClient
to do the work. The task for this package is to hide as many differences between that module's interface
and the common MailBox folder types. Multiple Mail::Box::IMAP4 folders can share one
Mail::Transport::IMAP4 connection.
The Mail::IMAPClient module is the best IMAP4 implementation for Perl5, but is not maintained. There are
many known problems with the module, and solving those is outside the scope of MailBox. See
<https://rt.cpan.org/Public/Dist/Display.html?Name=Mail-IMAPClient> for all the reported bugs.
Extends "DESCRIPTION" in Mail::Transport::Receive.
METHODS
Extends "METHODS" in Mail::Transport::Receive.
Constructors
Extends "Constructors" in Mail::Transport::Receive.
$class->new(%options)
Create the IMAP connection to the server. IMAP servers can handle multiple folders for a single
user, which means that connections may get shared. This is sharing is hidden for the user.
When an "imap_client" is specified, then the options "hostname", "port", "username", and "password"
are extracted from it.
All %options which start with a capital are passed as initiation to Mail::IMAPClient. See that
manual about the huge pile of parameters. When talking to Microsoft Exchange, you probabaly need the
"IgnoreSizeErros". Probably, you need "Ssl" or "StartTLS" as well. As feature, you may also pass a
HASH to Ssl, where "Mail::IMAPClient" only accepts an ARRAY.
For backwards compatibility, "ssl" is an alternative for "Ssl", and "starttls" for "StartTLS".
Improves base, see "Constructors" in Mail::Reporter
-Option --Defined in --Default
authenticate 'AUTO'
domain <server_name>
executable Mail::Transport undef
hostname Mail::Transport 'localhost'
imap_client Mail::IMAPClient
interval Mail::Transport 30
log Mail::Reporter 'WARNINGS'
password Mail::Transport undef
port Mail::Transport 143
proxy Mail::Transport undef
retry Mail::Transport <unlimited>
timeout Mail::Transport 120
trace Mail::Reporter 'WARNINGS'
username Mail::Transport undef
via Mail::Transport 'imap'
authenticate => TYPE|ARRAY
Authenthication method to login(), which will be passed to Mail::IMAPClient subroutine
authenticate. See the latter method for the available types. You may provide an ARRAY of types.
domain => WINDOWS_DOMAIN
Used for NTLM authentication.
executable => $file
hostname => $host|\@hosts
imap_client => OBJECT|CLASS
When an OBJECT is supplied, that client will be used for the implementation of the IMAP4 protocol.
Information about server and such are extracted from the OBJECT to have the accessors to produce
correct results. The OBJECT shall be a Mail::IMAPClient.
When a CLASS is given, an object of that type is created for you. The created object can be
retrieved via imapClient(), and than configured as defined by Mail::IMAPClient.
interval => $span
log => LEVEL
password => $password
port => $port
proxy => $path
retry => $count|undef
timeout => $span
trace => LEVEL
username => $username
via => CLASS|$name
Attributes
Extends "Attributes" in Mail::Transport::Receive.
$obj->authentication( ['AUTO'|$type|$types] )
Returns a LIST of ARRAYS, each describing one possible way to contact the server. Each pair contains
a mechanism name and a challenge callback (which may be "undef").
The settings are used by login() to get server access. The initial value origins from
new(authenticate), but may be changed later.
Available basic $types are "CRAM-MD5", "NTLM", and "PLAIN". With "AUTO", all available types will be
tried. When the Authen::NTLM is not installed, the "NTLM" option will silently be skipped. Be
warned that, because of "PLAIN", erroneous username/password combinations will be passed readible as
last attempt!
The "NTLM" authentication requires Authen::NTLM to be installed. Other methods may be added later.
Besides, you may also specify a CODE reference which implements some authentication.
An ARRAY as $type can be used to specify both mechanism as callback. When no array is used, callback
of the pair is set to "undef". See "authenticate" in Mail::IMAPClient for the gory details.
» example:
$transporter->authentication('CRAM-MD5', [MY_AUTH => \&c], 'PLAIN');
foreach my $pair ($transporter->authentication)
{ my ($mechanism, $challenge) = @$pair;
...
}
$obj->domain( [$domain] )
Used in NTLM authentication to define the Windows domain which is accessed. Initially set by
new(domain) and defaults to the server's name.
$obj->logSettings()
Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->usesSSL()
Returns a boolean.
Receiving mail
Extends "Receiving mail" in Mail::Transport::Receive.
$obj->receive( [$unique_message_id] )
Inherited, see "Receiving mail" in Mail::Transport::Receive
Server connection
Extends "Server connection" in Mail::Transport::Receive.
$obj->findBinary( $name, [@directories] )
Inherited, see "Server connection" in Mail::Transport
$obj->remoteHost()
Inherited, see "Server connection" in Mail::Transport
$obj->retry()
Inherited, see "Server connection" in Mail::Transport
Exchanging Information
Protocol [internals]
The follow methods handle protocol internals, and should not be used by a normal user of this class.
$obj->appendMessage( $message, $foldername, [$date] )
Write the message to the server. The optional DATA can be a RFC-822 date or a timestamp.
$obj->createFolder($name)
Add a folder.
$obj->createImapClient($class, %options)
Create an object of $class, which extends Mail::IMAPClient.
All %options will be passed to the constructor (new) of $class.
$obj->currentFolder( [$foldername] )
Be sure that the specific FOLDER is the current one selected. If the folder is already selected, no
IMAP traffic will be produced.
The boolean return value indicates whether the folder is selectable. It will return "undef" if it
does not exist.
$obj->deleteFolder($name)
Remove one folder.
$obj->destroyDeleted($folder)
Command the server to delete for real all messages which are flagged to be deleted.
$obj->fetch(\@messages, $info)
Get some $info about the @messages from the server. The specified messages shall extend
Mail::Box::Net::Message, Returned is a list of hashes, each info about one result. The contents of
the hash differs per $info, but at least a "message" field will be present, to relate to the message
in question.
The right folder should be selected before this method is called. When the connection was lost,
"undef" is returned. Without any messages, and empty array is returned. The retrieval is done by
Mail::IMAPClient method fetch(), which is then parsed.
$any->flagsToLabels($what, @flags)
In SCALAR context, a hash with labels is returned. In LIST context, pairs are returned.
The $what parameter can be 'SET', 'CLEAR', or 'REPLACE'. With the latter, all standard imap flags
which do not appear in the list will be ignored: their value may either by set or cleared. See
getFlags()
Unknown flags in @flags are stripped from their backslash and lower-cased. For instance,
'\SomeWeirdFlag' will become `someweirdflag => 1'. It will be set to '1' for "SET", and '0' in case
of "CLEAR".
» example: translating IMAP4 flags into MailBox flags
my @flags = ('\Seen', '\Flagged');
my $labels = Mail::Transport::IMAP4->flags2labels(SET => @flags);
$obj->folders( [$foldername] )
Returns a list of folder names which are sub-folders of the specified $foldername. Without
$foldername, the top-level foldernames are returned.
$obj->getFields( $uid, $name, [$name, ...] )
Get the records with the specified NAMES from the header. The header fields are returned as list of
Mail::Message::Field::Fast objects. When the name is "ALL", the whole header is returned.
$obj->getFlags($folder, $id)
Returns the values of all flags which are related to the message with the specified $id. These flags
are translated into the names which are standard for the MailBox suite.
A HASH is returned. Names which do not appear will also provide a value in the returned: the
negative for the value is it was present.
$obj->getMessageAsString($message|$uid)
Returns the whole text of the specified message: the head and the body.
$obj->ids()
Returns a list of UIDs which are defined by the IMAP server.
$obj->imapClient()
Returns the object which implements the IMAP4 protocol, an instance of a Mail::IMAPClient, which is
logged-in and ready to use.
If the contact to the server was still present or could be established, an Mail::IMAPClient object is
returned. Else, "undef" is returned and no further actions should be tried on the object.
$any->labelsToFlags(HASH|PAIRS)
Convert MailBox labels into IMAP flags. Returned is a string. Unsupported labels are ignored.
$obj->listFlags()
Returns all predefined flags as list.
$obj->login()
Establish a new connection to the IMAP4 server, using username and password.
$obj->setFlags($id, $label, $value, [$label, $value], ...)
Change the flags on the message which are represented by the label. The value which can be related
to the label will be lost, because IMAP only defines a boolean value, where MailBox labels can
contain strings.
Returned is a list of ($label => $value) pairs which could not be send to the IMAP server. These
values may be cached in a different way.
Error handling
Extends "Error handling" in Mail::Transport::Receive.
$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::Transport::Receive.
$obj->DESTROY()
The connection is cleanly terminated when the program is terminated. Improves base, see "Cleanup" in
Mail::Reporter
DIAGNOSTICS
Error: Cannot connect to $host:$port for IMAP4: $!
Cast by login()
Error: IMAP cannot connect to $host: $@
Cast by login()
Notice: IMAP4 authenication $mechanism to $host:$port successful
Cast by login()
Error: IMAP4 requires a username and password
Cast by login()
Error: IMAP4 username $username requires a password
Cast by login()
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()
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::Transport::IMAP4(3pm)