DOKK / manpages / debian 12 / libmail-box-imap4-perl / Mail::Box::IMAP4::Message.3pm.en
Mail::Box::IMAP4::Message(3pm) User Contributed Perl Documentation Mail::Box::IMAP4::Message(3pm)

Mail::Box::IMAP4::Message - one message on a IMAP4 server

 Mail::Box::IMAP4::Message
   is a Mail::Box::Net::Message
   is a Mail::Box::Message
   is a Mail::Message
   is a Mail::Reporter


 my $folder = new Mail::Box::IMAP4 ...
 my $message = $folder->message(10);

A "Mail::Box::IMAP4::Message" represents one message on a IMAP4 server, maintained by a Mail::Box::IMAP4 folder. Each message is stored as separate entity on the server, and maybe temporarily in your program as well.

Extends "DESCRIPTION" in Mail::Box::Net::Message.

Extends "METHODS" in Mail::Box::Net::Message.

Extends "Constructors" in Mail::Box::Net::Message.

$obj->clone(%options)
Inherited, see "Constructors" in Mail::Message
 -Option      --Defined in             --Default
  body          Mail::Message            undef
  body_type     Mail::Box::Message       Mail::Message::Body::Lines
  cache_body                             <false>
  cache_head                             <false>
  cache_labels                           <false>
  deleted       Mail::Message            <false>
  field_type    Mail::Message            undef
  folder        Mail::Box::Message       <required>
  head          Mail::Message            undef
  head_type     Mail::Message            Mail::Message::Head::Complete
  labels        Mail::Message            {}
  log           Mail::Reporter           'WARNINGS'
  messageId     Mail::Message            undef
  modified      Mail::Message            <false>
  size          Mail::Box::Message       undef
  trace         Mail::Reporter           'WARNINGS'
  trusted       Mail::Message            <false>
  unique        Mail::Box::Net::Message  <unique string>
  write_labels                           <true>
All standard IMAP labels can be cached on the local server to improve speed. This has the same dangers as setting "write_labels" to false. The caching starts when the first label of the message was read.
When a label is changed or its value read, using label(), that info should be sent to the IMAP server. But, this action could be superfluous, for instance because the label was already set or clear, and communication is expensive. On the other hand, someone else may use IMAP to make changes in the same folder, and will get the updates too late or never...

Extends "Constructing a message" in Mail::Box::Net::Message.

$obj->bounce( [<$rg_object|%options>] )
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Bounce
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Build
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Build
$obj->forward(%options)
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward
$obj->forwardAttach(%options)
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward
$obj->forwardEncapsulate(%options)
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward
$obj->forwardInline(%options)
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward
$obj->forwardNo(%options)
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward
$obj->forwardPostlude()
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward
$obj->forwardPrelude()
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward
$obj->forwardSubject(STRING)
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Read
$obj->rebuild(%options)
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Rebuild
$obj->reply(%options)
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Reply
$obj->replyPrelude( [STRING|$field|$address|ARRAY-$of-$things] )
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Reply
$obj->replySubject(STRING)
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Reply

Extends "The message" in Mail::Box::Net::Message.

$obj->container()
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message
$obj->copyTo($folder, %options)
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Box::Message
$obj->folder( [$folder] )
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Box::Message
$obj->isDummy()
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message
$obj->isPart()
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message
$obj->messageId()
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message
$obj->moveTo($folder, %options)
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Box::Message
$obj->partNumber()
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message
$obj->print( [$fh] )
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message
$obj->send( [$mailer], %options )
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message
$obj->seqnr( [$integer] )
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Box::Message
$obj->size()
Returns the size of this message. If the message is still on the remote server, IMAP is used to ask for the size. When the message is already loaded onto the local system, the size of the parsed message is taken. These sizes can differ because the difference in line-ending representation.
$obj->toplevel()
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message
$obj->unique( [STRING|undef] )
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Box::Net::Message
$obj->write( [$fh] )
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message

Extends "The header" in Mail::Box::Net::Message.

$obj->bcc()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->cc()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->date()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->destinations()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->from()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->get($fieldname)
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->guessTimestamp()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->head( [$head] )
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->nrLines()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->sender()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->study($fieldname)
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->subject()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->timestamp()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->to()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message

Extends "The body" in Mail::Box::Net::Message.

$obj->body( [$body] )
Inherited, see "The body" in Mail::Message
$obj->contentType()
Inherited, see "The body" in Mail::Message
$obj->decoded(%options)
Inherited, see "The body" in Mail::Message
$obj->encode(%options)
Inherited, see "The body" in Mail::Message
$obj->isMultipart()
Inherited, see "The body" in Mail::Message
$obj->isNested()
Inherited, see "The body" in Mail::Message
$obj->parts( [<'ALL'|'ACTIVE'|'DELETED'|'RECURSE'|$filter>] )
Inherited, see "The body" in Mail::Message

Extends "Flags" in Mail::Box::Net::Message.

$obj->delete()
Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message
$obj->deleted( [BOOLEAN] )
Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message
$obj->isDeleted()
Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message
$obj->isModified()
Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message
$obj->label($label|PAIRS)
With only one argument, the value related to $label is returned. With more that one argument, the list is interpreted a label-value PAIRS to be set.

The IMAP protocol defines its own names for the labels, which must be set immediately to inform other IMAP clients which may have the same folder open. But that can be changed with new(write_labels). Some labels are translated to the corresponding IMAP system labels.

$obj->labels()
Get the names of all labels (LIST context, not efficient in IMAP4), or a reference to a hash with labels. You should only use the returned hash to read the labels, because changes made to it will not be passed to the remote server. See labels() to set values.
$obj->labelsToStatus()
Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message
$obj->modified( [BOOLEAN] )
Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message
$obj->statusToLabels()
Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message

Extends "The whole message as text" in Mail::Box::Net::Message.

$obj->file()
Inherited, see "The whole message as text" in Mail::Message::Construct::Text
$obj->lines()
Inherited, see "The whole message as text" in Mail::Message::Construct::Text
$obj->printStructure( [$fh|undef],[$indent] )
Inherited, see "The whole message as text" in Mail::Message::Construct::Text
$obj->string()
Inherited, see "The whole message as text" in Mail::Message::Construct::Text

Extends "Internals" in Mail::Box::Net::Message.

$obj->clonedFrom()
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message
$obj->diskDelete()
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box::Message
$obj->fetch( [$info, ...] )
Use the IMAP's "UID FETCH IMAP" command to get some data about this message. The $info request is passed to Mail::Box::IMAP4::fetch(). Without $info, "ALL" information is retrieved and returned as a HASH.
$obj->isDelayed()
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message
$obj->loadBody()
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box::Net::Message
$obj->readBody( $parser, $head, [$bodytype] )
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box::Message
$obj->readFromParser( $parser, [$bodytype] )
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message
$obj->readHead( $parser, [$class] )
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message
$obj->recursiveRebuildPart($part, %options)
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message::Construct::Rebuild
$obj->storeBody($body)
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message
$obj->takeMessageId( [STRING] )
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message
$obj->writeDelayed($imap)
Write all delayed information, like label changes, to the server. This is done under force, so should even be done for folders opened without write-access. This method is called indirectly by a Mail::Box::write() or Mail::Box::close().

The $imap argument is a Mail::IMAPClient which has the right folder already selected.

Writing changes to the remote folder is not without hassle: IMAP4 (or is it only Mail::IMAPClient doesn't support replacing header or body. Therefore, when either of them change, the whole message is rewritten to the server (which is supported), and the original flagged for deletion.

Extends "Error handling" in Mail::Box::Net::Message.

$obj->AUTOLOAD()
Inherited, see "METHODS" in Mail::Message::Construct
$obj->addReport($object)
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->defaultTrace( [$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]] )
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->logPriority($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
$obj->shortSize( [$value] )
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Message
$obj->shortString()
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Message
$obj->trace( [$level] )
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->warnings()
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

Extends "Cleanup" in Mail::Box::Net::Message.

$obj->DESTROY()
Inherited, see "Cleanup" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->destruct()
Inherited, see "Cleanup" in Mail::Box::Message

Extends "DETAILS" in Mail::Box::Net::Message.

Extends "Structure of a Message" in Mail::Box::Net::Message.

Extends "Message object implementation" in Mail::Box::Net::Message.

Extends "Message class implementation" in Mail::Box::Net::Message.

Extends "Labels" in Mail::Box::Net::Message.

Predefined labels

Extends "Predefined labels" in Mail::Box::Net::Message.

Status and X-Status fields

Extends "Status and X-Status fields" in Mail::Box::Net::Message.

IMAP protocol flags

Labels (or flags) are known to all folder formats, but differ how they are stored. Some folder types use message header lines to keep the labels, other use a separate file. The IMAP protocol does not specify how the labels are kept on the server, but does specify how they are named.

The label names as defined by the IMAP protocol are standardized into the MailBox standard to hide folder differences. The following translations are always performed:

 \Seen     => seen
 \Answered => replied
 \Flagged  => flagged
 \Deleted  => deleted
 \Draft    => draft
 \Recent   => NOT old

. Example: of label translations

 $imap->message(3)->label(replied => 1, draft => 0);

will result in a IMAP protocol statements like

 A003 STORE 4 +FLAGS (\Answered)
 A003 STORE 4 -FLAGS (\Draft)

Other labels

Of course, your program may be in need for more labels than those provided by the protocol. You can still use these: they stay locally (and are lost when the folder is closed). Some IMAP4 extensions permit more labels than the basic RFC, but that is not yet supported by this implementation.

Caching labels

When you ask for one or more flags of a message more than once, you may improve the overall performance by setting new(cache_labels) to "YES". However, this may cause inconsistencies when multiple clients use the same folder on the IMAP server.

You may also delay the label updates to the server until the folder is closed (or for ever when read-only is required). When Mail::Box::write() or Mail::Box::close() is called, it is decided whether to throw all changes away or write after all.

Unknown alternative for the forward(include). Valid choices are "NO", "INLINE", "ATTACH", and "ENCAPSULATE".
Unknown alternative for the "include" option of reply(). Valid choices are "NO", "INLINE", and "ATTACH".
The message bounce() method forwards a received message off to someone else without modification; you must specified it's new destination. If you have the urge not to specify any destination, you probably are looking for reply(). When you wish to modify the content, use forward().
If a forward message is created, a destination address must be specified.
The message send() mechanism had not enough information to automatically find a mail transfer agent to sent this message. Specify a mailer explicitly using the "via" options.
You may wish to construct a message to be stored in a some kind of folder, but you need to do that in two steps. First, create a normal Mail::Message, and then add it to the folder. During this Mail::Box::addMessage() process, the message will get coerce()-d into the right message type, adding storage information and the like.
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.

This module is part of Mail-Box-IMAP4 distribution version 3.007, built on June 13, 2019. Website: http://perl.overmeer.net/CPAN/

Copyrights 2001-2019 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/

2022-12-01 perl v5.36.0