1Mail::Box::Manager(3) User Contributed Perl DocumentationMail::Box::Manager(3)
2
6 Mail::Box::Manager - manage a set of folders
7
9 Mail::Box::Manager
10 is a Mail::Reporter
11 Mail::Box::Manager is extended by
13 Mail::Box::Manage::User
14
16 use Mail::Box::Manager;
17 my $mgr = new Mail::Box::Manager;
18 # Create folder objects.
20 my $folder = $mgr->open(folder => $ENV{MAIL});
21 my $message1 = $folder->message(0);
22 $mgr->copyMessage('Draft', $message);
23 my @messages = $folder->message(0,3);
25 $mgr->moveMessage('Outbox', @messages, create => 1 );
26 $mgr->close($folder);
27 # Create thread-detectors (see Mail::Box::Thread::Manager)
29 my $t = $mgr->threads($inbox, $outbox);
30 my $threads = $mgr->threads(folder => $folder);
32 foreach my $thread ($threads->all)
33 { $thread->print;
34 }
35 $mgr->registerType(mbox => 'Mail::Box::MyType');
37
39 The manager keeps track on a set of open folders and a set of message-
40 thread supporting objects. You are not obliged to use this object (you
41 can directly create a Mail::Box::Mbox if you prefer), but you will
42 create more portable and safer code if you do use it.
43 Extends "DESCRIPTION" in Mail::Reporter.
45
47 Extends "METHODS" in Mail::Reporter.
48 Constructors
50 Extends "Constructors" in Mail::Reporter.
51 Mail::Box::Manager->new($args)
53 -Option --Defined in --Default
54 autodetect undef
55 default_folder_type 'mbox'
56 folder_types <all standard types>
57 folderdir [ '.' ]
58 folderdirs <synonym for C<folderdir>>
59 log Mail::Reporter 'WARNINGS'
60 trace Mail::Reporter 'WARNINGS'
61 autodetect => TYPE|ARRAY-OF-TYPES
63 Select only a subset of the folder types which are implemented by
64 MailBox to be detected automatically. This may improve the auto-
65 detection of folder types. Normally, all folder types will be
66 tried when a folder's name is incorrect, but this option limits
67 the types which are checked and therefore may respond faster.
68 default_folder_type => NAME|CLASS
70 Specifies the default folder type for newly created folders. If
71 this option is not specified, the most recently registered type
72 is used (see registerType() and the new(folder_types) option.
73 folder_types => NEW-TYPE | ARRAY-OF-NEW-TYPES
75 Add one or more new folder types to the list of known types. The
76 order is important: when you open a file without specifying its
77 type, the manager will start trying the last added list of types,
78 in order.
79 Each TYPE is specified as an array which contains name, class,
81 and defaults for options which overrule the usual defaults. You
82 may specify folder-specific defaults as OPTIONS. They override
83 the settings of the manager.
84 folderdir => DIRECTORY
86 The default directory, or directories, where folders are located.
87 The "Mail::Box::Manager" can autodetect the existing folder-
88 types. There may be different kinds of folders opened at the
89 same time, and messages can be moved between those types,
90 although that may result in a loss of information depending on
91 the folder types.
92 folderdirs => [DIRECTORIES]
94 log => LEVEL
95 trace => LEVEL
96 Attributes
98 $obj->defaultFolderType()
99 Returns the default folder type, some class name.
100 $obj->folderTypes()
102 Returns the list of currently defined folder types.
103 example:
105 print join("\n", $manager->folderTypes), "\n";
107 $obj->folderdir()
109 In list context, this returns all folderdirs specified. In SCALAR
110 context only the first.
111 $obj->registerType($type, $class, %options)
113 With "registerType" you can register one $type of folders. The
114 $class is compiled automatically, so you do not need to "use" them
115 in your own modules. The $type is just an arbitrary name.
116 The added types are prepended to the list of known types, so they
118 are checked first when a folder is opened in autodetect mode.
119 example:
121 $manager->registerType(mbox => 'Mail::Box::Mbox',
123 save_on_exit => 0, folderdir => '/tmp');
124 Manage open folders
126 $obj->close($folder, %options)
127 "close" removes the specified folder from the list of open folders.
128 Indirectly it will update the files on disk if needed (depends on
129 the Mail::Box::new(save_on_exit) flag for each folder). %options
130 are passed to Mail::Box::close() of the folder.
131 The folder's messages will also be withdrawn from the known message
133 threads. You may also close the folder directly. The manager will
134 be informed about this event and take appropriate actions.
135 -Option --Default
137 close_by_self <false>
138 close_by_self => BOOLEAN
140 Used internally to avoid confusion about how the close was
141 started. Do not change this.
142 example:
144 my $inbox = $mgr->open('inbox');
146 $mgr->close($inbox);
147 $inbox->close; # alternative
148 $obj->closeAllFolders(, %options)
150 "closeAllFolders" calls close() for each folder managed by this
151 object. It is called just before the program stops (before global
152 cleanup).
153 $obj->isOpenFolder($folder)
155 Returns true if the $folder is currently open.
156 example:
158 print "Yes\n" if $mgr->isOpenFolder('Inbox');
160 $obj->open( [$foldername], %options )
162 Open a folder which name is specified as first parameter or with
163 the option flag "folder". The folder type is autodetected unless
164 the "type" is specified.
165 "open" carries options for the manager which are described here,
167 but may also have additional options for the folder type. For a
168 description of the folder options, see the options to the
169 constructor Mail::Box::new() for each type of mail box.
170 -Option --Default
172 authenticate 'AUTO'
173 create <false>
174 folder $ENV{MAIL}
175 folderdir '.'
176 type <first, usually C<mbox>>
177 authenticate => TYPE|ARRAY-OF-TYPES|'AUTO'
179 The TYPE of authentication to be used, or a list of TYPES which
180 the client prefers. The server may provide preferences as well,
181 and that order will be kept. This option is only supported by a
182 small subset of folder types, especially by POP and IMAP.
183 create => BOOLEAN
185 Create the folder if it does not exist. By default, this is not
186 done. The "type" option specifies which type of folder is
187 created.
188 folder => NAME|URL
190 Which folder to open, specified by NAME or special URL. The URL
191 format is composed as
192 type://username:password@hostname:port/foldername
194 Like real URLs, all fields are optional and have smart defaults,
196 as long as the string starts with a known folder type. Far from
197 all folder types support all these options, but at least they are
198 always split-out. Be warned that special characters in the
199 password should be properly url-encoded.
200 When you specify anything which does not match the URL format, it
202 is passed directly to the "new" method of the folder which is
203 opened.
204 folderdir => DIRECTORY
206 The directory where the folders are usually stored.
207 type => FOLDERTYPENAME|FOLDERTYPE
209 Specify the type of the folder. If you do not specify this
210 option while opening a folder for reading, the manager checks all
211 registered folder types in order for the ability to open the
212 folder. If you open a new folder for writing, then the default
213 will be the most recently registered type. (If you add more than
214 one type at once, the first of the list is used.)
215 Currently, the types are "mbox", "mh", "maildir", "pop3",
217 "pop3s", "imap4", and "imap4s". You may also use names "pop",
218 "pops", "imap", and "imaps".
219 example: opening folders via the manager
221 my $jack = $manager->open(folder => '=jack',
223 type => 'mbox');
224 my $rcvd = $manager->open('myMail',
226 type => 'Mail::Box::Mbox', access => 'rw');
227 my $inbox = $manager->open('Inbox')
229 or die "Cannot open Inbox.\n";
230 my $pop = 'pop3://myself:secret@pop3.server.com:120/x';
232 my $send = $manager->open($url);
233 my $send = $manager->open(folder => '/x',
235 type => 'pop3', username => 'myself', password => 'secret'
236 server_name => 'pop3.server.com', server_port => '120');
237 $obj->openFolders()
239 Returns a list of all open folders.
240 Manage existing folders
242 $obj->delete($foldername, %options)
243 Remove the named folder. The %options are the same as those for
244 open().
245 The deletion of a folder can take some time. Dependent on the type
247 of folder, the folder must be read first. For some folder-types
248 this will be fast.
249 -Option --Default
251 recursive <folder's default>
252 recursive => BOOLEAN
254 Some folder can only be recursively deleted, other have more
255 flexibility.
256 Move messages to folders
258 $obj->appendMessage( [$folder|$foldername], $messages, %options )
259 Append one or more messages to a folder (therefore, an
260 appendMessages() is defined as well). You may specify a $foldername
261 or an opened folder as the first argument. When the name is that of
262 an open folder, it is treated as if the folder-object was
263 specified, and not directly access the folder-files. You may also
264 specify the foldername as part of the options list.
265 If a message is added to an already opened folder, it is only added
267 to the structure internally in the program. The data will not be
268 written to disk until a write of that folder takes place. When the
269 name of an unopened folder is given, the folder is opened, the
270 messages stored on disk, and then the folder is closed.
271 A message must be an instance of a Mail::Message. The actual
273 message type does not have to match the folder type--the folder
274 will try to resolve the differences with minimal loss of
275 information. The coerced messages (how the were actually written)
276 are returned as list.
277 The %options is a list of key/values, which are added to
279 (overriding) the default options for the detected folder type.
280 example:
282 $mgr->appendMessage('=send', $message, folderdir => '/');
284 $mgr->appendMessage($received, $inbox->messages);
285 my @appended = $mgr->appendMessages($inbox->messages,
287 folder => 'Drafts');
288 $_->label(seen => 1) foreach @appended;
289 $obj->copyMessage( [$folder|$foldername], $messages, %options )
291 Copy a message from one folder into another folder. If the
292 destination folder is already opened, Mail::Box::copyTo() is used.
293 Otherwise, Mail::Box::appendMessages() is called.
294 You need to specify a folder's name or folder object as the first
296 argument, or in the options list. The options are the same as
297 those which can be specified when opening a folder.
298 -Option--Default
300 share <false>
301 share => BOOLEAN
303 Try to share the physical storage of the messages. The folder
304 types may be different, but it all depends on the actual folder
305 where the message is copied to. Silently ignored when not
306 possible to share.
307 example:
309 my $drafts = $mgr->open(folder => 'Drafts');
311 my $outbox = $mgr->open(folder => 'Outbox');
312 $mgr->copyMessage($outbox, $drafts->message(0));
313 my @messages = $drafts->message(1,2);
315 $mgr->copyMessage('=Trash', @messages,
316 folderdir => '/tmp', create => 1);
317 $mgr->copyMessage($drafts->message(1),
319 folder => '=Drafts' folderdir => '/tmp',
320 create => 1);
321 $obj->moveMessage( [$folder|$foldername], $messages, %options )
323 Move a message from one folder to another.
324 BE WARNED that removals from a folder only take place when the
326 folder is closed, so the message is only flagged to be deleted in
327 the opened source folder.
328 BE WARNED that message labels may get lost when a message is moved
330 from one folder type to an other. An attempt is made to translate
331 labels, but there are many differences in interpretation by
332 applications.
333 $mgr->moveMessage($received, $inbox->message(1))
335 is equivalent to
337 $mgr->copyMessage($received, $inbox->message(1), share => 1);
339 $inbox->message(1)->delete;
340 -Option--Default
342 share <true>
343 share => BOOLEAN
345 Manage message threads
347 $obj->threads( [$folders], %options )
348 Create a new object which keeps track of message threads. You can
349 read about the possible options in Mail::Box::Thread::Manager. As
350 %options specify one folder or an array of $folders. It is also
351 permitted to specify folders before the options.
352 example:
354 my $t1 = $mgr->threads(folders => [ $inbox, $send ]);
356 my $t2 = $mgr->threads($inbox);
357 my $t3 = $mgr->threads($inbox, $send);
358 Internals
360 $obj->decodeFolderURL($url)
361 Try to decompose a folder name which is specified as $url (see
362 open()) into separate options. Special characters like @-sign,
363 colon, and slash used in the user or password parts must be passed
364 $url-encoded.
365 $obj->toBeThreaded($folder, $messages)
367 Signal to the manager that all thread managers which are using the
368 specified folder must be informed that new messages are coming in.
369 $obj->toBeUnthreaded($folder, $messages)
371 Signal to the manager that all thread managers which are using the
372 specified folder must be informed that new messages are or going
373 out.
374 Error handling
376 Extends "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter.
377 $obj->AUTOLOAD()
379 Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
380 $obj->addReport($object)
382 Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
383 $obj->defaultTrace( [$level]|[$loglevel, $tracelevel]|[$level,
385 $callback] )
386 Mail::Box::Manager->defaultTrace( [$level]|[$loglevel,
387 $tracelevel]|[$level, $callback] )
388 Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
389 $obj->errors()
391 Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
392 $obj->log( [$level, [$strings]] )
394 Mail::Box::Manager->log( [$level, [$strings]] )
395 Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
396 $obj->logPriority($level)
398 Mail::Box::Manager->logPriority($level)
399 Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
400 $obj->logSettings()
402 Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
403 $obj->notImplemented()
405 Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
406 $obj->report( [$level] )
408 Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
409 $obj->reportAll( [$level] )
411 Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
412 $obj->trace( [$level] )
414 Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
415 $obj->warnings()
417 Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
418 Cleanup
420 Extends "Cleanup" in Mail::Reporter.
421 $obj->DESTROY()
423 Inherited, see "Cleanup" in Mail::Reporter
424
426 On many places in the documentation you can read that it is useful to
427 have a manager object. There are two of them: the Mail::Box::Manager,
428 which maintains a set of open folders, and an extension of it: the
429 Mail::Box::Manage::User.
430 Managing open folders
432 It is useful to start your program by creating a folder manager object,
433 an Mail::Box::Manager. The object takes a few burdons from your neck:
434 • autodetect the type of folder which is used.
436 This means that your application can be fully folder type
438 independent.
439 • autoload the required modules
441 There are so many modules involved in MailBox, that it is useful to
443 have some lazy autoloading of code. The manager knows which
444 modules belong to which type of folder.
445 • avoid double openings
447 Your programming mistakes may cause the same folder to be opened
449 twice. The result of that could be very destructive. Therefore,
450 the manager keeps track on all open folders and avoids the same
451 folder to be opened for the second time.
452 • close folders at clean-up
454 When the program is ending, the manager will cleanly close all
456 folders which are still open. This is required, because the
457 autodestruct sequence of Perl works in an unpredicatable order.
458 • message thread detection
460 MailBox can discover message threads which span multiple folders.
462 Any set of open folders may be grouped in a tree of replies on
463 replies on replies. When a folder is closed, it will automatically
464 be removed from the threads, and a new folder can dynamically be
465 added to the structure.
466 The manager is really simplifying things, and should therefore be the
468 base of all programs. However, it is possible to write useful programs
469 without it.
470 Managing a user
472 One step further is the Mail::Box::Manage::User object (since MailBox
473 v2.057), which not only keeps track on open folders, but also collects
474 information about not-open folders.
475 The user class is, as the name says, targeted on managing one single
477 user. Where the Mail::Box::Manager will open any set of folder files,
478 probably from multiple users, the user class want one root folder
479 directory.
480 In many aspects, the user manager simplifies the task for user-based
482 servers and other user-centric applications by setting smart defaults.
483
485 Error: Folder $name is already open.
486 You cannot ask the manager for a folder which is already open. In
487 some older releases (before MailBox 2.049), this was permitted, but
488 then behaviour changed, because many nasty side-effects are to be
489 expected. For instance, an Mail::Box::update() on one folder
490 handle would influence the second, probably unexpectedly.
491 Error: Folder $name is not a Mail::Box; cannot add a message.
493 The folder where the message should be appended to is an object
494 which is not a folder type which extends Mail::Box. Probably, it
495 is not a folder at all.
496 Warning: Folder does not exist, failed opening $type folder $name.
498 The folder does not exist and creating is not permitted (see
499 open(create)) or did not succeed. When you do not have sufficient
500 access rights to the folder (for instance wrong password for POP3),
501 this warning will be produced as well.
502 The manager tried to open a folder of the specified type. It may
504 help to explicitly state the type of your folder with the "type"
505 option. There will probably be another warning or error message
506 which is related to this report and provides more details about its
507 cause. You may also have a look at new(autodetect) and
508 new(folder_types).
509 Warning: Folder type $type is unknown, using autodetect.
511 The specified folder type (see open(type), possibly derived from
512 the folder name when specified as url) is not known to the manager.
513 This may mean that you forgot to require the Mail::Box extension
514 which implements this folder type, but probably it is a typo.
515 Usually, the manager is able to figure-out which type to use by
516 itself.
517 Error: Illegal folder URL '$url'.
519 The folder name was specified as URL, but not according to the
520 syntax. See decodeFolderURL() for an description of the syntax.
521 Error: No foldername specified to open.
523 open() needs a folder name as first argument (before the list of
524 options), or with the "folder" option within the list. If no name
525 was found, the MAIL environment variable is checked. When even
526 that does not result in a usable folder, then this error is
527 produced. The error may be caused by an accidental odd-length
528 option list.
529 Error: Package $package does not implement $method.
531 Fatal error: the specific package (or one of its superclasses) does
532 not implement this method where it should. This message means that
533 some other related classes do implement this method however the
534 class at hand does not. Probably you should investigate this and
535 probably inform the author of the package.
536 Error: Use appendMessage() to add messages which are not in a folder.
538 You do not need to copy this message into the folder, because you
539 do not share the message between folders.
540 Warning: Use moveMessage() or copyMessage() to move between open
542 folders.
543 The message is already part of a folder, and now it should be
544 appended to a different folder. You need to decide between copy or
545 move, which both will clone the message (not the body, because they
546 are immutable).
547 Warning: Will never create a folder $name without having write access.
549 You have set open(create), but only want to read the folder.
550 Create is only useful for folders which have write or append access
551 modes (see Mail::Box::new(access)).
552
554 This module is part of Mail-Box distribution version 3.010, built on
555 July 18, 2023. Website: http://perl.overmeer.net/CPAN/
556
558 Copyrights 2001-2023 by [Mark Overmeer]. For other contributors see
559 ChangeLog.
560 This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
562 under the same terms as Perl itself. See http://dev.perl.org/licenses/
563perl v5.38.0 2023-07-24 Mail::Box::Manager(3)