NAME¶
Mail::Box::Mbox - handle folders in Mbox format
INHERITANCE¶
Mail::Box::Mbox
is a Mail::Box::File
is a Mail::Box
is a Mail::Reporter
SYNOPSIS¶
use Mail::Box::Mbox;
my $folder = Mail::Box::Mbox->new(folder => $ENV{MAIL}, ...);
DESCRIPTION¶
This documentation describes how Mbox mailboxes work, and also describes what
you can do with the Mbox folder object Mail::Box::Mbox.
Extends "DESCRIPTION" in Mail::Box::File.
OVERLOADED¶
Extends "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Box::File.
- overload: ""
- Inherited, see "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Box
- overload: @{}
- Inherited, see "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Box
- overload: cmp
- Inherited, see "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Box
METHODS¶
Extends "METHODS" in Mail::Box::File.
Constructors¶
Extends "Constructors" in Mail::Box::File.
- Mail::Box::Mbox->new(%options)
-
-Option --Defined in --Default
access Mail::Box 'r'
body_delayed_type Mail::Box Mail::Message::Body::Delayed
body_type Mail::Box::File <see description>
coerce_options Mail::Box []
create Mail::Box <false>
extract Mail::Box 10240
field_type Mail::Box undef
fix_headers Mail::Box <false>
folder Mail::Box $ENV{MAIL}
folderdir Mail::Box $ENV{HOME}.'/Mail'
head_delayed_type Mail::Box Mail::Message::Head::Delayed
head_type Mail::Box Mail::Message::Head::Complete
keep_dups Mail::Box <false>
lock_extension Mail::Box::File '.lock'
lock_file Mail::Box <foldername><lock-extension>
lock_timeout Mail::Box 1 hour
lock_type Mail::Box Mail::Box::Locker::DotLock
lock_wait Mail::Box 10 seconds
locker Mail::Box undef
log Mail::Reporter 'WARNINGS'
manager Mail::Box undef
message_type Mail::Box Mail::Box::Mbox::Message
multipart_type Mail::Box Mail::Message::Body::Multipart
remove_when_empty Mail::Box <true>
save_on_exit Mail::Box <true>
subfolder_extension '.d'
trace Mail::Reporter 'WARNINGS'
trusted Mail::Box <depends on folder location>
write_policy Mail::Box::File undef
- access => MODE
- body_delayed_type => CLASS
- body_type => CLASS|CODE
- coerce_options => ARRAY
- create => BOOLEAN
- extract => INTEGER | CODE | METHOD | 'LAZY'|'ALWAYS'
- field_type => CLASS
- fix_headers => BOOLEAN
- folder => FOLDERNAME
- folderdir => DIRECTORY
- head_delayed_type => CLASS
- head_type => CLASS
- keep_dups => BOOLEAN
- lock_extension => FILENAME|STRING
- lock_file => FILENAME
- lock_timeout => SECONDS
- lock_type => CLASS|STRING|ARRAY
- lock_wait => SECONDS
- locker => OBJECT
- log => LEVEL
- manager => MANAGER
- message_type => CLASS
- multipart_type => CLASS
- remove_when_empty => BOOLEAN
- save_on_exit => BOOLEAN
- subfolder_extension => STRING
- Mbox folders do not support sub-folders. However, this module can simulate
sub-directories if the user wants it to. When a subfolder of folder
"xyz" is created, we create a directory which is called
"xyz.d" to contain them. This extension ".d" can be
changed using this option.
- trace => LEVEL
- trusted => BOOLEAN
- write_policy => 'REPLACE'|'INPLACE'|undef
The folder¶
Extends "The folder" in Mail::Box::File.
- $obj->addMessage($message, %options)
- Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
- $obj->addMessages(@messages)
- Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
- Mail::Box::Mbox->appendMessages(%options)
- Inherited, see "METHODS" in Mail::Box::File
- $obj->close(%options)
- Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
- $obj->copyTo($folder, %options)
- Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
- $obj->delete(%options)
- Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
- $obj->filename()
- Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box::File
- $obj->folderdir( [$directory] )
- Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
- $obj->name()
- Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
- $obj->organization()
- Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
- $obj->size()
- Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
- $obj->type()
- Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
- $obj->update(%options)
- Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
- $obj->url()
- Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box
Folder flags¶
Extends "Folder flags" in Mail::Box::File.
- $obj->access()
- Inherited, see "Folder flags" in Mail::Box
- $obj->isModified()
- Inherited, see "Folder flags" in Mail::Box
- $obj->modified( [BOOLEAN] )
- Inherited, see "Folder flags" in Mail::Box
- $obj->writable()
- Inherited, see "Folder flags" in Mail::Box
The messages¶
Extends "The messages" in Mail::Box::File.
- $obj->current( [$number|$message|$message_id] )
- Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box
- $obj->find($message_id)
- Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box
- $obj->findFirstLabeled( $label, [BOOLEAN, [$msgs]] )
- Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box
- $obj->message( $index, [$message] )
- Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box
- $obj->messageId( $message_id, [$message] )
- Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box
- $obj->messageIds()
- Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box
- $obj->messages( <'ALL'|$range|'ACTIVE'|'DELETED'|$label|
!$label|$filter> )
- Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box
- $obj->nrMessages(%options)
- Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box
- $obj->scanForMessages($message, $message_ids, $timespan,
$window)
- Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box
Sub-folders¶
Extends "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box::File.
- $obj->listSubFolders(%options)
- Mail::Box::Mbox->listSubFolders(%options)
-
-Option --Defined in --Default
check Mail::Box <false>
folder Mail::Box <from calling object>
folderdir Mail::Box <from folder>
skip_empty Mail::Box <false>
subfolder_extension <from object>
- check => BOOLEAN
- folder => FOLDERNAME
- folderdir => DIRECTORY
- skip_empty => BOOL
- subfolder_extension => STRING
- When the method is called on an open folder, the extension defined by it
is used to detect sub-folders by default. Otherwise, '.d' is taken.
- $obj->nameOfSubFolder( $subname, [$parentname] )
- Mail::Box::Mbox->nameOfSubFolder( $subname, [$parentname] )
- Inherited, see "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box
- $obj->openRelatedFolder(%options)
- Inherited, see "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box
- $obj->openSubFolder($subname, %options)
- Inherited, see "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box
- $obj->topFolderWithMessages()
- Mail::Box::Mbox->topFolderWithMessages()
- Inherited, see "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box
Internals¶
Extends "Internals" in Mail::Box::File.
- $obj->coerce($message, %options)
- Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
- $obj->create($foldername, %options)
- Mail::Box::Mbox->create($foldername, %options)
-
-Option --Defined in --Default
folderdir Mail::Box undef
subfolder_extension undef
- folderdir => DIRECTORY
- subfolder_extension => STRING
- If a directory is found on the location of the folder to be created, this
STRING is used to extend that directory name with. This will cause the
directory to be seen as sub-folder for the created folder. This argument
is passed to folderToFilename().
- $obj->determineBodyType($message, $head)
- Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
- $obj->folderToFilename( $foldername, $folderdir, [$extension]
)
- Mail::Box::Mbox->folderToFilename( $foldername, $folderdir,
[$extension] )
- Translate a folder name into a filename, using the $folderdir value to
replace a leading "=". If no $extension is specified and this
method is called as instance method, new(subfolder_extension) is used.
Otherwise, the extension default to '.d'.
- Mail::Box::Mbox->foundIn( [$foldername], %options )
- If no $foldername is specified, then the value of the "folder"
option is taken. A mbox folder is a file which starts with a separator
line: a line with 'From ' as first characters. Blank lines which start the
file are ignored, which is not for all MUA's acceptable.
-Option --Defined in --Default
folder undef
folderdir Mail::Box undef
subfolder_extension <from object>
- folder => FOLDERNAME
- folderdir => DIRECTORY
- subfolder_extension => STRING
- $obj->lineSeparator( [<STRING|'CR'|'LF'|'CRLF'>] )
- Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
- $obj->locker()
- Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
- $obj->messageCreateOptions( [$type, $config] )
- Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box::File
- $obj->moveAwaySubFolder($directory, $extension)
- Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box::File
- $obj->parser()
- Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box::File
- $obj->read(%options)
- Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
- $obj->readMessages(%options)
- Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
- $obj->storeMessage($message)
- Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
- $obj->toBeThreaded($messages)
- Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
- $obj->toBeUnthreaded($messages)
- Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
- $obj->updateMessages(%options)
- Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box::File
- $obj->write(%options)
- Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box::File
- $obj->writeMessages(%options)
- Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box
Other methods¶
Extends "Other methods" in Mail::Box::File.
- $obj->timespan2seconds($time)
- Mail::Box::Mbox->timespan2seconds($time)
- Inherited, see "Other methods" in Mail::Box
Error handling¶
Extends "Error handling" in Mail::Box::File.
- $obj->AUTOLOAD()
- Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
- $obj->addReport($object)
- Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
- $obj->defaultTrace( [$level]|[$loglevel, $tracelevel]|[$level,
$callback] )
- Mail::Box::Mbox->defaultTrace( [$level]|[$loglevel,
$tracelevel]|[$level, $callback] )
- Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
- $obj->errors()
- Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
- $obj->log( [$level, [$strings]] )
- Mail::Box::Mbox->log( [$level, [$strings]] )
- Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
- $obj->logPriority($level)
- Mail::Box::Mbox->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
- $obj->trace( [$level] )
- Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
- $obj->warnings()
- Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
Cleanup¶
Extends "Cleanup" in Mail::Box::File.
- $obj->DESTROY()
- Inherited, see "Cleanup" in Mail::Box
DETAILS¶
Extends "DETAILS" in Mail::Box::File.
DETAILS¶
Extends "DETAILS" in Mail::Box::File.
Different kinds of folders¶
Extends "Different kinds of folders" in Mail::Box::File.
Available folder types¶
Extends "Available folder types" in Mail::Box::File.
Folder class implementation¶
Extends "Folder class implementation" in Mail::Box::File.
How MBOX folders work¶
MBOX folders store many messages in one file. Each message begins with a line
which starts with the string "From ". Lines inside a message which
accidentally start with "From" are, in the file, preceded by `>'.
This character is stripped when the message is read.
In this respect must be noted that the format of the MBOX files is not strictly
defined. The exact content of the separator lines differ between Mail User
Agents (MUA's). Besides, some MUAs (like mutt) forget to encode the "From
" lines within message bodies, breaking other parsers....
Simulation of sub-folders¶
MBOX folders do not have a sub-folder concept as directory based folders do, but
this MBOX module tries to simulate them. In this implementation a directory
like
Mail/subject1/
is taken as an empty folder "Mail/subject1", with the folders in that
directory as sub-folders for it. You may also use
Mail/subject1
Mail/subject1.d/
where "Mail/subject1" is the folder, and the folders in the
"Mail/subject1.d" directory are used as sub-folders. If your
situation is similar to the first example and you want to put messages in that
empty folder, the directory is automatically (and transparently) renamed, so
that the second situation is reached.
DIAGNOSTICS¶
- Error: Cannot append messages to folder file $filename: $!
- Appending messages to a not-opened file-organized folder may fail when the
operating system does not allow write access to the file at hand.
- Error: Cannot move away sub-folder $dir
- Warning: Cannot remove folder $name file $filename: $!
- Writing an empty folder will usually cause that folder to be removed,
which fails for the indicated reason. new(remove_when_empty)
- Warning: Cannot remove folder $name file $filename: $!
- Writing an empty folder will usually cause that folder to be removed,
which fails for the indicated reason. new(remove_when_empty) controls
whether the empty folder will removed; setting it to false (0) may be
needed to avoid this message.
- Error: Cannot replace $filename by $tempname, to update folder $name:
$!
- The replace policy wrote a new folder file to update the existing, but was
unable to give the final touch: replacing the old version of the folder
file for the indicated reason.
- Warning: Changes not written to read-only folder $self.
- You have opened the folder read-only --which is the default set by
new(access)--, made modifications, and now want to close it. Set
close(force) if you want to overrule the access mode, or close the folder
with close(write) set to "NEVER".
- Error: Copying failed for one message.
- For some reason, for instance disc full, removed by external process, or
read-protection, it is impossible to copy one of the messages. Copying
will proceed for the other messages.
- Error: Destination folder $name is not writable.
- The folder where the messages are copied to is not opened with write
access (see new(access)). This has no relation with write permission to
the folder which is controled by your operating system.
- Warning: Different messages with id $msgid
- The message id is discovered more than once within the same folder, but
the content of the message seems to be different. This should not be
possible: each message must be unique.
- Error: File too short to get write message $nr ($size, $need)
- Mail::Box is lazy: it tries to leave messages in the folders until they
are used, which saves time and memory usage. When this message appears,
something is terribly wrong: some lazy message are needed for updating the
folder, but they cannot be retrieved from the original file anymore. In
this case, messages can be lost.
This message does appear regularly on Windows systems when using the
'replace' write policy. Please help to find the cause, probably something
to do with Windows incorrectly handling multiple filehandles open in the
same file.
- Error: Folder $name not deleted: not writable.
- The folder must be opened with write access via new(access), otherwise
removing it will be refused. So, you may have write-access according to
the operating system, but that will not automatically mean that this
"delete" method permits you to. The reverse remark is valid as
well.
- Error: Invalid timespan '$timespan' specified.
- The string does not follow the strict rules of the time span syntax which
is permitted as parameter.
- Warning: Message-id '$msgid' does not contain a domain.
- According to the RFCs, message-ids need to contain a unique random part,
then an "@", and then a domain name. This is made to avoid the
creation of two messages with the same id. The warning emerges when the
"@" is missing from the string.
- 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.
- Error: Unable to create subfolder $name of $folder.
- The copy includes the subfolders, but for some reason it was not possible
to copy one of these. Copying will proceed for all other sub-folders.
- Error: Unable to update folder $self.
- When a folder is to be written, both replace and inplace write policies
are tried, If both fail, the whole update fails. You may see other,
related, error messages to indicate the real problem.
SEE ALSO¶
This module is part of Mail-Box distribution version 2.117, built on August 24,
2014. Website:
http://perl.overmeer.net/mailbox/
LICENSE¶
Copyrights 2001-2014 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://www.perl.com/perl/misc/Artistic.html