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.
OVERLOADED¶
- overload: ""()
- See "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Box
- overload: @{}()
- See "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Box
- overload: cmp()
- See "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Box
METHODS¶
Constructors¶
- 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¶
- $obj->addMessage(MESSAGE, OPTIONS)
- See "The folder" in Mail::Box
- $obj->addMessages(MESSAGE [, MESSAGE, ...])
- See "The folder" in Mail::Box
- Mail::Box::Mbox->appendMessages(OPTIONS)
- See "METHODS" in Mail::Box::File
- $obj->close(OPTIONS)
- See "The folder" in Mail::Box
- $obj->copyTo(FOLDER, OPTIONS)
- See "The folder" in Mail::Box
- $obj->delete(OPTIONS)
- See "The folder" in Mail::Box
- $obj->filename()
- See "The folder" in Mail::Box::File
- $obj->folderdir([DIRECTORY])
- See "The folder" in Mail::Box
- $obj->name()
- See "The folder" in Mail::Box
- $obj->organization()
- See "The folder" in Mail::Box
- $obj->size()
- See "The folder" in Mail::Box
- $obj->type()
- See "The folder" in Mail::Box
- $obj->update(OPTIONS)
- See "The folder" in Mail::Box
- $obj->url()
- See "The folder" in Mail::Box
Folder flags¶
- $obj->access()
- See "Folder flags" in Mail::Box
- $obj->isModified()
- See "Folder flags" in Mail::Box
- $obj->modified([BOOLEAN])
- See "Folder flags" in Mail::Box
- $obj->writable()
- See "Folder flags" in Mail::Box
The messages¶
- $obj->current([NUMBER|MESSAGE|MESSAGE-ID])
- See "The messages" in Mail::Box
- $obj->find(MESSAGE-ID)
- See "The messages" in Mail::Box
- $obj->findFirstLabeled(LABEL, [BOOLEAN,
[ARRAY-OF-MSGS]])
- See "The messages" in Mail::Box
- $obj->message(INDEX [,MESSAGE])
- See "The messages" in Mail::Box
- $obj->messageId(MESSAGE-ID [,MESSAGE])
- See "The messages" in Mail::Box
- $obj->messageIds()
- See "The messages" in Mail::Box
- $obj->messages(['ALL',RANGE,'ACTIVE','DELETED',LABEL,!LABEL,FILTER])
- See "The messages" in Mail::Box
- $obj->nrMessages(OPTIONS)
- See "The messages" in Mail::Box
- $obj->scanForMessages(MESSAGE, MESSAGE-IDS,
TIMESPAN, WINDOW)
- See "The messages" in Mail::Box
Sub-folders¶
- $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])
- See "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box
- $obj->openRelatedFolder(OPTIONS)
- See "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box
- $obj->openSubFolder(SUBNAME, OPTIONS)
- See "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box
- $obj->topFolderWithMessages()
- Mail::Box::Mbox->topFolderWithMessages()
- See "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box
Internals¶
- $obj->coerce(MESSAGE, OPTIONS)
- 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)
- 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'])
- See "Internals" in Mail::Box
- $obj->locker()
- See "Internals" in Mail::Box
- $obj->messageCreateOptions([TYPE, CONFIG])
- See "Internals" in Mail::Box::File
- $obj->moveAwaySubFolder(DIRECTORY,
EXTENSION)
- See "Internals" in Mail::Box::File
- $obj->parser()
- See "Internals" in Mail::Box::File
- $obj->read(OPTIONS)
- See "Internals" in Mail::Box
- $obj->readMessages(OPTIONS)
- See "Internals" in Mail::Box
- $obj->storeMessage(MESSAGE)
- See "Internals" in Mail::Box
- $obj->toBeThreaded(MESSAGES)
- See "Internals" in Mail::Box
- $obj->toBeUnthreaded(MESSAGES)
- See "Internals" in Mail::Box
- $obj->updateMessages(OPTIONS)
- See "Internals" in Mail::Box::File
- $obj->write(OPTIONS)
- See "Internals" in Mail::Box::File
- $obj->writeMessages(OPTIONS)
- See "Internals" in Mail::Box
Other methods¶
- $obj->timespan2seconds(TIME)
- Mail::Box::Mbox->timespan2seconds(TIME)
- See "Other methods" in Mail::Box
Error handling¶
- $obj->AUTOLOAD()
- See "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
- $obj->addReport(OBJECT)
- See "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
- $obj->defaultTrace([LEVEL]|[LOGLEVEL,
TRACELEVEL]|[LEVEL, CALLBACK])
- Mail::Box::Mbox->defaultTrace([LEVEL]|[LOGLEVEL,
TRACELEVEL]|[LEVEL, CALLBACK])
- See "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
- $obj->errors()
- See "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
- $obj->log([LEVEL [,STRINGS]])
- Mail::Box::Mbox->log([LEVEL [,STRINGS]])
- See "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
- $obj->logPriority(LEVEL)
- Mail::Box::Mbox->logPriority(LEVEL)
- See "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
- $obj->logSettings()
- See "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
- $obj->notImplemented()
- See "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
- $obj->report([LEVEL])
- See "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
- $obj->reportAll([LEVEL])
- See "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
- $obj->trace([LEVEL])
- See "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
- $obj->warnings()
- See "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
Cleanup¶
- $obj->DESTROY()
- See "Cleanup" in Mail::Box
- $obj->inGlobalDestruction()
- See "Cleanup" in Mail::Reporter
DETAILS¶
File based folders
DETAILS¶
Different kinds of folders¶
Available folder types¶
Folder class implementation¶
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 retreived 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 2.105, built on May 07,
2012. Website:
http://perl.overmeer.net/mailbox/
LICENSE¶
Copyrights 2001-2012 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