Mail::Box::Maildir - handle Maildir folders

 Mail::Box::Maildir
   is a Mail::Box::Dir
   is a Mail::Box
   is a Mail::Reporter

 use Mail::Box::Maildir;
 my $folder = new Mail::Box::Maildir folder => $ENV{MAIL}, ...;

This documentation describes how Maildir mailboxes work, and what you can do with the Maildir folder object CWMail::Box::Maildir.

Maildir is not supported for Windows, because it create filenames which are not accepted by the Windows system.

overload: "" See OVERLOADED in Mail::Box

overload: @{} See OVERLOADED in Mail::Box

overload: cmp See OVERLOADED in Mail::Box

Mail::Box::Maildir->new(OPTIONS)

 Option             Defined in       Default                                                         
 accept_new                          <false>                                                         
 access             L<Mail::Box>     C<'r'>                                                          
 body_delayed_type  L<Mail::Box>     L<Mail::Message::Body::Delayed|Mail::Message::Body::Delayed>    
 body_type          L<Mail::Box>     L<Mail::Message::Body::Lines|Mail::Message::Body::Lines>        
 coerce_options     L<Mail::Box>     C<[]>                                                           
 create             L<Mail::Box>     <false>                                                         
 directory          L<Mail::Box::Dir>  <derived from folder name>                                      
 extract            L<Mail::Box>     C<10240>                                                        
 field_type         L<Mail::Box>     undef                                                           
 fix_headers        L<Mail::Box>     <false>                                                         
 folder             L<Mail::Box>     C<$ENV{MAIL}>                                                   
 folderdir          L<Mail::Box>     C<$ENV{HOME}/.maildir>                                          
 head_delayed_type  L<Mail::Box>     L<Mail::Message::Head::Delayed|Mail::Message::Head::Delayed>    
 head_type          L<Mail::Box>     L<Mail::Message::Head::Complete|Mail::Message::Head::Complete>  
 keep_dups          L<Mail::Box>     <false>                                                         
 lock_file          L<Mail::Box>     <not used>                                                      
 lock_timeout       L<Mail::Box>     <not used>                                                      
 lock_type          L<Mail::Box>     C<'NONE'> (constant)                                            
 lock_wait          L<Mail::Box>     <not used>                                                      
 locker             L<Mail::Box>     undef                                                           
 log                L<Mail::Reporter>  C<'WARNINGS'>                                                   
 manager            L<Mail::Box>     undef                                                           
 message_type       L<Mail::Box>     L<Mail::Box::Message|Mail::Box::Message>                        
 multipart_type     L<Mail::Box>     L<Mail::Message::Body::Multipart|Mail::Message::Body::Multipart>
 remove_when_empty  L<Mail::Box>     <true>                                                          
 save_on_exit       L<Mail::Box>     <true>                                                          
 trace              L<Mail::Reporter>  C<'WARNINGS'>                                                   
 trusted            L<Mail::Box>     <depends on folder location>

$obj->addMessage(MESSAGE, OPTIONS) See The folder in Mail::Box

$obj->addMessages(MESSAGE [, MESSAGE, ...]) See The folder in Mail::Box

Mail::Box::Maildir->appendMessages(OPTIONS) See The folder in Mail::Box

$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->directory See The folder in Mail::Box::Dir

$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

$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

$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

$obj->listSubFolders(OPTIONS)

Mail::Box::Maildir->listSubFolders(OPTIONS) See Sub-folders in Mail::Box

$obj->nameOfSubFolder(SUBNAME, [PARENTNAME])

Mail::Box::Maildir->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::Maildir->topFolderWithMessages See Sub-folders in Mail::Box

$obj->acceptMessages Accept all messages which are waiting in the CWnew directory to be moved to the CWcur directory. This will not rescan the directory for newly arrived messages, because that's a task for update().

Mail::Box::Maildir->appendMessage(OPTIONS)

$obj->coerce(MESSAGE, OPTIONS)

$obj->create(FOLDERNAME, OPTIONS)

Mail::Box::Maildir->create(FOLDERNAME, OPTIONS)

 Option     Defined in    Default
 folderdir  L<Mail::Box>  undef

$obj->createDirs(FOLDERDIR)

Mail::Box::Maildir->createDirs(FOLDERDIR) The FOLDERDIR contains the absolute path of the location where the messages are kept. Maildir folders contain a CWtmp, CWnew, and CWcur sub-directory within that folder directory as well. This method will ensure that all directories exist. Returns false on failure.

$obj->determineBodyType(MESSAGE, HEAD) See Internals in Mail::Box

$obj->folderIsEmpty(FOLDERDIR)

Mail::Box::Maildir->folderIsEmpty(FOLDERDIR) Checks whether the folder whose directory is specified as absolute FOLDERDIR is empty or not. A folder is empty when the CWtmp, CWnew, and CWcur subdirectories are empty and some files which are left there by application programs. The maildir spec explicitly states: CW.qmail, CWbulletintime, CWbulletinlock and CWseriallock. If any other files are found, the directory is considered not-empty.

$obj->folderToDirectory(FOLDERNAME, FOLDERDIR) See Internals in Mail::Box::Dir

Mail::Box::Maildir->foundIn([FOLDERNAME], OPTIONS) See Internals in Mail::Box

$obj->lineSeparator([STRING|'CR'|'LF'|'CRLF']) See Internals in Mail::Box

$obj->locker See Internals in Mail::Box

$obj->read(OPTIONS) See Internals in Mail::Box

$obj->readMessageFilenames(DIRECTORY) See Internals in Mail::Box::Dir

$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

$obj->write(OPTIONS) See Internals in Mail::Box

$obj->writeMessages(OPTIONS) See Internals in Mail::Box

$obj->timespan2seconds(TIME)

Mail::Box::Maildir->timespan2seconds(TIME) See Other methods in Mail::Box

$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::Maildir->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::Maildir->log([LEVEL [,STRINGS]]) See Error handling in Mail::Reporter

$obj->logPriority(LEVEL)

Mail::Box::Maildir->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

$obj->DESTROY See Cleanup in Mail::Box

$obj->inGlobalDestruction See Cleanup in Mail::Reporter

Error: Cannot append Maildir message in CW$new to folder CW$self.

The message (or messages) could not be stored in the right directories for the Maildir folder.

Error: Cannot create Maildir directory CW$dir: $!

A Maildir folder is represented by a directory, with some sub-directories. The top folder directory could not be created for the reason indicated.

Error: Cannot create Maildir folder CW$name.

One or more of the directories required to administer a Maildir folder could not be created.

Error: Cannot create Maildir message file CW$new.

A message is converted from some other message format into a Maildir format by writing it to a file with a name which contains the status flags of the message. Apparently, creating this file failed.

Error: Cannot create Maildir subdir CW$dir: $!

Each Maildir folder has three sub-directories for administration: CWnew, CWtmp, and CWcur. The mentioned directory could not be created for the indicated reason.

Warning: Changes not written to read-only folder CW$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 CWNEVER.

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 CW$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 CW$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: Folder CW$name is opened read-only

You can not write to this folder unless you have opened the folder to write or append with new(access), or the CWforce option is set true.

Error: Folder CW$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 CWdelete 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 CW@, and then a domain name. This is made to avoid the creation of two messages with the same id. The warning emerges when the CW@ is missing from the string.

Error: Package CW$package does not implement CW$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 CW$name of CW$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: Writing folder CW$name failed

For some reason (you probably got more error messages about this problem) it is impossible to write the folder, although you should because there were changes made.

The explanation is complicated, but for normal use you should bother yourself with all details.

Maildir-type folders use a directory to store the messages of one folder. Each message is stored in a separate file. This seems useful, because changes in a folder change only a few of these small files, in contrast with file-based folders where changes in a folder cause rewrites of huge folder-files.

However, Maildir based folders perform very bad if you need header information of all messages. For instance, if you want to have full knowledge about all message-threads (see Mail::Box::Thread::Manager) in the folder, it requires to read all header lines in all message files. And usually, reading your messages as threads is desired. Maildir maintains a tiny amount of info visible in the filename, which may make it perform just a little bit faster than MH.

See the MailBox website at <http://perl.overmeer.net/mailbox/> for more details.

Distribution version 2.063. Written by Mark Overmeer (mark@overmeer.net). See the ChangeLog for other contributors.

Copyright (c) 2001-2003 by the author(s). All rights reserved. This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.