Mail::Box::Mbox(3) User Contributed Perl Documentation Mail::Box::Mbox(3) 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 coerce_options Mail::Box [] create Mail::Box extract Mail::Box 10240 field_type Mail::Box undef fix_headers Mail::Box 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 lock_extension Mail::Box::File '.lock' lock_file Mail::Box 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 save_on_exit Mail::Box subfolder_extension '.d' trace Mail::Reporter 'WARNINGS' trusted Mail::Box 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 folder Mail::Box folderdir Mail::Box skip_empty Mail::Box subfolder_extension 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 folder => FOLDERNAME folderdir => DIRECTORY subfolder_extension => STRING $obj->lineSeparator( [] ) 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 controlled 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 3.009, built on August 18, 2020. Website: http://perl.overmeer.net/CPAN/ LICENSE Copyrights 2001-2020 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/ perl v5.36.0 2022-06-02 Mail::Box::Mbox(3)