Provided by: libmail-box-perl_3.011-1_all 
NAME
Mail::Box::Manager - manage a set of folders
INHERITANCE
Mail::Box::Manager
is a Mail::Reporter
Mail::Box::Manager is extended by
Mail::Box::Manage::User
SYNOPSIS
use Mail::Box::Manager;
my $mgr = new Mail::Box::Manager;
# Create folder objects.
my $folder = $mgr->open(folder => $ENV{MAIL});
my $message1 = $folder->message(0);
$mgr->copyMessage('Draft', $message);
my @messages = $folder->message(0,3);
$mgr->moveMessage('Outbox', @messages, create => 1 );
$mgr->close($folder);
# Create thread-detectors (see Mail::Box::Thread::Manager)
my $t = $mgr->threads($inbox, $outbox);
my $threads = $mgr->threads(folder => $folder);
foreach my $thread ($threads->all)
{ $thread->print;
}
$mgr->registerType(mbox => 'Mail::Box::MyType');
DESCRIPTION
The manager keeps track on a set of open folders and a set of message-thread supporting objects. You are
not obliged to use this object (you can directly create a Mail::Box::Mbox if you prefer), but you will
create more portable and safer code if you do use it.
Extends "DESCRIPTION" in Mail::Reporter.
METHODS
Extends "METHODS" in Mail::Reporter.
Constructors
Extends "Constructors" in Mail::Reporter.
Mail::Box::Manager->new($args)
-Option --Defined in --Default
autodetect undef
default_folder_type 'mbox'
folder_types <all standard types>
folderdir [ '.' ]
folderdirs <synonym for C<folderdir>>
log Mail::Reporter 'WARNINGS'
trace Mail::Reporter 'WARNINGS'
autodetect => TYPE|ARRAY-OF-TYPES
Select only a subset of the folder types which are implemented by MailBox to be detected
automatically. This may improve the auto-detection of folder types. Normally, all folder types
will be tried when a folder's name is incorrect, but this option limits the types which are checked
and therefore may respond faster.
default_folder_type => NAME|CLASS
Specifies the default folder type for newly created folders. If this option is not specified, the
most recently registered type is used (see registerType() and the new(folder_types) option.
folder_types => NEW-TYPE | ARRAY-OF-NEW-TYPES
Add one or more new folder types to the list of known types. The order is important: when you open
a file without specifying its type, the manager will start trying the last added list of types, in
order.
Each TYPE is specified as an array which contains name, class, and defaults for options which
overrule the usual defaults. You may specify folder-specific defaults as OPTIONS. They override
the settings of the manager.
folderdir => DIRECTORY
The default directory, or directories, where folders are located. The "Mail::Box::Manager" can
autodetect the existing folder-types. There may be different kinds of folders opened at the same
time, and messages can be moved between those types, although that may result in a loss of
information depending on the folder types.
folderdirs => [DIRECTORIES]
log => LEVEL
trace => LEVEL
Attributes
$obj->defaultFolderType()
Returns the default folder type, some class name.
$obj->folderTypes()
Returns the list of currently defined folder types.
example:
print join("\n", $manager->folderTypes), "\n";
$obj->folderdir()
In list context, this returns all folderdirs specified. In SCALAR context only the first.
$obj->registerType($type, $class, %options)
With "registerType" you can register one $type of folders. The $class is compiled automatically, so
you do not need to "use" them in your own modules. The $type is just an arbitrary name.
The added types are prepended to the list of known types, so they are checked first when a folder is
opened in autodetect mode.
example:
$manager->registerType(mbox => 'Mail::Box::Mbox',
save_on_exit => 0, folderdir => '/tmp');
Manage open folders
$obj->close($folder, %options)
"close" removes the specified folder from the list of open folders. Indirectly it will update the
files on disk if needed (depends on the Mail::Box::new(save_on_exit) flag for each folder). %options
are passed to Mail::Box::close() of the folder.
The folder's messages will also be withdrawn from the known message threads. You may also close the
folder directly. The manager will be informed about this event and take appropriate actions.
-Option --Default
close_by_self <false>
close_by_self => BOOLEAN
Used internally to avoid confusion about how the close was started. Do not change this.
example:
my $inbox = $mgr->open('inbox');
$mgr->close($inbox);
$inbox->close; # alternative
$obj->closeAllFolders(, %options)
"closeAllFolders" calls close() for each folder managed by this object. It is called just before the
program stops (before global cleanup).
$obj->isOpenFolder($folder)
Returns true if the $folder is currently open.
example:
print "Yes\n" if $mgr->isOpenFolder('Inbox');
$obj->open( [$foldername], %options )
Open a folder which name is specified as first parameter or with the option flag "folder". The
folder type is autodetected unless the "type" is specified.
"open" carries options for the manager which are described here, but may also have additional options
for the folder type. For a description of the folder options, see the options to the constructor
Mail::Box::new() for each type of mail box.
-Option --Default
authenticate 'AUTO'
create <false>
folder $ENV{MAIL}
folderdir '.'
type <first, usually C<mbox>>
authenticate => TYPE|ARRAY-OF-TYPES|'AUTO'
The TYPE of authentication to be used, or a list of TYPES which the client prefers. The server may
provide preferences as well, and that order will be kept. This option is only supported by a small
subset of folder types, especially by POP and IMAP.
create => BOOLEAN
Create the folder if it does not exist. By default, this is not done. The "type" option specifies
which type of folder is created.
folder => NAME|URL
Which folder to open, specified by NAME or special URL. The URL format is composed as
type://username:password@hostname:port/foldername
Like real URLs, all fields are optional and have smart defaults, as long as the string starts with
a known folder type. Far from all folder types support all these options, but at least they are
always split-out. Be warned that special characters in the password should be properly url-
encoded.
When you specify anything which does not match the URL format, it is passed directly to the "new"
method of the folder which is opened.
folderdir => DIRECTORY
The directory where the folders are usually stored.
type => FOLDERTYPENAME|FOLDERTYPE
Specify the type of the folder. If you do not specify this option while opening a folder for
reading, the manager checks all registered folder types in order for the ability to open the
folder. If you open a new folder for writing, then the default will be the most recently registered
type. (If you add more than one type at once, the first of the list is used.)
Currently, the types are "mbox", "mh", "maildir", "pop3", "pop3s", "imap4", and "imap4s". You may
also use names "pop", "pops", "imap", and "imaps".
example: opening folders via the manager
my $jack = $manager->open(folder => '=jack',
type => 'mbox');
my $rcvd = $manager->open('myMail',
type => 'Mail::Box::Mbox', access => 'rw');
my $inbox = $manager->open('Inbox')
or die "Cannot open Inbox.\n";
my $pop = 'pop3://myself:secret@pop3.server.com:120/x';
my $send = $manager->open($url);
my $send = $manager->open(folder => '/x',
type => 'pop3', username => 'myself', password => 'secret'
server_name => 'pop3.server.com', server_port => '120');
$obj->openFolders()
Returns a list of all open folders.
Manage existing folders
$obj->delete($foldername, %options)
Remove the named folder. The %options are the same as those for open().
The deletion of a folder can take some time. Dependent on the type of folder, the folder must be
read first. For some folder-types this will be fast.
-Option --Default
recursive <folder's default>
recursive => BOOLEAN
Some folder can only be recursively deleted, other have more flexibility.
Move messages to folders
$obj->appendMessage( [$folder|$foldername], $messages, %options )
Append one or more messages to a folder (therefore, an appendMessages() is defined as well). You may
specify a $foldername or an opened folder as the first argument. When the name is that of an open
folder, it is treated as if the folder-object was specified, and not directly access the folder-
files. You may also specify the foldername as part of the options list.
If a message is added to an already opened folder, it is only added to the structure internally in
the program. The data will not be written to disk until a write of that folder takes place. When
the name of an unopened folder is given, the folder is opened, the messages stored on disk, and then
the folder is closed.
A message must be an instance of a Mail::Message. The actual message type does not have to match the
folder type--the folder will try to resolve the differences with minimal loss of information. The
coerced messages (how the were actually written) are returned as list.
The %options is a list of key/values, which are added to (overriding) the default options for the
detected folder type.
example:
$mgr->appendMessage('=send', $message, folderdir => '/');
$mgr->appendMessage($received, $inbox->messages);
my @appended = $mgr->appendMessages($inbox->messages,
folder => 'Drafts');
$_->label(seen => 1) foreach @appended;
$obj->copyMessage( [$folder|$foldername], $messages, %options )
Copy a message from one folder into another folder. If the destination folder is already opened,
Mail::Box::copyTo() is used. Otherwise, Mail::Box::appendMessages() is called.
You need to specify a folder's name or folder object as the first argument, or in the options list.
The options are the same as those which can be specified when opening a folder.
-Option--Default
share <false>
share => BOOLEAN
Try to share the physical storage of the messages. The folder types may be different, but it all
depends on the actual folder where the message is copied to. Silently ignored when not possible to
share.
example:
my $drafts = $mgr->open(folder => 'Drafts');
my $outbox = $mgr->open(folder => 'Outbox');
$mgr->copyMessage($outbox, $drafts->message(0));
my @messages = $drafts->message(1,2);
$mgr->copyMessage('=Trash', @messages,
folderdir => '/tmp', create => 1);
$mgr->copyMessage($drafts->message(1),
folder => '=Drafts' folderdir => '/tmp',
create => 1);
$obj->moveMessage( [$folder|$foldername], $messages, %options )
Move a message from one folder to another.
BE WARNED that removals from a folder only take place when the folder is closed, so the message is
only flagged to be deleted in the opened source folder.
BE WARNED that message labels may get lost when a message is moved from one folder type to an other.
An attempt is made to translate labels, but there are many differences in interpretation by
applications.
$mgr->moveMessage($received, $inbox->message(1))
is equivalent to
$mgr->copyMessage($received, $inbox->message(1), share => 1);
$inbox->message(1)->delete;
-Option--Default
share <true>
share => BOOLEAN
Manage message threads
$obj->threads( [$folders], %options )
Create a new object which keeps track of message threads. You can read about the possible options in
Mail::Box::Thread::Manager. As %options specify one folder or an array of $folders. It is also
permitted to specify folders before the options.
example:
my $t1 = $mgr->threads(folders => [ $inbox, $send ]);
my $t2 = $mgr->threads($inbox);
my $t3 = $mgr->threads($inbox, $send);
Internals
$obj->decodeFolderURL($url)
Try to decompose a folder name which is specified as $url (see open()) into separate options.
Special characters like @-sign, colon, and slash used in the user or password parts must be passed
$url-encoded.
$obj->toBeThreaded($folder, $messages)
Signal to the manager that all thread managers which are using the specified folder must be informed
that new messages are coming in.
$obj->toBeUnthreaded($folder, $messages)
Signal to the manager that all thread managers which are using the specified folder must be informed
that new messages are or going out.
Error handling
Extends "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter.
$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, $callback] )
Mail::Box::Manager->defaultTrace( [$level]|[$loglevel, $tracelevel]|[$level, $callback] )
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->errors()
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->log( [$level, [$strings]] )
Mail::Box::Manager->log( [$level, [$strings]] )
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->logPriority($level)
Mail::Box::Manager->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::Reporter.
$obj->DESTROY()
Inherited, see "Cleanup" in Mail::Reporter
DETAILS
On many places in the documentation you can read that it is useful to have a manager object. There are
two of them: the Mail::Box::Manager, which maintains a set of open folders, and an extension of it: the
Mail::Box::Manage::User.
Managing open folders
It is useful to start your program by creating a folder manager object, an Mail::Box::Manager. The
object takes a few burdons from your neck:
• autodetect the type of folder which is used.
This means that your application can be fully folder type independent.
• autoload the required modules
There are so many modules involved in MailBox, that it is useful to have some lazy autoloading of
code. The manager knows which modules belong to which type of folder.
• avoid double openings
Your programming mistakes may cause the same folder to be opened twice. The result of that could be
very destructive. Therefore, the manager keeps track on all open folders and avoids the same folder
to be opened for the second time.
• close folders at clean-up
When the program is ending, the manager will cleanly close all folders which are still open. This is
required, because the autodestruct sequence of Perl works in an unpredicatable order.
• message thread detection
MailBox can discover message threads which span multiple folders. Any set of open folders may be
grouped in a tree of replies on replies on replies. When a folder is closed, it will automatically
be removed from the threads, and a new folder can dynamically be added to the structure.
The manager is really simplifying things, and should therefore be the base of all programs. However, it
is possible to write useful programs without it.
Managing a user
One step further is the Mail::Box::Manage::User object (since MailBox v2.057), which not only keeps track
on open folders, but also collects information about not-open folders.
The user class is, as the name says, targeted on managing one single user. Where the Mail::Box::Manager
will open any set of folder files, probably from multiple users, the user class want one root folder
directory.
In many aspects, the user manager simplifies the task for user-based servers and other user-centric
applications by setting smart defaults.
DIAGNOSTICS
Error: Folder $name is already open.
You cannot ask the manager for a folder which is already open. In some older releases (before MailBox
2.049), this was permitted, but then behaviour changed, because many nasty side-effects are to be
expected. For instance, an Mail::Box::update() on one folder handle would influence the second,
probably unexpectedly.
Error: Folder $name is not a Mail::Box; cannot add a message.
The folder where the message should be appended to is an object which is not a folder type which
extends Mail::Box. Probably, it is not a folder at all.
Warning: Folder does not exist, failed opening $type folder $name.
The folder does not exist and creating is not permitted (see open(create)) or did not succeed. When
you do not have sufficient access rights to the folder (for instance wrong password for POP3), this
warning will be produced as well.
The manager tried to open a folder of the specified type. It may help to explicitly state the type
of your folder with the "type" option. There will probably be another warning or error message which
is related to this report and provides more details about its cause. You may also have a look at
new(autodetect) and new(folder_types).
Warning: Folder type $type is unknown, using autodetect.
The specified folder type (see open(type), possibly derived from the folder name when specified as
url) is not known to the manager. This may mean that you forgot to require the Mail::Box extension
which implements this folder type, but probably it is a typo. Usually, the manager is able to
figure-out which type to use by itself.
Error: Illegal folder URL '$url'.
The folder name was specified as URL, but not according to the syntax. See decodeFolderURL() for an
description of the syntax.
Error: No foldername specified to open.
open() needs a folder name as first argument (before the list of options), or with the "folder"
option within the list. If no name was found, the MAIL environment variable is checked. When even
that does not result in a usable folder, then this error is produced. The error may be caused by an
accidental odd-length option list.
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: Use appendMessage() to add messages which are not in a folder.
You do not need to copy this message into the folder, because you do not share the message between
folders.
Warning: Use moveMessage() or copyMessage() to move between open folders.
The message is already part of a folder, and now it should be appended to a different folder. You
need to decide between copy or move, which both will clone the message (not the body, because they
are immutable).
Warning: Will never create a folder $name without having write access.
You have set open(create), but only want to read the folder. Create is only useful for folders which
have write or append access modes (see Mail::Box::new(access)).
SEE ALSO
This module is part of Mail-Box distribution version 3.011, built on April 18, 2025. Website:
http://perl.overmeer.net/CPAN/
LICENSE
Copyrights 2001-2025 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 v5.40.1 2025-04-25 Mail::Box::Manager(3pm)