imap4(3tcl) imap client imap4(3tcl)
______________________________________________________________________________
NAME
imap4 - imap client-side tcl implementation of imap protocol
SYNOPSIS
package require Tcl 8.5
package require imap4 ?0.5.3?
::imap4::open hostname ?port?
::imap4::starttls chan
::imap4::login chan user pass
::imap4::folders chan ?-inline? ?mboxref? ?mboxname?
::imap4::select chan ?mailbox?
::imap4::examine chan ?mailbox?
::imap4::fetch chan range ?-inline? ?attr ...?
::imap4::noop chan
::imap4::check chan
::imap4::folderinfo chan ?info?
::imap4::msginfo chan msgid ?info? ?defval?
::imap4::mboxinfo chan ?info?
::imap4::isableto chan ?capability?
::imap4::create chan mailbox
::imap4::delete chan mailbox
::imap4::rename chan oldname newname
::imap4::subscribe chan mailbox
::imap4::unsubscribe chan mailbox
::imap4::search chan expr ?...?
::imap4::close chan
::imap4::cleanup chan
::imap4::debugmode chan ?errormsg?
::imap4::store chan range data flaglist
::imap4::expunge chan
::imap4::copy chan msgid mailbox
::imap4::logout chan
______________________________________________________________________________
DESCRIPTION
The imap4 library package provides the client side of the Internet Mes-
sage Access Protocol (IMAP) using standard sockets or secure connection
via TLS/SSL. The package is fully implemented in Tcl.
This document describes the procedures and explains their usage.
PROCEDURES
This package defines the following public procedures:
::imap4::open hostname ?port?
Open a new IMAP connection and initalize the handler, the imap
communication channel (handler) is returned.
hostname - mail server
port - connection port, defaults to 143
The namespace variable ::imap4::use_ssl can be used to establish
to a secure connection via TSL/SSL if set to true. In this case
default connection port defaults to 993.
Note: For connecting via SSL the Tcl module tls must be already
loaded otherwise an error is raised.
package require tls ; # must be loaded for TLS/SSL
set ::imap4::use_ssl 1 ; # request a secure connection
set chan [::imap4::open $server] ; # default port is now 993
::imap4::starttls chan
Use this when tasked with connecting to an unsecure port which
must be changed to a secure port prior to user login. This fea-
ture is known as STARTTLS.
::imap4::login chan user pass
Login using the IMAP LOGIN command, 0 is returned on successful
login.
chan - imap channel
user - username
pass - password
::imap4::folders chan ?-inline? ?mboxref? ?mboxname?
Get list of matching folders, 0 is returned on success.
Wildcards '*' as '%' are allowed for mboxref and mboxname, com-
mand ::imap4::folderinfo can be used to retrieve folder informa-
tion.
chan - imap channel
mboxref - mailbox reference, defaults to ""
mboxname - mailbox name, defaults to "*"
If -inline is specified a compact folderlist is returned instead
of the result code. All flags are converted to lowercase and
leading special characters are removed.
{{Arc08 noselect} {Arc08/Private {noinferiors unmarked}} {INBOX noinferiors}}
::imap4::select chan ?mailbox?
Select a mailbox, 0 is returned on success.
chan - imap channel
mailbox - Path of the mailbox, defaults to INBOX
Prior to examine/select an open mailbox must be closed - see:
::imap4::close.
::imap4::examine chan ?mailbox?
"Examines" a mailbox, read-only equivalent of ::imap4::select.
chan - imap channel
mailbox - mailbox name or path to mailbox, defaults to INBOX
Prior to examine/select an open mailbox must be closed - see:
::imap4::close.
::imap4::fetch chan range ?-inline? ?attr ...?
Fetch attributes from messages.
The attributes are fetched and stored in the internal state
which can be retrieved with command ::imap4::msginfo, 0 is re-
turned on success. If -inline is specified, alle records are
returned as list in order as defined in the attr argument.
chan - imap channel
range - message index in format FROM:TO
attr - imap attributes to fetch
Note: If FROM is omitted, the 1st message is assumed, if TO is
ommitted the last message is assumed. All message index ranges
are 1-based.
::imap4::noop chan
Send NOOP command to server. May get information as untagged
data.
chan - imap channel
::imap4::check chan
Send CHECK command to server. Flush to disk.
chan - imap channel
::imap4::folderinfo chan ?info?
Get information on the recently selected folderlist. If the
info argument is omitted or a null string, the full list of in-
formation available for the mailbox is returned.
If the required information name is suffixed with a ? character,
the command returns true if the information is available, or
false if it is not.
chan - imap channel
info - folderlist options to retrieve
Currently supported options: delim - hierarchy delimiter only,
match - ref and mbox search patterns (see ::imap4::folders),
names - list of folder names only, flags - list of folder names
with flags in format { {name {flags}} ... } (see also compact
format in function ::imap4::folders).
{{Arc08 {{\NoSelect}}} {Arc08/Private {{\NoInferiors} {\UnMarked}}} {INBOX {\NoInferiors}}}
::imap4::msginfo chan msgid ?info? ?defval?
Get information (from previously collected using fetch) from a
given msgid. If the 'info' argument is omitted or a null string,
the list of available information options for the given message
is returned.
If the required information name is suffixed with a ? character,
the command returns true if the information is available, or
false if it is not.
chan - imap channel
msgid - message number
info - imap keyword to retrieve
defval - default value, returned if info is empty
Note: All message index ranges are 1-based.
::imap4::mboxinfo chan ?info?
Get information on the currently selected mailbox. If the info
argument is omitted or a null string, the list of available in-
formation options for the mailbox is returned.
If the required information name is suffixed with a ? character,
the command returns true if the information is available, or
false if it is not.
chan - imap channel
opt - mailbox option to retrieve
Currently supported options: EXISTS (noof msgs), RECENT (noof
'recent' flagged msgs), FLAGS
In conjunction with OK: PERMFLAGS, UIDNEXT, UIDVAL, UNSEEN
Div. states: CURRENT, FOUND, PERM.
::imap4::select $chan INBOX
puts "[::imap4::mboxinfo $chan exists] mails in INBOX"
::imap4::isableto chan ?capability?
Test for capability. It returns 1 if requested capability is
supported, 0 otherwise. If capability is omitted all capability
imap codes are retured as list.
chan - imap channel
info - imap keyword to retrieve
Note: Use the capability command to ask the server if not al-
ready done by the user.
::imap4::create chan mailbox
Create a new mailbox.
chan - imap channel
mailbox - mailbox name
::imap4::delete chan mailbox
Delete a new mailbox.
chan - imap channel
mailbox - mailbox name
::imap4::rename chan oldname newname
Rename a new mailbox.
chan - imap channel
mailbox - old mailbox name
mailbox - new mailbox name
::imap4::subscribe chan mailbox
Subscribe a new mailbox.
chan - imap channel
mailbox - mailbox name
::imap4::unsubscribe chan mailbox
Unsubscribe a new mailbox.
chan - imap channel
mailbox - mailbox name
::imap4::search chan expr ?...?
Search for mails matching search criterions, 0 is returned on
success.
chan - imap channel
expr - imap search expression
Notes: Currently the following search expressions are handled:
Mail header flags: all mail header entries (ending with a colon
":"), like "From:", "Bcc:", ...
Imap message search flags: ANSWERED, DELETED, DRAFT, FLAGGED,
RECENT, SEEN, NEW, OLD, UNANSWERED, UNDELETED, UNDRAFT, UN-
FLAGGED, UNSEEN, ALL
Imap header search flags: BODY, CC, FROM, SUBJECT, TEXT, KEY-
WORD, BCC
Imap conditional search flags: SMALLER, LARGER, ON, SENTBEFORE,
SENTON, SENTSINCE, SINCE, BEFORE (not implemented), UID (not im-
plemented)
Logical search conditions: OR, NOT
::imap4::search $chan larger 4000 seen
puts "Found messages: [::imap4::mboxinfo $chan found]"
Found messages: 1 3 6 7 8 9 13 14 15 19 20
::imap4::close chan
Close the mailbox. Permanently removes \Deleted messages and re-
turn to the AUTH state.
chan - imap channel
::imap4::cleanup chan
Destroy an IMAP connection and free the used space. Close the
mailbox. Permanently removes \Deleted messages and return to the
AUTH state.
chan - imap channel
::imap4::debugmode chan ?errormsg?
Switch client into command line debug mode.
This is a developers mode only that pass the control to the pro-
grammer. Every line entered is sent verbatim to the server (af-
ter the addition of the request identifier). The ::imap4::debug
variable is automatically set to '1' on enter.
It's possible to execute Tcl commands starting the line with a
slash.
chan - imap channel
errormsg - optional error message to display
::imap4::store chan range data flaglist
Alters data associated with a message in the selected mailbox.
chan - imap channel
range - message index in format FROM:TO
flaglist - Flags the data operates on.
data - The currently defined data items that can be stored are
shown below. Note that all of these data types may also be suf-
fixed with ".SILENT" to suppress the untagged FETCH response.
FLAGS Replace the flags for the message (other than \Recent)
with the flaglist.
+FLAGS Add the flags in flaglist to the existing flags for the
message.
-FLAGS Remove the flags in flaglist to the existing flags for
the message.
For example:
::imap4::store $chan $start_msgid:$end_msgid +FLAGS "Deleted"
::imap4::expunge chan
Permanently removes all messages that have the \Deleted flag set
from the currently selected mailbox, without the need to close
the connection.
chan - imap channel
::imap4::copy chan msgid mailbox
Copies the specified message (identified by its message number)
to the named mailbox, i.e. imap folder.
chan - imap channel
msgid - message number
mailbox - mailbox name
::imap4::logout chan
Informs the server that the client is done with the connection
and closes the network connection. Permanently removes \Deleted
messages.
A new connection will need to be established to login once more.
chan - imap channel
EXAMPLES
set user myusername
set pass xtremescrt
set server imap.test.tld
set FOLDER INBOX
# Connect to server
set imap [::imap4::open $server]
::imap4::login $imap $user $pass
::imap4::select $imap $FOLDER
# Output all the information about that mailbox
foreach info [::imap4::mboxinfo $imap] {
puts "$info -> [::imap4::mboxinfo $imap $info]"
}
# fetch 3 records inline
set fields {from: to: subject: size}
foreach rec [::imap4::fetch $imap :3 -inline {*}$fields] {
puts -nonewline "#[incr idx])"
for {set j 0} {$j<[llength $fields]} {incr j} {
puts "\t[lindex $fields $j] [lindex $rec $j]"
}
}
# Show all the information available about the message ID 1
puts "Available info about message 1: [::imap4::msginfo $imap 1]"
# Use the capability stuff
puts "Capabilities: [::imap4::isableto $imap]"
puts "Is able to imap4rev1? [::imap4::isableto $imap imap4rev1]"
# Cleanup
::imap4::cleanup $imap
TLS SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS
This package uses the TLS package to handle the security for https urls
and other socket connections.
Policy decisions like the set of protocols to support and what ciphers
to use are not the responsibility of TLS, nor of this package itself
however. Such decisions are the responsibility of whichever applica-
tion is using the package, and are likely influenced by the set of
servers the application will talk to as well.
For example, in light of the recent POODLE attack [http://googleonli-
nesecurity.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/this-poodle-bites-exploiting-
ssl-30.html] discovered by Google many servers will disable support for
the SSLv3 protocol. To handle this change the applications using TLS
must be patched, and not this package, nor TLS itself. Such a patch
may be as simple as generally activating tls1 support, as shown in the
example below.
package require tls
tls::init -tls1 1 ;# forcibly activate support for the TLS1 protocol
... your own application code ...
REFERENCES
Mark R. Crispin, "INTERNET MESSAGE ACCESS PROTOCOL - VERSION 4rev1",
RFC 3501, March 2003, http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc3501.txt
OpenSSL, http://www.openssl.org/
BUGS, IDEAS, FEEDBACK
This document, and the package it describes, will undoubtedly contain
bugs and other problems. Please report such in the category imap4 of
the Tcllib Trackers [http://core.tcl.tk/tcllib/reportlist]. Please
also report any ideas for enhancements you may have for either package
and/or documentation.
When proposing code changes, please provide unified diffs, i.e the out-
put of diff -u.
Note further that attachments are strongly preferred over inlined
patches. Attachments can be made by going to the Edit form of the
ticket immediately after its creation, and then using the left-most
button in the secondary navigation bar. Only a small part of rfc3501
implemented.
SEE ALSO
ftp, http, imap, mime, pop3, tls
KEYWORDS
email, imap, internet, mail, net, rfc3501, ssl, tls
CATEGORY
Networking
tcllib 0.5.3 imap4(3tcl)