/ 
Mail-Box-3.012
River stage one • 8 direct dependents • 8 total dependents
/ Mail::Box::Manage::User

NAME

Mail::Box::Manage::User - manage the folders of a user

INHERITANCE

Mail::Box::Manage::User
  is a Mail::Box::Manager
  is a Mail::Reporter

Mail::Box::Manage::User is extended by
  Mail::Server::IMAP4::User

SYNOPSIS

use Mail::Box::Manage::User;
use User::Identity;

my $id      = User::Identity->new(...);
my $user    = Mail::Box::Manage::User->new(
  identity  => $id,
  folderdir => "$ENV{HOME}/Mail",
  inbox     => $ENV{MAIL},
);

my $inbox   = $user->open($user->inbox);
my $top     = $user->topfolder;

DESCRIPTION

Where the Mail::Box::Manager takes care of some set of open folder, this extension will add knowledge about some related person. At the same time, it will try to cache some information about that person's folder files.

Extends "DESCRIPTION" in Mail::Box::Manager.

METHODS

Extends "METHODS" in Mail::Box::Manager.

Constructors

Extends "Constructors" in Mail::Box::Manager.

$class->new(%options)

Use new(default_folder_type) to explicitly state which kind of folders you use. Improves base, see "Constructors" in Mail::Reporter

-Option             --Defined in        --Default
 autodetect           Mail::Box::Manager  undef
 collection_type                          Mail::Box::Collection
 default_folder_type  Mail::Box::Manager  'mbox'
 delimiter                                "/"
 folder_id_type                           Mail::Box::Identity
 folder_types         Mail::Box::Manager  <all standard types>
 folderdir            Mail::Box::Manager  [ '.' ]
 folderdirs           Mail::Box::Manager  <synonym for C<folderdir>>
 identity                                 <required>
 inbox                                    undef
 log                  Mail::Reporter      'WARNINGS'
 topfolder_name                           '='
 trace                Mail::Reporter      'WARNINGS'
autodetect => $type|\@types
collection_type => $class

Subfolders grouped together.

default_folder_type => $type|CLASS
delimiter => STRING

The separator used in folder names. This doesn't need to be the same as your directory system is using.

folder_id_type => CLASS|OBJECT
folder_types => $typedef|\@typedefs
folderdir => DIRECTORY
folderdirs => [DIRECTORIES]
identity => OBJECT

The main difference between the Mail::Box::Manager and this class, is the concept of some person (or virtual person) who's files are being administered by this object. The OBJECT is an User::Identity.

The smallest identity that will do: my $id = User::Identity->new('myname')

inbox => $name

The $name of the user's inbox.

log => LEVEL
topfolder_name => $name
trace => LEVEL

Attributes

Extends "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Manager.

$obj->defaultFolderType()

Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Manager

$obj->delimiter()

Folder path delimiter

$obj->folderTypeDefs()

Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Manager

$obj->folderTypes()

Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Manager

$obj->folderdir()

Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Manager

$obj->identity()

Returns a User::Identity object.

$obj->inbox( [$name] )

(Set and) get the $name of the mailbox which is considered the folder for incoming mail. In many protocols, this folder is handled separately. For instance in IMAP this is the only case-insensitive folder name.

$obj->logSettings()

Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Reporter

$obj->registerType($type, $class, %options)

Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Manager

$obj->threads( [@params] )

Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Manager

$obj->topfolder()

Returns the top folder of the user's mailbox storage.

Manage open folders

Extends "Manage open folders" in Mail::Box::Manager.

$obj->close($folder, %options)

Inherited, see "Manage open folders" in Mail::Box::Manager

$obj->closeAllFolders(%options)

Inherited, see "Manage open folders" in Mail::Box::Manager

$obj->isOpenFolder($folder)

Inherited, see "Manage open folders" in Mail::Box::Manager

$obj->open( [$foldername], %options )

Inherited, see "Manage open folders" in Mail::Box::Manager

$obj->openFolders()

Inherited, see "Manage open folders" in Mail::Box::Manager

Manage existing folders

Extends "Manage existing folders" in Mail::Box::Manager.

Move messages to folders

Extends "Move messages to folders" in Mail::Box::Manager.

$obj->appendMessage( [$folder|$foldername], $messages, %options )

Inherited, see "Move messages to folders" in Mail::Box::Manager

$obj->copyMessage( [$folder|$foldername], @messages, %options )

Inherited, see "Move messages to folders" in Mail::Box::Manager

$obj->moveMessage( [$folder|$foldername], @messages, %options )

Inherited, see "Move messages to folders" in Mail::Box::Manager

Manage message threads

Extends "Manage message threads" in Mail::Box::Manager.

$obj->discoverThreads( [@folders], %options )

Inherited, see "Manage message threads" in Mail::Box::Manager

Internals

Extends "Internals" in Mail::Box::Manager.

$obj->decodeFolderURL($url)

Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box::Manager

$obj->toBeThreaded($folder, $messages)

Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box::Manager

$obj->toBeUnthreaded($folder, $messages)

Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box::Manager

Error handling

Extends "Error handling" in Mail::Box::Manager.

$obj->AUTOLOAD()

Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

$obj->addReport($object)

Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

$any->defaultTrace( [$level]|[$loglevel, $tracelevel]|[$level, $callback] )

Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

$obj->errors()

Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

$any->log( [$level, [$strings]] )

Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

$any->logPriority($level)

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::Manager.

$obj->DESTROY()

Inherited, see "Cleanup" in Mail::Reporter

Manage folders

$obj->create($name, %options)

Creates a new folder with the specified name. An folder's administrative structure (Mail::Box::Identity) is returned, but the folder is not opened.

In the accidental case that the folder already exists, a warning will be issued, and an empty list/undef returned.

The %options are passed to Mail::Box::create() of your default folder type, except for the options intended for this method itself.

-Option       --Default
 create_real    true
 create_supers  false
 deleted        false
 id_options     []
create_real => BOOLEAN

When this option is false, the pysical folder will not be created, but only the administration is updated.

create_supers => BOOLEAN

When you create a folder where upper hierarchy level are missing, they will be created as well.

deleted => BOOLEAN

The folder starts as deleted.

id_options => ARRAY

Values passed to the instantiated Mail::Box::Identity. That object is very picky about the initiation values it accepts.

$obj->delete($name)

Remove all signs from the folder on the file-system. Messages still in the folder will be removed. This method returns a true value when the folder has been removed or not found, so "false" means failure.

It is also possible to delete a folder using $folder->delete, which will call this method here. OPTIONS, which are used for some other folder types, will be ignored here: the user's index contains the required details. Improves base, see "Manage existing folders" in Mail::Box::Manager

-Option   --Defined in        --Default
 recursive  Mail::Box::Manager  <folder's default>
recursive => BOOLEAN

» example: how to delete a folder

print "no xyz (anymore)\n" if $user->delete('xyz');
$obj->folder($name)

Returns the folder description, a Mail::Box::Identity.

$obj->folderCollection($name)

Returns a pair: the folder collection (Mail::Box::Collection) and the base name of $name.

$obj->rename($oldname, $newname, %options)

Rename the folder with name $oldname to $newname. Both names are full pathnames.

-Option       --Default
 create_supers  false
create_supers => BOOLEAN

When you rename a folder to a place where upper hierarchy levels are missing, they will get be defined, but with the deleted flag set.

DETAILS

Extends "DETAILS" in Mail::Box::Manager.

DIAGNOSTICS

Error: Cannot create $name: higher levels missing

Unless you set create(create_supers), all higher level folders must exist before this new one can be created. Cast by create()

Error: Cannot rename $name to $new: higher levels missing

Unless you set create(create_supers), all higher level folders must exist before this new one can be created. Cast by rename()

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. Cast by open()

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. Cast by appendMessage()

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). Cast by open()

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. Cast by open()

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. Cast by open()

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. Cast by open()

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. Cast by notImplemented()

Error: Unable to remove folder $dir

Cast by delete()

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. Cast by copyMessage()

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). Cast by appendMessage()

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)). Cast by open()

SEE ALSO

This module is part of Mail-Box version 3.012, built on November 27, 2025. Website: http://perl.overmeer.net/CPAN/

LICENSE

For contributors see file ChangeLog.

This software is copyright (c) 2001-2025 by Mark Overmeer.

This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.