=encoding utf8

=head1 NAME

Mail::Server::IMAP4::User - manage the folders of one user

=head1 INHERITANCE

 Mail::Server::IMAP4::User
   is a Mail::Box::Manage::User
   is a Mail::Box::Manager
   is a Mail::Reporter

=head1 SYNOPSIS

  my $mgr = Mail::Server::IMAP4::User->new(...);

=head1 DESCRIPTION

This class adds IMAP protocol features to the normal L<Mail::Box::Manager|Mail::Box::Manager>.

Extends L<"DESCRIPTION" in Mail::Box::Manage::User|Mail::Box::Manage::User/"DESCRIPTION">.

=head1 METHODS

Extends L<"METHODS" in Mail::Box::Manage::User|Mail::Box::Manage::User/"METHODS">.

=head2 Constructors

Extends L<"Constructors" in Mail::Box::Manage::User|Mail::Box::Manage::User/"Constructors">.

=over 4

=item $class-E<gt>B<new>(%options)

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manage::User/"METHODS">

 -Option             --Defined in             --Default
  autodetect           Mail::Box::Manager       undef
  collection_type      Mail::Box::Manage::User  Mail::Box::Collection
  default_folder_type  Mail::Box::Manager       'mbox'
  delimiter            Mail::Box::Manage::User  "/"
  folder_id_type       Mail::Box::Manage::User  Mail::Box::Identity
  folder_types         Mail::Box::Manager       <all standard types>
  folderdir            Mail::Box::Manager       [ '.' ]
  folderdirs           Mail::Box::Manager       <synonym for C<folderdir>>
  identity             Mail::Box::Manage::User  <required>
  inbox                Mail::Box::Manage::User  undef
  index_filename                                $folderdir/index
  topfolder_name       Mail::Box::Manage::User  '='

=over 2

=item autodetect => $type|\@types

=item collection_type => $class

=item default_folder_type => $type|CLASS

=item delimiter => STRING

=item folder_id_type => CLASS|OBJECT

=item folder_types => $typedef|\@typedefs

=item folderdir => DIRECTORY

=item folderdirs => [DIRECTORIES]

=item identity => OBJECT

=item inbox => $name

=item index_filename => FILENAME

=item topfolder_name => $name

=back

=back

=head2 Attributes

Extends L<"Attributes" in Mail::Box::Manage::User|Mail::Box::Manage::User/"Attributes">.

=over 4

=item $obj-E<gt>B<defaultFolderType>()

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manager/"Attributes">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<delimiter>()

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manage::User/"Attributes">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<folderTypeDefs>()

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manager/"Attributes">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<folderTypes>()

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manager/"Attributes">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<folderdir>()

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manager/"Attributes">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<identity>()

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manage::User/"Attributes">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<inbox>( [$name] )

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manage::User/"Attributes">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<indexFilename>()

Returns the filename of the index file.

=item $obj-E<gt>B<registerType>($type, $class, %options)

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manager/"Attributes">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<threads>( [@params] )

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manager/"Attributes">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<topfolder>()

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manage::User/"Attributes">

=back

=head2 Manage open folders

Extends L<"Manage open folders" in Mail::Box::Manage::User|Mail::Box::Manage::User/"Manage open folders">.

=over 4

=item $obj-E<gt>B<close>($folder, %options)

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manager/"Manage open folders">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<closeAllFolders>(%options)

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manager/"Manage open folders">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<isOpenFolder>($folder)

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manager/"Manage open folders">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<open>( [$foldername], %options )

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manager/"Manage open folders">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<openFolders>()

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manager/"Manage open folders">

=back

=head2 Manage existing folders

Extends L<"Manage existing folders" in Mail::Box::Manage::User|Mail::Box::Manage::User/"Manage existing folders">.

=over 4

=item $obj-E<gt>B<folder>($name)

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manage::User/"Manage existing folders">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<folderCollection>($name)

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manage::User/"Manage existing folders">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<rename>($oldname, $newname, %options)

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manage::User/"Manage existing folders">

=back

=head2 Move messages to folders

Extends L<"Move messages to folders" in Mail::Box::Manage::User|Mail::Box::Manage::User/"Move messages to folders">.

=over 4

=item $obj-E<gt>B<appendMessage>( [$folder|$foldername], $messages, %options )

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manager/"Move messages to folders">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<copyMessage>( [$folder|$foldername], @messages, %options )

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manager/"Move messages to folders">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<moveMessage>( [$folder|$foldername], @messages, %options )

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manager/"Move messages to folders">

=back

=head2 Manage message threads

Extends L<"Manage message threads" in Mail::Box::Manage::User|Mail::Box::Manage::User/"Manage message threads">.

=over 4

=item $obj-E<gt>B<discoverThreads>( [@folders], %options )

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manager/"Manage message threads">

=back

=head2 Internals

Extends L<"Internals" in Mail::Box::Manage::User|Mail::Box::Manage::User/"Internals">.

=over 4

=item $obj-E<gt>B<decodeFolderURL>($url)

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manager/"Internals">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<toBeThreaded>($folder, $messages)

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manager/"Internals">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<toBeUnthreaded>($folder, $messages)

Inherited, see L<Mail::Box::Manager/"Internals">

=back

=head2 Error handling

Extends L<"Error handling" in Mail::Box::Manage::User|Mail::Box::Manage::User/"Error handling">.

=over 4

=item $obj-E<gt>B<AUTOLOAD>()

Inherited, see L<Mail::Reporter/"Error handling">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<notImplemented>()

Inherited, see L<Mail::Reporter/"Error handling">

=back

=head2 Cleanup

Extends L<"Cleanup" in Mail::Box::Manage::User|Mail::Box::Manage::User/"Cleanup">.

=over 4

=item $obj-E<gt>B<DESTROY>()

Inherited, see L<Mail::Reporter/"Cleanup">

=back

=head2 Manage folders

=over 4

=item $obj-E<gt>B<create>($name, %options)

Creates a new folder with the specified name.  Folder info is returned,
which will be very simple.  In the accidental case that the folder already
exists, a warning will be issued, and that folder's data returned.
Improves base, see L<Mail::Box::Manage::User/"Manage existing folders">

 -Option       --Defined in             --Default
  create_real    Mail::Box::Manage::User  true
  create_supers  Mail::Box::Manage::User  false
  deleted        Mail::Box::Manage::User  false
  id_options     Mail::Box::Manage::User  []

=over 2

=item create_real => BOOLEAN

=item create_supers => BOOLEAN

=item deleted => BOOLEAN

=item id_options => ARRAY

=back

=item $obj-E<gt>B<delete>($name, %options)

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

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

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

=over 2

=item recursive => BOOLEAN

=back

» example: how to delete a folder

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

=item $obj-E<gt>B<folderInfo>($name)

Returns a hash with folder information.  In normal circumstances, it is
cheap to get these details, because they are cached in an index file.
DO NOT modify the values you find in the hash, because that data may
or may not be lost.

DO NOT trust on the existence of any field in the info: fields may get
renamed, removed, or added over time.  Not all folder indexes will be
generated by the same software release.

» example: how to get global info about a folder

  my $info = $user->folderInfo($name); # get info

=back

=head1 DETAILS

Extends L<"DETAILS" in Mail::Box::Manage::User|Mail::Box::Manage::User/"DETAILS">.

=head1 DIAGNOSTICS

=over 4

=item 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 L<Mail::Box|Mail::Box>.  Probably, it is not a folder
at all.
Cast by C<appendMessage()>

=item 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 C<copyMessage()>

=item 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 C<appendMessage()>

=item Fault: cannot create folder directory $dir: $!

Cast by C<create()>

=item Error: cannot rename folder $from to $to: higher levels are missing.

Unless you set L<create(create_supers)|Mail::Box::Manage::User/"Manage existing folders">, all higher level folders must
exist before this new one can be created.
Cast by C<rename()>

=item Fault: cannot write name for folder in $file: $!

Cast by C<create()>

=item Error: class $package does not implement method $method.

Fatal error: the specific C<$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 C<notImplemented()>

=item Error: failed for folder default $class: $@

Cast by C<open()>

=item Fault: failed writing folder name to $file: $!

Cast by C<create()>

=item Warning: folder $name already exists, creation skipped.

Cast by C<create()>

=item Error: folder $name does not exist, failed opening $type.

The folder does not exist and creating is not permitted (see
L<open(create)|Mail::Box::Manager/"Manage open folders">) 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 C<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 L<new(autodetect)|Mail::Box::Manager/"METHODS"> and L<new(folder_types)|Mail::Box::Manager/"METHODS">.
Cast by C<open()>

=item 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 L<Mail::Box::update()|Mail::Box/"The folder"> on one folder handle would
influence the second, probably unexpectedly.
Cast by C<open()>

=item Error: folder $name not under top.

Cast by C<folderCollection()>

=item Warning: folder type $type is unknown, using autodetect.

The specified folder type (see L<open(type)|Mail::Box::Manager/"Manage open folders">, 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 L<Mail::Box|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 C<open()>

=item Error: illegal folder URL '$url'.

The folder name was specified as URL, but not according to the syntax.
See L<decodeFolderURL()|Mail::Box::Manager/"Internals"> for an description of the syntax.
Cast by C<open()>

=item Error: no foldername specified to open.

L<open()|Mail::Box::Manager/"Manage open folders"> needs a folder name as first argument (before the list of options),
or with the C<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 C<open()>

=item Error: source folder for rename does not exist: $from to $to.

Cast by C<rename()>

=item Error: threader $class is not derived from $base.

Cast by C<discoverThreads()>

=item Fault: unable to remove folder {$name}

Cast by C<delete()>

=item Error: unusable threader $class: $@

Cast by C<discoverThreads()>

=item Warning: will never create a folder $name without having write access.

You have set L<open(create)|Mail::Box::Manager/"Manage open folders">, but only want to read the folder.  Create is
only useful for folders which have write or append access modes
(see L<Mail::Box::new(access)|Mail::Box/"Constructors">).
Cast by C<open()>

=item Error: you need to pass a $base derived threader, got $class.

Cast by C<discoverThreads()>

=back

=head1 SEE ALSO

This module is part of Mail-Box-IMAP4 version 4.000,
built on December 10, 2025. Website: F<http://perl.overmeer.net/CPAN/>

=head1 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.

