Mail::Message::Dummy(3)

NAME
Mail::Message::Dummy - a placeholder for a missing messages

INHERITANCE
 Mail::Message::Dummy
   is a Mail::Message
   is a Mail::Reporter

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION
Dummy messages are used by modules which maintain ordered lists of messages, usually based on message-id. A good example is Mail::Box::Thread::Manager, which detects related messages by scanning the known message headers for references to other messages. As long as the referenced messages are not found inside the mailbox, their place is occupied by a dummy.

Be careful when using modules which may create dummies. Before trying to access the header or body use isDummy() to check if the message is a dummy message.

Extends "DESCRIPTION" in Mail::Message.

METHODS
Extends "METHODS" in Mail::Message.

  Constructors
Extends "Constructors" in Mail::Message.

$obj->clone(%options)
    Inherited, see "Constructors" in Mail::Message

$class->new($message_id, %options)
    Create a new dummy message to occupy the space for a real message with the specified $message_id. Improves base, see "Constructors" in Mail::Reporter

     -Option    --Defined in     --Default
      body        Mail::Message    <not used>
      body_type   Mail::Message    Mail::Message::Body::Lines
      deleted     Mail::Message    false
      field_type  Mail::Message    <not used>
      head        Mail::Message    <not used>
      head_type   Mail::Message    <not used>
      labels      Mail::Message    +{}
      messageId   Mail::Message    <required>
      message_id  Mail::Message    undef
      modified    Mail::Message    <always false>
      trusted     Mail::Message    <always true>

    body => $object
    body_type => $class
    deleted => BOOLEAN
    field_type => $class
    head => $object
    head_type => $class
    labels => \@pairs|\%settings
    messageId => $id
    message_id => $id
    modified => BOOLEAN
    trusted => BOOLEAN

    » example:

      my $message = Mail::Message::Dummy->new($msgid);
      if($message->isDummy) {...}

  Attributes
Extends "Attributes" in Mail::Message.

$obj->bodyType()
    Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Message

$obj->fieldType()
    Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Message

$obj->headType()
    Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Message

$obj->messageId()
    Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Message

  Constructing a message
Extends "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message.

$obj->bounce( [<$rg_object|%options>] )
    Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Bounce

$class->build( [$message|$part|$body], @fields, %options )
    Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Build

$class->buildFromBody($body, [$head], $headers)
    Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Build

$obj->forward(%options)
    Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward

$obj->forwardAttach(%options)
    Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward

$obj->forwardEncapsulate(%options)
    Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward

$obj->forwardInline(%options)
    Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward

$obj->forwardNo(%options)
    Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward

$obj->forwardPostlude()
    Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward

$obj->forwardPrelude()
    Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward

$obj->forwardSubject(STRING)
    Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward

$class->read($fh|$text|\$text|\@lines, %options)
    Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Read

$obj->rebuild(%options)
    Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Rebuild

$obj->reply(%options)
    Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Reply

$obj->replyPrelude( [STRING|$field|$address|\@addrs|\@fields] )
    Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Reply

$any->replySubject(STRING)
    Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Reply

  The message
Extends "The message" in Mail::Message.

$obj->container()
    Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message

$obj->endsOnNewline()
    Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message

$obj->isDummy()
    Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message

$obj->isPart()
    Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message

$obj->partNumber()
    Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message

$obj->print( [$fh] )
    Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message

$obj->send( [$mailer], %options )
    Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message

$obj->size()
    Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message

$obj->toplevel()
    Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message

$obj->write( [$fh] )
    Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message

  The header
Extends "The header" in Mail::Message.

$obj->bcc()
    Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message

$obj->cc()
    Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message

$obj->date()
    Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message

$obj->destinations()
    Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message

$obj->from()
    Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message

$obj->get($fieldname)
    Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message

$obj->guessTimestamp()
    Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message

$obj->head( [$head] )
    Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message

$obj->nrLines()
    Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message

$obj->sender()
    Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message

$obj->study($fieldname)
    Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message

$obj->subject()
    Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message

$obj->timestamp()
    Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message

$obj->to()
    Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message

  The body
Extends "The body" in Mail::Message.

$obj->body( [$body] )
    Inherited, see "The body" in Mail::Message

$obj->contentType()
    Inherited, see "The body" in Mail::Message

$obj->decoded(%options)
    Inherited, see "The body" in Mail::Message

$obj->encode(%options)
    Inherited, see "The body" in Mail::Message

$obj->isMultipart()
    Inherited, see "The body" in Mail::Message

$obj->isNested()
    Inherited, see "The body" in Mail::Message

$obj->parts( [<'ALL'|'ACTIVE'|'DELETED'|'RECURSE'|$filter>] )
    Inherited, see "The body" in Mail::Message

  Flags
Extends "Flags" in Mail::Message.

$obj->delete()
    Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message

$obj->deleted( [BOOLEAN] )
    Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message

$obj->isDeleted()
    Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message

$obj->isModified()
    Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message

$obj->label($label|PAIRS)
    Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message

$obj->labels()
    Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message

$obj->labelsToStatus()
    Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message

$obj->modified( [BOOLEAN] )
    Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message

$obj->statusToLabels()
    Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message

  The whole message as text
Extends "The whole message as text" in Mail::Message.

$obj->file()
    Inherited, see "The whole message as text" in Mail::Message::Construct::Text

$obj->lines()
    Inherited, see "The whole message as text" in Mail::Message::Construct::Text

$obj->printStructure( [$fh|undef],[$indent] )
    Inherited, see "The whole message as text" in Mail::Message::Construct::Text

$obj->string()
    Inherited, see "The whole message as text" in Mail::Message::Construct::Text

  Internals
Extends "Internals" in Mail::Message.

$obj->clonedFrom()
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message

$class->coerce($message, %options)
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message

$obj->isDelayed()
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message

$obj->isTrusted()
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message

$obj->readBody( $parser, $head, [$bodytype] )
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message

$obj->readFromParser( $parser, [$bodytype] )
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message

$obj->readHead( $parser, [$class] )
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message

$obj->recursiveRebuildPart($part, %options)
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message::Construct::Rebuild

$obj->storeBody($body)
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message

$obj->takeMessageId( [STRING] )
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message

  Error handling
Extends "Error handling" in Mail::Message.

$obj->AUTOLOAD()
    Inherited, see "METHODS" in Mail::Message::Construct

$obj->notImplemented()
    Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

$any->shortSize( [$value] )
    Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Message

$obj->shortString()
    Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Message

  Cleanup
Extends "Cleanup" in Mail::Message.

$obj->DESTROY()
    Inherited, see "Cleanup" in Mail::Reporter

$obj->destruct()
    Inherited, see "Cleanup" in Mail::Message

DETAILS
Extends "DETAILS" in Mail::Message.

DIAGNOSTICS

Error: Cannot include forward source as $kind.
    Unknown alternative for the forward(include). Valid choices are "NO", "INLINE", "ATTACH", and "ENCAPSULATE". Cast by forward()

Error: No default mailer found to send message.
    The message send() mechanism had not enough information to automatically find a mail transfer agent to sent this message. Specify a mailer explicitly using the "via" options. Cast by send()

Error: cannot coerce a $type object into a $me object.
    Cast by coerce()

Error: cannot include reply source as $kind.
    Unknown alternative for the "include" option of reply(). Valid choices are "NO", "INLINE", and "ATTACH". Cast by reply()

Error: cannot read message from a $source.
    Cast by read()

Error: class $package does not implement method $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: coercion starts with some object, not '$type'.
    Cast by coerce()

Error: method bounce requires To, Cc, or Bcc.
    The message bounce() method forwards a received message off to someone else without modification; you must specified it's new destination. If you have the urge not to specify any destination, you probably are looking for reply(). When you wish to modify the content, use forward(). Cast by bounce()

Error: method forwardAttach requires a preamble.
    Cast by forwardAttach()

Error: method forwardEncapsulate requires a preamble.
    Cast by forwardEncapsulate()

Error: method forwardNo requires a To.
    Cast by forwardNo()

Error: method forwardNo requires a body.
    Cast by forwardNo()

Error: no rebuild rule $name defined.
    Cast by rebuild()

Error: only build() Mail::Message's; they are not in a folder yet.
    You may wish to construct a message to be stored in a some kind of folder, but you need to do that in two steps. First, create a normal Mail::Message, and then add it to the folder. During this Mail::Box::addMessage() process, the message will get coerce()-d into the right message type, adding storage information and the like. Cast by build()

Error: please install Email::Simple.
    Cast by coerce()

Error: please install MIME::Entity.
    Cast by coerce()

Error: please install Mail::Internet.
    Cast by coerce()

Error: select parts via '$what'?
    Cast by parts()

Warning: skipped unknown key '$key' in build.
    Cast by build()

Error: the messageId is required for a dummy.
    A dummy message occupies the place for a real message. When a dummy is created, the id of the message which place it is holding must be known. Cast by new()

Error: you cannot take the body of a dummy message.
    Cast by body()

Error: you cannot take the head/body of a dummy message.
    Dummy messages are place-holders in message threads: the thread detected the existence of the message, because it found the message-id in a Reply-To or References field, however it did not find the header and body of the message yet. Use isDummy() to check whether the thread node returned a dummy or not. Cast by head()

SEE ALSO
This module is part of Mail-Box version 4.02, built on April 10, 2026. Website: http://perl.overmeer.net/CPAN/

LICENSE
For contributors see file ChangeLog.

This software is copyright (c) 2001-2026 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.