Mail::Box::Net(3)

NAME
Mail::Box::Net - handle folders which are stored remote.

INHERITANCE
 Mail::Box::Net
   is a Mail::Box
   is a Mail::Reporter

 Mail::Box::Net is extended by
   Mail::Box::IMAP4
   Mail::Box::POP3

SYNOPSIS
  # Do not instantiate this object directly

DESCRIPTION
At the moment, this object is extended by

•   Mail::Box::POP3

    Implements the POP3 protocol.

•   Mail::Box::IMAP4

    Implements the IMAP4 protocol.

Extends "DESCRIPTION" in Mail::Box.

OVERLOADED
Extends "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Box.

overload: '""' stringification
    Inherited, see "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Box

overload: '@{}' use as ARRAY
    Inherited, see "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Box

overload: cmp string comparison
    Inherited, see "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Box

METHODS
Extends "METHODS" in Mail::Box.

  Constructors
Extends "Constructors" in Mail::Box.

$class->new(%options)
    Inherited, see "Constructors" in Mail::Box

     -Option           --Defined in     --Default
      access             Mail::Box        'r'
      body_delayed_type  Mail::Box        Mail::Message::Body::Delayed
      body_type          Mail::Box        Mail::Message::Body::Lines
      coerce_options     Mail::Box        +[]
      create             Mail::Box        false
      extract            Mail::Box        10240
      field_type         Mail::Box        undef
      fix_headers        Mail::Box        false
      folder             Mail::Box        '/'
      folderdir          Mail::Box        <network location>
      head_delayed_type  Mail::Box        Mail::Message::Head::Delayed
      head_type          Mail::Box        Mail::Message::Head::Complete
      keep_dups          Mail::Box        false
      lock_file          Mail::Box        undef
      lock_timeout       Mail::Box        1 hour
      lock_type          Mail::Box        'NONE'
      lock_wait          Mail::Box        10 seconds
      locker             Mail::Box        undef
      manager            Mail::Box        undef
      message_type       Mail::Box        <folder-class>::Message
      multipart_type     Mail::Box        Mail::Message::Body::Multipart
      password                            undef
      remove_when_empty  Mail::Box        <false>
      save_on_exit       Mail::Box        true
      server_name                         undef
      server_port                         undef
      trusted            Mail::Box        <false>
      username                            undef

    access => $mode
    body_delayed_type => CLASS
    body_type => CLASS|CODE
    coerce_options => ARRAY
    create => BOOLEAN
    extract => INTEGER|CODE|METHOD|'LAZY'|'ALWAYS'
    field_type => $class
    fix_headers => BOOLEAN
    folder => $name
    folderdir => $directory
    head_delayed_type => $class
    head_type => $class
    keep_dups => BOOLEAN
    lock_file => $file
    lock_timeout => $seconds
    lock_type => $class|$name|\@names
    lock_wait => $seconds
    locker => $locker
    manager => $manager
    message_type => $class
    multipart_type => CLASS
    password => $password
        The $password which is required to contact the remote server.

    remove_when_empty => BOOLEAN
    save_on_exit => BOOLEAN
    server_name => $host
        The name of the $host which contains the remote mail server.

    server_port => $number
        Port $number in use by the server application.

    trusted => BOOLEAN
    username => $username
        The username which is to be used for the remote server.

  Attributes
Extends "Attributes" in Mail::Box.

$obj->fixHeaders()
    Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box

$obj->folderdir( [$directory] )
    Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box

$obj->isTrusted()
    Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box

$obj->name()
    Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box

$obj->removeEmpty()
    Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box

$obj->type()
    Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box

  The folder
Extends "The folder" in Mail::Box.

$obj->addMessage($message, %options)
    Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box

$obj->addMessages(@messages)
    Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box

$class->appendMessages(%options)
    Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box

$obj->close(%options)
    Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box

$obj->copyTo($folder, %options)
    Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box

$obj->delete(%options)
    Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box

$obj->organization()
    Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box

$obj->size()
    Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box

$obj->update(%options)
    Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box

$obj->url()
    Inherited, see "The folder" in Mail::Box

  Folder flags
Extends "Folder flags" in Mail::Box.

$obj->access()
    Inherited, see "Folder flags" in Mail::Box

$obj->isModified()
    Inherited, see "Folder flags" in Mail::Box

$obj->modified( [BOOLEAN] )
    Inherited, see "Folder flags" in Mail::Box

$obj->writable()
    Inherited, see "Folder flags" in Mail::Box

  The messages
Extends "The messages" in Mail::Box.

$obj->current( [$number|$message|$message_id] )
    Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box

$obj->find($message_id)
    Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box

$obj->findFirstLabeled( $label, [BOOLEAN, [\@msgs]] )
    Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box

$obj->message( $index, [$message] )
    Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box

$obj->messageId( $message_id, [$message] )
    Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box

$obj->messageIds()
    Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box

$obj->messages( <'ALL'|$range|'ACTIVE'|'DELETED'|$label| !$label|$filter> )
    Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box

$obj->nrMessages(%options)
    Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box

$obj->scanForMessages($message, $message_ids, $timespan, $window)
    Inherited, see "The messages" in Mail::Box

  Sub-folders
Extends "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box.

$any->listSubFolders(%options)
    Inherited, see "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box

$any->nameOfSubFolder( $subname, [$parentname] )
    Inherited, see "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box

$obj->openRelatedFolder(%options)
    Inherited, see "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box

$obj->openSubFolder($subname, %options)
    Inherited, see "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box

$any->topFolderWithMessages()
    Inherited, see "Sub-folders" in Mail::Box

  Internals
Extends "Internals" in Mail::Box.

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

$any->create($folder, %options)
    Create a new folder on the remote server. Improves base, see "Internals" in Mail::Box

     -Option   --Defined in--Default
      folderdir  Mail::Box   undef

    folderdir => $directory
$obj->determineBodyType($message, $head)
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box

$class->foundIn( [$foldername], %options )
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box

$obj->lineSeparator( [<STRING|'CR'|'LF'|'CRLF'>] )
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box

$obj->locker()
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box

$obj->read(%options)
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box

$obj->readMessages(%options)
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box

$obj->storeMessage($message)
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box

$obj->toBeThreaded($messages)
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box

$obj->toBeUnthreaded($messages)
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box

$obj->updateMessages(%options)
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box

$obj->write(%options)
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box

$obj->writeMessages(%options)
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box

  Other methods
Extends "Other methods" in Mail::Box.

$any->timespan2seconds($time)
    Inherited, see "Other methods" in Mail::Box

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

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

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

  Cleanup
Extends "Cleanup" in Mail::Box.

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

DETAILS
Extends "DETAILS" in Mail::Box.

DIAGNOSTICS

Error: Folder $name is opened read-only
    You can not write to this folder unless you have opened the folder to write or append with new(access), or the "force" option is set "true". Cast by write()

Warning: changes not written to read-only folder $name.
    You have opened the folder read-only --which is the default set by new(access)--, made modifications, and now want to close it. Set close(force) if you want to overrule the access mode, or close the folder with close(write) set to "NEVER". Cast by close()

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: copying failed for one message.
    For some reason, for instance disk full, removed by external process, or read-protection, it is impossible to copy one of the messages. Copying will proceed for the other messages. Cast by copyTo()

Error: destination folder $name is not writable.
    The folder where the messages are copied to is not opened with write access (see new(access)). This has no relation with write permission to the folder which is controlled by your operating system. Cast by copyTo()

Warning: different messages with id $msgid.
    The message id is discovered more than once within the same folder, but the content of the message seems to be different. This should not be possible: each message must be unique. Cast by messageId()

Warning: folder $name not deleted: not writable.
    The folder must be opened with write access via new(access), otherwise removing it will be refused. So, you may have write-access according to the operating system, but that will not automatically mean that this "delete" method permits you to. The reverse remark is valid as well. Cast by delete()

Error: invalid timespan '$span'.
    The string does not follow the strict rules of the time span syntax which is permitted as parameter. Cast by timespan2seconds()

Warning: message-id '$msgid' does not contain a domain.
    According to the RFCs, message-ids need to contain a unique random part, then an "@", and then a domain name. This is made to avoid the creation of two messages with the same id. The warning emerges when the "@" is missing from the string. Cast by messageId()

Warning: the term 'hostname' is confusing wrt folder. You probably need 'server_name'.
    Cast by new()

Error: unknown value to folder->close(write => $when).
    Cast by close()

Error: you cannot add a message which is already part of a folder to a new one.  Please use moveTo or copyTo.
    Cast by addMessage()

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.