Mail::Box::Manage::User(3)

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
      topfolder_name                           '='

    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.

    topfolder_name => $name

  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.

$obj->registerType($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.

$obj->create($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.

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

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

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

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

DIAGNOSTICS

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()

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()

Error: cannot create folder $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 folder $from to $to: higher levels are missing.
    Unless you set create(create_supers), all higher level folders must exist before this new one can be created. Cast by rename()

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: failed for folder default $class: $@
    Cast by open()

Error: folder $name already exists.
    Cast by create()

Error: folder $name does not exist, failed opening $type.
    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()

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 not under top.
    Cast by folderCollection()

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: source folder for rename does not exist: $from to $to.
    Cast by rename()

Error: threader $class is not derived from $base.
    Cast by discoverThreads()

Error: unusable threader $class: $@
    Cast by discoverThreads()

Error: user manager requires an identity.
    Cast by new()

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()

Error: you need to pass a $base derived threader, got $class.
    Cast by discoverThreads()

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.