Mail::Box::Dir(3)

NAME
Mail::Box::Dir - handle folders with a file per message.

INHERITANCE
 Mail::Box::Dir
   is a Mail::Box
   is a Mail::Reporter

 Mail::Box::Dir is extended by
   Mail::Box::MH
   Mail::Box::Maildir

SYNOPSIS
  # Do not instantiate this object

DESCRIPTION
This documentation describes the way directory organized mailboxes work. At the moment, this object is extended by

•   Mail::Box::MH

    MH folders, which are represented by a directory containing files which are sequentially numbered.

•   Mail::Box::Maildir

    Maildir folders, which are located in a directory which has sub-directories named "tmp", "new", and "cur". Each of these directories may contain files with names which are a combination of a numeric timestamp and some status flags.

•   Mail::Box::Netzwert

    This folder type was especially developed for Netzwert AG, optimized to run on a cluster of servers with folders on NFS. The code is not publicly available (yet).

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
      directory                           <derived from folder name>
      extract            Mail::Box        10240
      field_type         Mail::Box        undef
      fix_headers        Mail::Box        false
      folder             Mail::Box        $ENV{MAIL}
      folderdir          Mail::Box        undef
      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        <folder>/.lock
      lock_timeout       Mail::Box        1 hour
      lock_type          Mail::Box        Mail::Box::Locker::DotLock
      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
      remove_when_empty  Mail::Box        true
      save_on_exit       Mail::Box        true
      trusted            Mail::Box        <depends on folder location>

    access => $mode
    body_delayed_type => CLASS
    body_type => CLASS|CODE
    coerce_options => ARRAY
    create => BOOLEAN
    directory => $directory
        For rare folder types, the $directory name may differ from the folder name.

    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
    remove_when_empty => BOOLEAN
    save_on_exit => BOOLEAN
    trusted => BOOLEAN

  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->directory()
    Returns the directory related to this folder.

    » example:

      print $folder->directory;

$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

$any->create($foldername, %options)
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box

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

$obj->folderToDirectory($foldername, $folderdir)
    (class method) Translate a foldername into a filename, with use of the $folderdir to replace a leading “"="”.

$class->foundIn( [$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

$obj->messageInFile($filename)
    Returns the folder message which is found the indicated $filename. This may be useful when some external tool reports filename to be opened.

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

$obj->readMessageFilenames($directory)
    Returns a list of all filenames which are found in this folder $directory and represent a message. The filenames are returned as relative path.

$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: Folder directory $directory is write-protected.
    The folder $directory does already exist and is write protected, which may interfere with the requested write access. Change new(access) or the permissions on the directory. Cast by new()

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()

Warning: folder directory $dir is write-protected
    Cast by new()

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()

Error: no directory $dir for folder of $type.
    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.