Constructors

Mail::Box::Parser->new(%options)

Create a parser object which can handle one file. For mbox-like mailboxes, this object can be used to read a whole folder. In case of MH-like mailboxes, each message is contained in a single file, so each message has its own parser object.

 -Option  --Defined in     --Default
  file                       undef
  filename                   <required>
  log       Mail::Reporter   'WARNINGS'
  mode                       'r'
  trace     Mail::Reporter   'WARNINGS'
    

The parser

$obj->fileChanged()

Returns whether the file which is parsed has changed after the last time takeFileInfo() was called.

$obj->filename()

Returns the name of the file this parser is working on.

$obj->restart()

Restart the parser on a certain file, usually because the content has changed.

$obj->start(%options)

Start the parser by opening a file.

 -Option--Default
  file    undef
    

$obj->stop()

Stop the parser, which will include a close of the file. The lock on the folder will not be removed (is not the responsibility of the parser).

Parsing

$obj->bodyAsFile( $fh [$chars, [$lines]] )

Try to read one message-body from the file, and immediately write it to the specified file-handle. Optionally, the predicted number of CHARacterS and/or $lines to be read can be supplied. These values may be "undef" and may be wrong.

The return is a list of three scalars: the location of the body (begin and end) and the number of lines in the body.

$obj->bodyAsList( [$chars, [$lines]] )

Try to read one message-body from the file. Optionally, the predicted number of CHARacterS and/or $lines to be read can be supplied. These values may be "undef" and may be wrong.

The return is a list of scalars, each containing one line (including line terminator), preceded by two integers representing the location in the file where this body started and ended.

$obj->bodyAsString( [$chars, [$lines]] )

Try to read one message-body from the file. Optionally, the predicted number of CHARacterS and/or $lines to be read can be supplied. These values may be "undef" and may be wrong.

The return is a list of three scalars, the location in the file where the body starts, where the body ends, and the string containing the whole body.

$obj->bodyDelayed( [$chars, [$lines]] )

Try to read one message-body from the file, but the data is skipped. Optionally, the predicted number of CHARacterS and/or $lines to be skipped can be supplied. These values may be "undef" and may be wrong.

The return is a list of four scalars: the location of the body (begin and end), the size of the body, and the number of lines in the body. The number of lines may be "undef".

$obj->filePosition( [$position] )

Returns the location of the next byte to be used in the file which is parsed. When a $position is specified, the location in the file is moved to the indicated spot first.

$obj->lineSeparator()

Returns the character or characters which are used to separate lines in the folder file. This is based on the first line of the file. UNIX systems use a single LF to separate lines. Windows uses a CR and a LF. Mac uses CR.

$obj->popSeparator()

Remove the last-pushed separator from the list which is maintained by the parser. This will return "undef" when there is none left.

$obj->pushSeparator(STRING|Regexp)

Add a boundary line. Separators tell the parser where to stop reading. A famous separator is the "From"-line, which is used in Mbox-like folders to separate messages. But also parts (attachments) is a message are divided by separators.

The specified STRING describes the start of the separator-line. The Regexp can specify a more complicated format.

$obj->readHeader()

Read the whole message-header and return it as list of field-value pairs. Mind that some fields will appear more than once.

The first element will represent the position in the file where the header starts. The follows the list of header field names and bodies.

example:

 my ($where, @header) = $parser->readHeader;
    

$obj->readSeparator(%options)

Read the currently active separator (the last one which was pushed). The line (or "undef") is returned. Blank-lines before the separator lines are ignored.

The return are two scalars, where the first gives the location of the separator in the file, and the second the line which is found as separator. A new separator is activated using pushSeparator().

Internals

$obj->closeFile()

Close the file which was being parsed.

$obj->defaultParserType( [$class] )

Mail::Box::Parser->defaultParserType( [$class] )

Returns the parser to be used to parse all subsequent messages, possibly first setting the parser using the optional argument. Usually, the parser is autodetected; the "C"-based parser will be used when it can be, and the Perl-based parser will be used otherwise.

The $class argument allows you to specify a package name to force a particular parser to be used (such as your own custom parser). You have to "use" or "require" the package yourself before calling this method with an argument. The parser must be a sub-class of "Mail::Box::Parser".

$obj->openFile($args)

Open the file to be parsed. $args is a ref-hash of options.

 -Option  --Default
  filename  <required>
  mode      <required>
    

$obj->takeFileInfo()

Capture some data about the file being parsed, to be compared later.

Error handling

$obj->AUTOLOAD()

Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

$obj->addReport($object)

Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

$obj->defaultTrace( [$level]|[$loglevel, $tracelevel]|[$level, $callback] )

Mail::Box::Parser->defaultTrace( [$level]|[$loglevel, $tracelevel]|[$level, $callback] )

Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

$obj->errors()

Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

$obj->log( [$level, [$strings]] )

Mail::Box::Parser->log( [$level, [$strings]] )

Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

$obj->logPriority($level)

Mail::Box::Parser->logPriority($level)

Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

$obj->logSettings()

Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

$obj->notImplemented()

Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

$obj->report( [$level] )

Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

$obj->reportAll( [$level] )

Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

$obj->trace( [$level] )

Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

$obj->warnings()

Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

Cleanup

$obj->DESTROY()

Inherited, see "Cleanup" in Mail::Reporter