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<title>11.10 imaplib -- IMAP4 protocol client</title>
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<H1><A NAME="SECTION00131000000000000000000">
11.10 <tt class="module">imaplib</tt> --
         IMAP4 protocol client</A>
</H1>

<P>
<A NAME="module-imaplib"></A>

<P>
<a id='l2h-3392' xml:id='l2h-3392'></a><a id='l2h-3393' xml:id='l2h-3393'></a><a id='l2h-3394' xml:id='l2h-3394'></a>
<P>
This module defines three classes, <tt class="class">IMAP4</tt>, <tt class="class">IMAP4_SSL</tt>
and <tt class="class">IMAP4_stream</tt>, which encapsulate a
connection to an IMAP4 server and implement a large subset of the
IMAP4rev1 client protocol as defined in <a class="rfc" id='rfcref-90207' xml:id='rfcref-90207'
href="http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc2060.html">RFC 2060</a>. It is backward
compatible with IMAP4 (<a class="rfc" id='rfcref-90209' xml:id='rfcref-90209'
href="http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc1730.html">RFC 1730</a>) servers, but note that the
"<tt class="samp">STATUS</tt>" command is not supported in IMAP4.

<P>
Three classes are provided by the <tt class="module">imaplib</tt> module,
<tt class="class">IMAP4</tt> is the base class:

<P>
<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
  <td><nobr><b><span class="typelabel">class</span>&nbsp;<tt id='l2h-3395' xml:id='l2h-3395' class="class">IMAP4</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
  <td><var></var><big>[</big><var>host</var><big>[</big><var>, port</var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
<dd>
This class implements the actual IMAP4 protocol.  The connection is
created and protocol version (IMAP4 or IMAP4rev1) is determined when
the instance is initialized.
If <var>host</var> is not specified, <code>''</code> (the local host) is used.
If <var>port</var> is omitted, the standard IMAP4 port (143) is used.
</dl>

<P>
Three exceptions are defined as attributes of the <tt class="class">IMAP4</tt> class:

<P>
<dl><dt><b><span class="typelabel">exception</span>&nbsp;<tt id='l2h-3396' xml:id='l2h-3396' class="exception">IMAP4.error</tt></b></dt>
<dd>
Exception raised on any errors.  The reason for the exception is
passed to the constructor as a string.
</dd></dl>

<P>
<dl><dt><b><span class="typelabel">exception</span>&nbsp;<tt id='l2h-3397' xml:id='l2h-3397' class="exception">IMAP4.abort</tt></b></dt>
<dd>
IMAP4 server errors cause this exception to be raised.  This is a
sub-class of <tt class="exception">IMAP4.error</tt>.  Note that closing the instance
and instantiating a new one will usually allow recovery from this
exception.
</dd></dl>

<P>
<dl><dt><b><span class="typelabel">exception</span>&nbsp;<tt id='l2h-3398' xml:id='l2h-3398' class="exception">IMAP4.readonly</tt></b></dt>
<dd>
This exception is raised when a writable mailbox has its status
changed by the server.  This is a sub-class of
<tt class="exception">IMAP4.error</tt>.  Some other client now has write permission,
and the mailbox will need to be re-opened to re-obtain write
permission.
</dd></dl>

<P>
There's also a subclass for secure connections:

<P>
<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
  <td><nobr><b><span class="typelabel">class</span>&nbsp;<tt id='l2h-3399' xml:id='l2h-3399' class="class">IMAP4_SSL</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
  <td><var></var><big>[</big><var>host</var><big>[</big><var>, port</var><big>[</big><var>,
                             keyfile</var><big>[</big><var>, certfile</var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
<dd>
This is a subclass derived from <tt class="class">IMAP4</tt> that connects over an
SSL encrypted socket (to use this class you need a socket module that
was compiled with SSL support).  If <var>host</var> is not specified,
<code>''</code> (the local host) is used.  If <var>port</var> is omitted, the
standard IMAP4-over-SSL port (993) is used.  <var>keyfile</var> and
<var>certfile</var> are also optional - they can contain a PEM formatted
private key and certificate chain file for the SSL connection.
</dl>

<P>
The second subclass allows for connections created by a child process:

<P>
<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
  <td><nobr><b><span class="typelabel">class</span>&nbsp;<tt id='l2h-3400' xml:id='l2h-3400' class="class">IMAP4_stream</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
  <td><var>command</var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
<dd>
This is a subclass derived from <tt class="class">IMAP4</tt> that connects
to the <code>stdin/stdout</code> file descriptors created by passing
<var>command</var> to <code>os.popen2()</code>.

<span class="versionnote">New in version 2.3.</span>

</dl>

<P>
The following utility functions are defined:

<P>
<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
  <td><nobr><b><tt id='l2h-3401' xml:id='l2h-3401' class="function">Internaldate2tuple</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
  <td><var>datestr</var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
<dd>
  Converts an IMAP4 INTERNALDATE string to Coordinated Universal
  Time. Returns a <tt class="module"><a href="module-time.html">time</a></tt> module tuple.
</dl>

<P>
<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
  <td><nobr><b><tt id='l2h-3402' xml:id='l2h-3402' class="function">Int2AP</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
  <td><var>num</var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
<dd>
  Converts an integer into a string representation using characters
  from the set [<code>A</code> .. <code>P</code>].
</dl>

<P>
<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
  <td><nobr><b><tt id='l2h-3403' xml:id='l2h-3403' class="function">ParseFlags</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
  <td><var>flagstr</var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
<dd>
  Converts an IMAP4 "<tt class="samp">FLAGS</tt>" response to a tuple of individual
  flags.
</dl>

<P>
<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
  <td><nobr><b><tt id='l2h-3404' xml:id='l2h-3404' class="function">Time2Internaldate</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
  <td><var>date_time</var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
<dd>
  Converts a <tt class="module"><a href="module-time.html">time</a></tt> module tuple to an IMAP4
  "<tt class="samp">INTERNALDATE</tt>" representation.  Returns a string in the form:
  <code>"DD-Mmm-YYYY HH:MM:SS +HHMM"</code> (including double-quotes).
</dl>

<P>
Note that IMAP4 message numbers change as the mailbox changes; in
particular, after an "<tt class="samp">EXPUNGE</tt>" command performs deletions the
remaining messages are renumbered. So it is highly advisable to use
UIDs instead, with the UID command.

<P>
At the end of the module, there is a test section that contains a more
extensive example of usage.

<P>
<div class="seealso">
  <p class="heading">See Also:</p>

  <div class="seetext"><p>Documents describing the protocol, and sources and binaries
           for servers implementing it, can all be found at the
           University of Washington's <em>IMAP Information Center</em>
           (<a class="url" href="http://www.cac.washington.edu/imap/">http://www.cac.washington.edu/imap/</a>).</p></div>
</div>

<P>

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<span class="release-info">Release 2.4.2, documentation updated on 28 September 2005.</span>
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