Skip to main content
Version: 1.0.0

POP3Transporter

The POP3Transporter class allows you to retrieve messages from a POP3 email server.

Functions and properties

POP3 Transporter objects provide the following properties and functions:

















4D.POP3Transporter.new()

4D.POP3Transporter.new*( server : object ) : 4D.POP3Transporter

ParameterTypeDescription
serverobjectMail server information
Result4D.POP3TransporterPOP3 transporter object

Description

The 4D.POP3Transporter.new() function configures a new POP3 connectionaccording to the server parameter and returns a new POP3 transporter object. The returned transporter object will then usually be used to receive emails.

In the server parameter, pass an object containing the following properties:

serverDefault value (if omitted)

false
.accessTokenOAuth2: string
.accessTokenOAuth2: object
string string or token object representing OAuth2 authorization credentials. Used only with OAUTH2 authenticationMode. If accessTokenOAuth2 is used but authenticationMode is omitted, the OAuth 2 protocol is used (if allowed by the server). Not returned in SMTP transporter object.
none

the most secure authentication mode supported by the server is used

30

mandatory

none
.password : string
User password for authentication on the server. Not returned in SMTP transporter object.
none

995

none

Result

The function returns a POP3 transporter object. All returned properties are read-only.

note

The POP3 connection is automatically closed when the transporter object is destroyed.

Example

var server : object
var transporter : 4D.POP3Transporter
var status : object
var info : string


server = newObject()
server.host = "pop.gmail.com" //Mandatory
server.port = 995
server.user = "qodly@gmail.com"
server.password = "XXXXXXXX"
server.logFile = "LogTest.txt" //log to save in the Logs folder

transporter = 4D.POP3Transporter.new(server)

status = transporter.checkConnection()
if(not(status.success))
info = "An error occurred receiving the mail: "+status.statusText)
end

Example

var options : object
var transporter : 4D.POP3Transporter
var status : object
var info : string

options = newObject()

options.host = "pop3.gmail.com"
options.user = "test@gmail.com"
options.password = "XXXXXXXX"

transporter = 4D.POP3Transporter.new(options)

status = transporter.checkConnection()
if(status.success)
info = "POP3 connection check successful!"
else
info = "Error: "+status.statusText
end

.delete()

.delete*( msgNumber : integer )

ParameterTypeDescription
msgNumberintegerNumber of the message to delete
Description

The .delete() function flags the msgNumber email for deletion from the POP3 server.

In the msgNumber parameter, pass the number of the email to delete. This number is returned in the number property by the .getMailInfoList() function.

Executing this function does not actually remove any email. The flagged email will be deleted from the POP3 server only when the POP3_transporter object is destroyed. The flag could be also be removed using the .undeleteAll() function.

note

If the current session unexpectedly terminates and the connection is closed (e.g., timeout, network failure, etc.), an error message is generated and messages marked for deletion will remain on the POP3 server.

Example
var mailInfoList : collection
var mailInfo : object
var confirmed : boolean

mailInfoList = POP3_transporter.getMailInfoList()
forEach (mailInfo , mailInfoList)
// Mark your mail as "to be deleted at the end of the session"
POP3_transporter.delete(mailInfo.number)
end
// Force the session closure to delete the mails marked for deletion

if(confirmed) //deletion is confirmed by a user
POP3_transporter = null
else
POP3_transporter.undeleteAll() //remove deletion flags
end

.getBoxInfo()

.getBoxInfo()* : object

ParameterTypeDescription
ResultobjectboxInfo object
Description

The .getBoxInfo() function returns a boxInfo object corresponding to the mailbox designated by the POP3 transporter object. This function allows you to retrieve information about the mailbox.

The boxInfo object returned contains the following properties:

PropertyTypeDescription
mailCountnumberNumber of messages in the mailbox
sizenumberMessage size in bytes
Example
var server , boxinfo : object
var transporter : 4D.POP3Transporter
var info : string


server = newObject()
server.host = "pop.gmail.com" //Mandatory
server.port = 995
server.user = "qodly@gmail.com"
server.password = "XXXXXXXX"

transporter = 4D.POP3Transporter.new(server)

//mailbox info
boxInfo = transporter.getBoxInfo()
info = "The mailbox contains "+string(boxInfo.mailCount)+" messages.")

.getMail()

.getMail*( msgNumber : integer { ; headerOnly : boolean } ) : object

ParameterTypeDescription
msgNumberintegerNumber of the message in the list
headerOnlybooleanTrue to download only the email headers (default is false)
ResultobjectEmail object
Description

The .getMail() function returns the Email object corresponding to the msgNumber in the mailbox designated by the POP3 transporter. This function allows you to locally handle the email contents.

Pass in msgNumber the number of the message to retrieve. This number is returned in the number property by the .getMailInfoList() function.

Optionally, you can pass true in the headerOnly parameter to exclude the body parts from the returned Email object. Only headers properties (headers, to, from...) are then returned. This option allows you to optimize the downloading step when a lot of emails are on the server.

note

The headerOnly option may not be supported by the server.

The function returns Null if:

  • msgNumber designates a non-existing message,
  • the message was marked for deletion using .delete().

Returned object

.getMail() returns an Email object.

Example

You want to know the sender of the first mail of the mailbox:

var server : object
var transporter : 4D.POP3Transporter
var mailInfo : collection
var sender : variant

server = newObject()
server.host = "pop.gmail.com" //Mandatory
server.port = 995
server.user = "qodly@gmail.com"
server.password = "XXXXXXXX"

transporter = 4D.POP3Transporter.new (server)

mailInfo = transporter.getMailInfoList()

sender = transporter.getMail(mailInfo[0].number).from

.getMailInfo()

.getMailInfo*( msgNumber : integer ) : object

ParameterTypeDescription
msgNumberintegerNumber of the message in the list
ResultobjectmailInfo object
Description

The .getMailInfo() function returns a mailInfo object corresponding corresponding to the msgNumber in the mailbox designated by the POP3 transporter. This function allows you to retrieve information about the email.

In msgNumber, pass the number of the message to retrieve. This number is returned in the "number" property by the .getMailInfoList() function.

The mailInfo object returned contains the following properties:

PropertyTypeDescription
sizenumberMessage size in bytes
idstringUnique ID of the message

The method returns Null if:

  • msgNumber designates a non-existing message,
  • the message was marked for deletion using .delete().
Example
var server , mailInfo : object
var mailNumber : integer
var transporter : 4D.POP3Transporter
var info : string

server.host = "pop.gmail.com" //Mandatory
server.port = 995
server.user = "qodly@gmail.com"
server.password:="XXXXXXXX"

transporter = 4D.POP3Transporter.new (server)

//message info
mailInfo = transporter.getMailInfo(1) //get the first mail
if (mailInfo != null)
info = "First mail size is:"+string(mailInfo.size)+" bytes."
end

.getMailInfoList()

.getMailInfoList()* : collection

ParameterTypeDescription
ResultcollectionCollection of mailInfo objects
Description

The .getMailInfoList() function returns a collection of mailInfo objects describing all messages in the mailbox designated by the POP3 transporter. This function allows you to locally manage the list of messages located on the POP3 mail server.

Each mailInfo object in the returned collection contains the following properties:

PropertyTypeDescription
[].sizenumberMessage size in bytes
[].numbernumberMessage number
[].idstringUnique ID of the message (useful if you store the message locally)

If the mailbox does not contain a message, an empty collection is returned.

number and ID properties

number is the number of a message in the mailbox at the time the POP3_transporter was created. The number property is not a static value in relation to any specific message and will change from session to session dependent on its relation to other messages in the mailbox at the time the session was opened. The numbers assigned to the messages are only valid during the lifetime of the POP3_transporter object. At the time the POP3_transporter is deleted any message marked for deletion will be removed. When the user logs back into the server, the current messages in the mailbox will be renumbered from 1 to x.

The id however is a unique number assigned to the message when it was received by the server. This number is calculated using the time and date that the message is received and is a value assigned by your POP3 server. Unfortunately, POP3 servers do not use the id as the primary reference to their messages. Throughout the POP3 sessions you will need to specify the number as the reference to messages on the server. Developers may need to take some care if developing solutions which bring references to messages into a database but leave the body of the message on the server.

Example

You want to know the total number and size of emails in the mailbox:

var server : object
var transporter : 4D.POP3Transporter
var mailInfo : collection
var vNum , vSize : integer
var info = string

server = newObject()
server.host = "pop.gmail.com" //Mandatory
server.port = 995
server.user = "qodly@gmail.com"
server.password = "XXXXXXXX"

transporter = 4D.POP3Transporter.new (server)

mailInfo = transporter.getMailInfoList()
vNum = mailInfo.length
vSize = mailInfo.sum("size")

info = "The mailbox contains "+string(vNum)+" message(s) for "+string(vSize)+" bytes.")

.getMIMEAsBlob()

.getMIMEAsBlob*( msgNumber : integer ) : Blob

ParameterTypeDescription
msgNumberintegerNumber of the message in the list
ResultblobBlob of the MIME string returned from the mail server
Description

The .getMIMEAsBlob() function returns a BLOB containing the MIME contents for the message corresponding to the msgNumber in the mailbox designated by the POP3_transporter.

In msgNumber, pass the number of the message to retrieve. This number is returned in the "number" property by the .getMailInfoList() function.

The function returns an empty BLOB if:

  • msgNumber designates a non-existing message,
  • the message was marked for deletion using .delete().

Returned blob

.getMIMEAsBlob() returns a blob which can be archived in a database or converted to an Email object with the MAIL Convert from MIME command.

Example

You want to know the total number and size of emails in the mailbox:

var server : object
var mailInfo : collection
var blob : blob
var transporter : 4D.POP3Transporter

server = newObject()
server.host = "pop.gmail.com" //Mandatory
server.port = 995
server.user = "qodly@gmail.com"
server.password = "XXXXXXXX"

transporter = 4D.POP3Transporter.new (server)

mailInfo = transporter.getMailInfoList()
blob = transporter.getMIMEAsBlob(mailInfo[0].number)

.undeleteAll()

*.undeleteAll()**

ParameterTypeDescription
Does not require any parameters
Description

The .undeleteAll() function removes all delete flags set on the emails in the POP3_transporter object.