--- name: "Mail::Box::Dir" section: "3pm" platform: "linux" package: "perl-mail-box" version: "4.02-1" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/Mail::Box::Dir" --- # Mail::Box::Dir(3pm) handle folders with a file per message. ## 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 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 /.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 ::Message multipart_type Mail::Box Mail::Message::Body::Multipart remove_when_empty Mail::Box true save_on_exit Mail::Box true trusted Mail::Box ``` - 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**( \[\\] ) 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.