---
name: "Mail::Box::Net"
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::Net"
---

# Mail::Box::Net(3pm)

handle folders which are stored remote.

## NAME

Mail::Box::Net - handle folders which are stored remote.

## INHERITANCE

```
 Mail::Box::Net
   is a Mail::Box
   is a Mail::Reporter
 Mail::Box::Net is extended by
   Mail::Box::IMAP4
   Mail::Box::POP3
```

## SYNOPSIS

```
  # Do not instantiate this object directly
```

## DESCRIPTION

At the moment, this object is extended by

- •

  Mail::Box::POP3

  Implements the POP3 protocol.

- •

  Mail::Box::IMAP4

  Implements the IMAP4 protocol.

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
    extract            Mail::Box        10240
    field_type         Mail::Box        undef
    fix_headers        Mail::Box        false
    folder             Mail::Box        '/'
    folderdir          Mail::Box        <network location>
    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        undef
    lock_timeout       Mail::Box        1 hour
    lock_type          Mail::Box        'NONE'
    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
    password                            undef
    remove_when_empty  Mail::Box        <false>
    save_on_exit       Mail::Box        true
    server_name                         undef
    server_port                         undef
    trusted            Mail::Box        <false>
    username                            undef
  ```

  - access =\> $mode

    - body\_delayed\_type =\> CLASS

    - body\_type =\> CLASS\|CODE

    - coerce\_options =\> ARRAY

    - create =\> BOOLEAN

    - 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

    - password =\> $password

    The `$password` which is required to contact the remote server.

  - remove\_when\_empty =\> BOOLEAN

    - save\_on\_exit =\> BOOLEAN

    - server\_name =\> $host

    The name of the `$host` which contains the remote mail server.

  - server\_port =\> $number

    Port `$number` in use by the server application.

  - trusted =\> BOOLEAN

    - username =\> $username

    The username which is to be used for the remote server.

### 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-\>**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

- $any-\>**create**($folder, %options)

  Create a new folder on the remote server. Improves base, see "Internals" in Mail::Box

  ```
   -Option   --Defined in--Default
    folderdir  Mail::Box   undef
  ```

  - folderdir =\> $directory

    - $obj-\>**determineBodyType**($message, $head)

  Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box

- $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-\>**read**(%options)

  Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box

- $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: 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()`

- 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()`

- Warning: the term 'hostname' is confusing wrt folder. You probably need 'server\_name'.

  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.
