---
name: "Mail::SPF::Record"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "perl-mail-spf"
version: "3.20260331-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Mail::SPF::Record"
---

# Mail::SPF::Record(3pm)

Abstract base class for SPF records

## NAME

Mail::SPF::Record - Abstract base class for SPF records

## VERSION

version 3.20260331

## SYNOPSIS

### Creating a record from a string

```
    use Mail::SPF::v1::Record;
    my $record = Mail::SPF::v1::Record->new_from_string("v=spf1 a mx -all");
```

### Creating a record synthetically

```
    use Mail::SPF::v2::Record;
    my $record = Mail::SPF::v2::Record->new(
        scopes      => ['mfrom', 'pra'],
        terms       => [
            Mail::SPF::Mech::A->new(),
            Mail::SPF::Mech::MX->new(),
            Mail::SPF::Mech::All->new(qualifier => '-')
        ],
        global_mods => [
            Mail::SPF::Mod::Exp->new(domain_spec => 'spf-exp.example.com')
        ]
    );
```

## DESCRIPTION

**Mail::SPF::Record** is an abstract base class for SPF records.  It cannot be instantiated directly.  Create an instance of a concrete sub-class instead.

### Constructor

The following constructors are provided:

- **new(%options)**: returns *Mail::SPF::Record*

  Creates a new SPF record object.

  `%options` is a list of key/value pairs representing any of the following options:

  - **text**

    A *string* denoting the unparsed text of the record.

  - **scopes**

    A reference to an *array* of *string*s denoting the scopes that are covered by the record (see the description of the `"scope"` option of Mail::SPF::Request's `"new"` constructor).

  - **terms**

    A reference to an *array* of *Mail::SPF::Term* (i.e. *Mail::SPF::Mech* or *Mail::SPF::Mod*) objects that make up the record.  *Mail::SPF::GlobalMod* objects must not be included here, but should be specified using the `"global_mods"` option instead.

  - **global\_mods**

    A reference to an *array* of *Mail::SPF::GlobalMod* objects that are global modifiers of the record.

- **new\_from\_string($text, %options)**: returns *Mail::SPF::Record*; throws *Mail::SPF::ENothingToParse*, *Mail::SPF::EInvalidRecordVersion*, *Mail::SPF::ESyntaxError*

  Creates a new SPF record object by parsing the string and any options given.

### Class methods

The following class methods are provided:

- **version\_tag\_pattern**: returns *Regexp*

  *Abstract*.  Returns a regular expression that matches a legal version tag.

  This method is abstract and must be implemented by sub-classes of Mail::SPF::Record.

- **default\_qualifier**: returns *string*

  Returns the default qualifier, i.e. **'+'**.

- **results\_by\_qualifier**: returns *hash* of *string*

  Returns a reference to a hash that maps qualifiers to result codes as follows:

  ```
       Qualifier | Result code
      -----------+-------------
           +     | pass
           -     | fail
           ~     | softfail
           ?     | neutral
  ```

### Instance methods

The following instance methods are provided:

- **text**: returns *string*; throws *Mail::SPF::ENoUnparsedText*

  Returns the unparsed text of the record.  Throws a *Mail::SPF::ENoUnparsedText* exception if the record was created synthetically instead of being parsed, and no text was provided.

- **version\_tag**: returns *string*

  *Abstract*.  Returns the version tag of the record.

  This method is abstract and must be implemented by sub-classes of Mail::SPF::Record.

- **scopes**: returns *list* of *string*

  Returns a list of the scopes that are covered by the record.  See the description of the "new" constructor's `"scopes"` option.

- **terms**: returns *list* of *Mail::SPF::Term*

  Returns a list of the terms that make up the record, excluding any global modifiers, which are returned by the `"global_mods"` method.  See the description of the "new" constructor's `"terms"` option.

- **global\_mods**: returns *list* of *Mail::SPF::GlobalMod*

  Returns a list of the global modifiers of the record, ordered ascending by modifier precedence.  See the description of the "new" constructor's `"global_mods"` option.

- **global\_mod($mod\_name)**: returns *Mail::SPF::GlobalMod*

  Returns the global modifier of the given name if it is present in the record. Returns **undef** otherwise.  Use this method if you wish to retrieve a specific global modifier as opposed to getting all of them.

- **stringify**: returns *string*

  Returns the record's version tag and terms (including the global modifiers) formatted as a string.  You can simply use a Mail::SPF::Record object as a string for the same effect, see "OVERLOADING".

- **eval($server, $request)**: throws *Mail::SPF::Result*

  Evaluates the SPF record in the context of the request parameters represented by the given *Mail::SPF::Request* object.  The given *Mail::SPF::Server* object is used for performing DNS look-ups.  Throws a *Mail::SPF::Result* object matching the outcome of the evaluation; see Mail::SPF::Result.  See RFC 4408, 4.6 and 4.7, for the exact algorithm used.

## OVERLOADING

If a Mail::SPF::Record object is used as a *string*, the `"stringify"` method is used to convert the object into a string.

## SEE ALSO

Mail::SPF, Mail::SPF::v1::Record, Mail::SPF::v2::Record, Mail::SPF::Term, Mail::SPF::Mech, Mail::SPF::Mod

\<http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4408\>

For availability, support, and license information, see the README file included with Mail::SPF.

## AUTHORS

Julian Mehnle \<julian@mehnle.net\>, Shevek \<cpan@anarres.org\>