---
name: "Mail::SpamAssassin::Conf::Parser"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "spamassassin"
version: "4.0.2-3"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Mail::SpamAssassin::Conf::Parser"
---

# Mail::SpamAssassin::Conf::Parser(3pm)

parse SpamAssassin configuration

## NAME

Mail::SpamAssassin::Conf::Parser - parse SpamAssassin configuration

## SYNOPSIS

```
  (see Mail::SpamAssassin)
```

## DESCRIPTION

Mail::SpamAssassin is a module to identify spam using text analysis and several internet-based realtime blocklists.

This class is used internally by SpamAssassin to parse its configuration files. Please refer to the `"Mail::SpamAssassin"` documentation for public interfaces.

## STRUCTURE OF A CONFIG BLOCK

This is the structure of a config-setting block.  Each is a hashref which may contain these keys:

- setting

  the name of the setting it modifies, e.g. "required\_score". this also doubles as the default for 'command' (below). THIS IS REQUIRED.

- command

  The command string used in the config file for this setting.  Optional; 'setting' will be used for the command if this is omitted.

- aliases

  An \[aryref\] of other aliases for the same command.  optional.

- type

  The type of this setting:

  ```
   - $CONF_TYPE_NOARGS: must not have any argument, like "clear_headers"
   - $CONF_TYPE_STRING: string
   - $CONF_TYPE_NUMERIC: numeric value (float or int)
   - $CONF_TYPE_BOOL: boolean (0/no or 1/yes)
   - $CONF_TYPE_TEMPLATE: template, like "report"
   - $CONF_TYPE_ADDRLIST: list of mail addresses, like "welcomelist_from"
   - $CONF_TYPE_HASH_KEY_VALUE: hash key/value pair, like "describe" or tflags
   - $CONF_TYPE_STRINGLIST list of strings, stored as an array
   - $CONF_TYPE_IPADDRLIST list of IP addresses, stored as an array of SA::NetSet
   - $CONF_TYPE_DURATION a nonnegative time interval in seconds - a numeric value
                        (float or int), optionally suffixed by a time unit (s, m,
                        h, d, w), seconds are implied if unit is missing
  ```

  If this is set, and a 'code' block does not already exist, a 'code' block is assigned based on the type.

  In addition, the SpamAssassin test suite will validate that the settings do not 'leak' between users.

  Note that `$CONF_TYPE_HASH_KEY_VALUE`-type settings require that the value be non-empty, otherwise they'll produce a warning message.

- code

  A subroutine to deal with the setting.  ONE OF **code** OR **type** IS REQUIRED. The arguments passed to the function are `"($self, $key, $value, $line)"`, where `$key` is the setting (\*not\* the command), `$value` is the value string, and `$line` is the entire line.

  There are two special return values that the **code** subroutine may return to signal that there is an error in the configuration:

  `$Mail::SpamAssassin::Conf::MISSING_REQUIRED_VALUE` -- this setting requires that a value be set, but one was not provided.

  `$Mail::SpamAssassin::Conf::INVALID_VALUE` -- this setting requires a value from a set of 'valid' values, but the user provided an invalid one.

  `$Mail::SpamAssassin::Conf::INVALID_HEADER_FIELD_NAME` -- this setting requires a syntactically valid header field name, but the user provided an invalid one.

  Any other values -- including `"undef"` -- returned from the subroutine are considered to mean 'success'.

  It is good practice to set a 'type', if possible, describing how your settings are stored on the Conf object; this allows the SpamAssassin test suite to validate that the settings do not 'leak' between users.

- default

  The default value for the setting.  may be omitted if the default value is a non-scalar type, which should be set in the Conf ctor.  note for path types: using "\_\_userstate\_\_" is recommended for defaults, as it allows Mail::SpamAssassin module users who set that configuration setting, to receive the correct values.

- is\_priv

  Set to 1 if this setting requires 'allow\_user\_rules' when run from spamd.

- is\_admin

  Set to 1 if this setting can only be set in the system-wide config when run from spamd.  (All settings can be used by local programs run directly by the user.)