C++

IMAP Search with THREAD Semantics

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Demonstrates how to search an IMAP mailbox and return message numbers grouped together in parent/child relationships based on which messages are replies to others. C++

#include <CkImap.h>
#include <CkJsonObject.h>
#include <CkJsonArray.h>

void ChilkatSample(void)
    {
    bool success = false;

    //  This example requires the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
    //  See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

    CkImap imap;

    //  Connect to your IMAP server and authenticate..
    imap.put_Ssl(true);
    imap.put_Port(993);
    success = imap.Connect("imap.mail.us-west-2.awsapps.com");
    if (success == false) {
        std::cout << imap.lastErrorText() << "\r\n";
        return;
    }

    success = imap.Login("myLogin","myPassword");
    if (success == false) {
        std::cout << imap.lastErrorText() << "\r\n";
        return;
    }

    //  Select a mailbox
    success = imap.SelectMailbox("Inbox");
    if (success == false) {
        std::cout << imap.lastErrorText() << "\r\n";
        return;
    }

    //  Search for all message having the letter 'a' somewhere in the Subject,
    //  and return the messages as JSON.
    CkJsonObject json;
    success = imap.QueryThread("REFERENCES","SUBJECT a",true,json);
    if (success == false) {
        std::cout << imap.lastErrorText() << "\r\n";
        return;
    }

    //  The IMAP server will return a raw response with a format such as this:  (2)(3 6 (4 23)(44 7 96))

    //  In tree form, it's like this:
    //  
    //              -- 2
    //              -- 3
    //                  \-- 6
    //                     |-- 4
    //                     |      \-- 23
    //                     |
    //                     |-- 44
    //                                \-- 7
    //                                        \-- 96
    //  

    //  It means there are 2 main threads returned, but the 2nd thread splits into two sub-threads.
    //  In total, we can think of it as 3 threads -- 2 main threads (with no parents) and one sub-thread w/ a parent.
    //  
    //  - The 1st thread contains the message 2, and has no parent thread.
    //  - The 2nd thread contains the messages 3, 6, 4, 23, and has no parent thread.
    //  - The 3rd thread contains the messages 44, 7, 96 and the parent thread is message 6.
    //  

    //  (Yes, this is all highly confusing...)

    //  Chilkat will return the above sample response as JSON that looks like this:

    //  {
    //    "threads": [
    //      [2],
    //      [3, 6, [4, 23], [44, 7, 96]]
    //    ]
    //  }
    //  

    //  Use this online tool to generate parsing code from sample JSON: 
    //  Generate Parsing Code from JSON
    //  In this case, the online tool can help you get a feel for how to write the JSON parsing code..

    int numThreads = json.SizeOfArray("threads");
    std::cout << "The total number of top-level threads is " << numThreads << "\r\n";

    //  Let's say we wanted to get the messages in the thread 3, 6, 4, 23.
    //  We always follow the 1st branch to the bottom, ignoring the other branches.
    //  For example, if we had  [3, 5, [4, 23, [55, 56, 57], [68, 69]], [44, 7, 96]]
    //  then the thread would be 3, 5, 4, 43, 55, 56, 57

    //  For testing, let's substitute the response from the IMAP server with this sample:
    json.Load("{\"threads\": [[2], [3, 5, [4, 23, [55, 56, 57], [68, 69]], [44, 7, 96]]]}");

    //  Begin with the 2nd top-level thread, which is at index 1.
    std::cout << "Following the 2nd top level thread..." << "\r\n";
    CkJsonArray *arr = json.ArrayOf("threads[1]");
    int threadSize = arr->get_Size();
    int i = 0;
    while (i < threadSize) {
        //  Do we have an array or integer at this position?
        if (arr->TypeAt(i) == 4) {
            //  This is a sub-array.
            CkJsonArray *subArr = arr->ArrayAt(i);
            delete arr;
            //  Follow the sub-array starting at the 1st position..
            arr = subArr;
            i = 0;
            threadSize = arr->get_Size();
        }
        else {
            //  Must be a single integer.
            std::cout << arr->IntAt(i) << "\r\n";
            i = i + 1;
        }

    }

    //  The output is:
    //  
    //  Following the 2nd top level thread...
    //  3
    //  5
    //  4
    //  23
    //  55
    //  56
    //  57
    }