Pascal (Lazarus/Delphi)

IMAP Delete Old Email (before a specified date)

See more IMAP Examples

Demonstrates how to delete email older than a particular date. Pascal (Lazarus/Delphi)

program ChilkatDemo;

// Demonstrates using the Chilkat Pascal wrapper via the C bridge DLL.
// Builds as a console application under Lazarus (FPC) or Delphi.

{$IFDEF FPC}
  {$MODE DELPHI}
{$ENDIF}
{$APPTYPE CONSOLE}

uses
  {$IFDEF UNIX}
  cthreads,
  {$ENDIF}
  SysUtils,
  CkDllLoader,
  Chilkat.Imap,
  Chilkat.Email,
  Chilkat.MessageSet;

// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

procedure RunDemo;
var
  success: Boolean;
  imap: TImap;
  fetchUids: Boolean;
  messageSet: TMessageSet;
  email: TEmail;
  i: Integer;
  count: Integer;
  headerOnly: Boolean;

begin
  success := False;

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

  imap := TImap.Create;

  //  Connect to an IMAP server.
  //  Use TLS
  imap.Ssl := True;
  imap.Port := 993;
  //  Use your IMAP server domain.  This example 
  success := imap.Connect('imap.example.com');
  if (success = False) then
    begin
      WriteLn(imap.LastErrorText);
      Exit;
    end;

  //  Login
  success := imap.Login('myLogin','myPassword');
  if (success = False) then
    begin
      WriteLn(imap.LastErrorText);
      Exit;
    end;

  //  Select an IMAP mailbox
  success := imap.SelectMailbox('Inbox');
  if (success = False) then
    begin
      WriteLn(imap.LastErrorText);
      Exit;
    end;

  //  Get message ID's for emails older than 1/1/2025
  fetchUids := True;
  messageSet := TMessageSet.Create;
  success := imap.QueryMbx('SENTBEFORE 01-Jan-2025',fetchUids,messageSet);
  if (success = False) then
    begin
      WriteLn(imap.LastErrorText);
      Exit;
    end;

  //  If desired, we can examine the Subject of each email to be deleted..
  email := TEmail.Create;
  i := 0;
  count := messageSet.Count;
  headerOnly := True;

  while i < count do
    begin
      success := imap.FetchEmail(headerOnly,messageSet.GetId(i),True,email);
      if (success = False) then
        begin
          WriteLn(imap.LastErrorText);
          Exit;
        end;

      WriteLn(email.LocalDateStr);
      WriteLn(email.Subject);

      i := i + 1;
    end;

  //  Set the Deleted flag for each message:
  success := imap.SetFlags(messageSet,'Deleted',1);
  if (success = False) then
    begin
      WriteLn(imap.LastErrorText);
      Exit;
    end;

  //  Expunge and close the mailbox.
  success := imap.ExpungeAndClose();
  if (success = False) then
    begin
      WriteLn(imap.LastErrorText);
      Exit;
    end;

  //  Disconnect from the IMAP server.
  success := imap.Disconnect();


  imap.Free;
  messageSet.Free;
  email.Free;

end;

// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

begin

  try
    RunDemo;
  except
    on E: Exception do
      WriteLn('Unhandled exception: ', E.ClassName, ': ', E.Message);
  end;

  WriteLn;
  {$IFDEF MSWINDOWS}
  WriteLn('Press Enter to exit...');
  ReadLn;
  {$ENDIF}
end.