PureBasic

Search an IMAP Mailbox

Demonstrates the Chilkat Imap.QueryMbx method, which searches the selected mailbox using IMAP search criteria and stores the matching message identifiers in a MessageSet. If bUid is true, the identifiers are UIDs; otherwise they are sequence numbers. This example finds unseen messages and lists their UIDs.

Background: IMAP search runs on the server, so you can find matching messages without downloading them. The criteria string is standard IMAP search syntax — for example UNSEEN, FROM "alice@example.com", SUBJECT "invoice", or SINCE 1-Jan-2026 — and terms can be combined. The result is a MessageSet of identifiers you then fetch, flag, copy, or move. Requesting UIDs (bUid = true) is preferred because UIDs remain valid across sessions.

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IncludeFile "CkImap.pb"
IncludeFile "CkMessageSet.pb"

Procedure ChilkatExample()

    success.i = 0

    ;  Demonstrates the Imap.QueryMbx method, which searches the selected mailbox using IMAP
    ;  search criteria and stores the matching message identifiers in a MessageSet.  If bUid is
    ;  1, the identifiers are UIDs; otherwise they are sequence numbers.

    imap.i = CkImap::ckCreate()
    If imap.i = 0
        Debug "Failed to create object."
        ProcedureReturn
    EndIf

    CkImap::setCkSsl(imap, 1)
    CkImap::setCkPort(imap, 993)

    success = CkImap::ckConnect(imap,"imap.example.com")
    If success = 0
        Debug CkImap::ckLastErrorText(imap)
        CkImap::ckDispose(imap)
        ProcedureReturn
    EndIf

    success = CkImap::ckLogin(imap,"user@example.com","myPassword")
    If success = 0
        Debug CkImap::ckLastErrorText(imap)
        CkImap::ckDispose(imap)
        ProcedureReturn
    EndIf

    success = CkImap::ckSelectMailbox(imap,"Inbox")
    If success = 0
        Debug CkImap::ckLastErrorText(imap)
        CkImap::ckDispose(imap)
        ProcedureReturn
    EndIf

    ;  Search for unseen (unread) messages, returning their UIDs.
    msgSet.i = CkMessageSet::ckCreate()
    If msgSet.i = 0
        Debug "Failed to create object."
        ProcedureReturn
    EndIf

    success = CkImap::ckQueryMbx(imap,"UNSEEN",1,msgSet)
    If success = 0
        Debug CkImap::ckLastErrorText(imap)
        CkImap::ckDispose(imap)
        CkMessageSet::ckDispose(msgSet)
        ProcedureReturn
    EndIf

    ;  Iterate the matching message identifiers.
    n.i = CkMessageSet::ckCount(msgSet)
    Debug "Matching messages: " + Str(n)
    i.i
    For i = 0 To n - 1
        Debug "UID: " + Str(CkMessageSet::ckGetId(msgSet,i))
    Next

    success = CkImap::ckDisconnect(imap)
    If success = 0
        Debug CkImap::ckLastErrorText(imap)
        CkImap::ckDispose(imap)
        CkMessageSet::ckDispose(msgSet)
        ProcedureReturn
    EndIf



    CkImap::ckDispose(imap)
    CkMessageSet::ckDispose(msgSet)


    ProcedureReturn
EndProcedure