Ruby

Expunge Deleted Messages from a Mailbox

Demonstrates the Chilkat Imap.Expunge method, which permanently removes all messages marked with the \Deleted flag from the currently selected mailbox. The mailbox remains selected. This example marks a message deleted with SetFlag and then expunges.

Background: IMAP deletion is two-phase, much like POP3. First a message is marked with the \Deleted flag (it still exists, just tagged); then EXPUNGE permanently removes every flagged message and renumbers the rest. Splitting the two steps lets a client mark several messages and remove them together, or unmark (undelete) before committing. Expunge keeps the mailbox selected; ExpungeAndClose does the same and then closes it.

Chilkat Ruby Downloads

Download Chilkat for Ruby

Ruby

require 'chilkat'

success = false

#  Demonstrates the Imap.Expunge method, which permanently removes all messages marked with
#  the \Deleted flag from the currently selected mailbox.  The mailbox remains selected.

imap = Chilkat::CkImap.new()

imap.put_Ssl(true)
imap.put_Port(993)

success = imap.Connect("imap.example.com")
if (success == false)
    print imap.lastErrorText() + "\n";
    exit
end

success = imap.Login("user@example.com","myPassword")
if (success == false)
    print imap.lastErrorText() + "\n";
    exit
end

#  Select the mailbox to operate on.
success = imap.SelectMailbox("Inbox")
if (success == false)
    print imap.lastErrorText() + "\n";
    exit
end

#  Mark message (sequence number 1) with the \Deleted flag.  The 4th argument (1) sets the
#  flag; the 2nd argument (false) means the id is a sequence number, not a UID.
success = imap.SetFlag(1,false,"\Deleted",1)
if (success == false)
    print imap.lastErrorText() + "\n";
    exit
end

#  Permanently remove all \Deleted messages from the selected mailbox.
success = imap.Expunge()
if (success == false)
    print imap.lastErrorText() + "\n";
    exit
end

print "Expunged the deleted messages." + "\n";

success = imap.Disconnect()
if (success == false)
    print imap.lastErrorText() + "\n";
    exit
end