IMAP mail reading

[crazybeans128]

I have a project where my PHP script has to open emails and sort through them trying to find some general information. I'm experimenting with the IMAP protocols to do this, as I cannot edit the configuration on ther server. I quickly figured out how to work the protocols, however if I want to look at the same message again using the message number, it shows me a completeley different message and the message I want to see is nowhere to be found, at least, not that I can find. My current code looks like this:

<?php
$mbox = imap_open (information I don't care for you to know);

$message = imap_body($mbox,350,);
echo $message;
imap_clearflag_full($mbox,350,"\\Seen");

imap_close($mbox);
?>

I placed the flag in there in hopes that it would leave the message intact, but it does not. Any ideas?

 

[jpadie]

use imap_uid to identify the message. the sequencenumber will change every time a new message is delivered but the uid stays the same. you can get the uid by calling imap_uid().

to open a message using a uid append the FT_UID constant to the parameter list of imap_body.

$messageid = imap_uid$mbox, 350);
$message = imap_body($mbox,$messageid, FT_UID); 
echo $message;

 

[crazybeans128]

I tried something similiar before by attempting to find the UID of a message. I find that the problem occurs when I use "imap_body" the message simply dissapears and my PHP script no longer can find it.

 

[jpadie]

have you tried the code i posted above.

 

[crazybeans128]

Yes, I did. Nothing change, the same things were happening. I tried building on it though and used this:

$messageid = imap_uid($mbox, 350);
echo "$messageid<br>";
echo imap_body($mbox,$messageid, FT_UID);
echo "<br><br>";
echo imap_body($mbox,350, FT_UID);

When the page displays, it claims that the UID for that message was 350, however if i refresh the page, it shows a totally new message, and the UID of 350 has apparantly changed.

 

[jpadie]

but that behaviour is expected!! as the 350th mail has changed.

a better test is

session_start();
$messageid = (isset($_SESSION['messageid'])) ? $_SESSION['messageid'] : imap_uid($mbox, 350);
$_SESSION['messageid'] = $messageid;
echo imap_body($mbox,$messageid, FT_UID);

refresh the page a number of times and you should always get the same body. the uid is static but the message sequence number will change.

 

[crazybeans128]

That still shows a different message each time. I've also realized I have the problem of retrieving the messages. As I've been doing this I've also been monitoring my inbox using Thunderbird, and as I do this, the number of messages it thinks are on the server is dropping.

 

[jpadie]

i don't know what to tell you. the code works on my boxes.

 

[crazybeans128]

maybe it is a problem on the mail server's side. thank you anyway!

 

[crazybeans128]

Yes is turned out to be a problem with the server. I discovered gmail did not support IMAP protocols, and even with the /pop3 in the connection it still didn't work. Another mail service that does support IMAP works though, thank you for all you help.