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IMAP4 protocol client</TITLE>
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<H1><A NAME="SECTION0013700000000000000000">
11.7 <tt class=module>imaplib</tt> --
         IMAP4 protocol client</A>
</H1>

<P>


<P>
<a name="l2h-1703"></a>

<P>
This module defines a class, <tt class=class>IMAP4</tt>, which encapsulates a
connection to an IMAP4 server and implements the IMAP4rev1 client
protocol as defined in <span class=rfc><a name="rfcref-42387"
href="http://info.internet.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc/files/rfc2060.txt">RFC 2060</a></span>. It is backward compatible with
IMAP4 (<span class=rfc><a name="rfcref-42389"
href="http://info.internet.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc/files/rfc1730.txt">RFC 1730</a></span>) servers, but note that the "<tt class=samp>STATUS</tt>" command is
not supported in IMAP4.

<P>
A single class is provided by the <tt class=module>imaplib</tt> module:

<P>
<dl><dt><b><a name="l2h-1696"><tt class=class>IMAP4</tt></a></b> (<big>[</big><var>host</var><big>[</big><var>, port</var><big>]</big><big>]</big>)
<dd>
This class implements the actual IMAP4 protocol.  The connection is
created and protocol version (IMAP4 or IMAP4rev1) is determined when
the instance is initialized.
If <var>host</var> is not specified, <tt>''</tt> (the local host) is used.
If <var>port</var> is omitted, the standard IMAP4 port (143) is used.
</dl>

<P>
Two exceptions are defined as attributes of the <tt class=class>IMAP4</tt> class:

<P>
<dl><dt><b><a name="l2h-1697"><tt class=exception>IMAP4.error</tt></a></b>
<dd>
Exception raised on any errors.  The reason for the exception is
passed to the constructor as a string.
</dl>

<P>
<dl><dt><b><a name="l2h-1698"><tt class=exception>IMAP4.abort</tt></a></b>
<dd>
IMAP4 server errors cause this exception to be raised.  This is a
sub-class of <tt class=exception>IMAP4.error</tt>.  Note that closing the instance
and instantiating a new one will usually allow recovery from this
exception.
</dl>

<P>
The following utility functions are defined:

<P>
<dl><dt><b><a name="l2h-1699"><tt class=function>Internaldate2tuple</tt></a></b> (<var>datestr</var>)
<dd>
  Converts an IMAP4 INTERNALDATE string to Coordinated Universal
  Time. Returns a <tt class=module><a href="module-time.html">time</a></tt> module tuple.
</dl>

<P>
<dl><dt><b><a name="l2h-1700"><tt class=function>Int2AP</tt></a></b> (<var>num</var>)
<dd>
  Converts an integer into a string representation using characters
  from the set [<tt>A</tt> .. <tt>P</tt>].
</dl>

<P>
<dl><dt><b><a name="l2h-1701"><tt class=function>ParseFlags</tt></a></b> (<var>flagstr</var>)
<dd>
  Converts an IMAP4 "<tt class=samp>FLAGS</tt>" response to a tuple of individual
  flags.
</dl>

<P>
<dl><dt><b><a name="l2h-1702"><tt class=function>Time2Internaldate</tt></a></b> (<var>date_time</var>)
<dd>
  Converts a <tt class=module><a href="module-time.html">time</a></tt> module tuple to an IMAP4
  "<tt class=samp>INTERNALDATE</tt>" representation.  Returns a string in the form:
  <tt>"DD-Mmm-YYYY HH:MM:SS +HHMM"</tt> (including double-quotes).
</dl>

<P>

<p><hr>
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<LI><A NAME="tex2html3095"
 HREF="imap4-objects.html">11.7.1 IMAP4 Objects</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html3096"
 HREF="imap4-example.html">11.7.2 IMAP4 Example</A>
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