=head1 NAME

Mail::Box::Search - select messages within a mail box

=head1 INHERITANCE

 Mail::Box::Search
   is a Mail::Reporter

 Mail::Box::Search is extended by
   Mail::Box::Search::Grep
   Mail::Box::Search::SpamAssassin
   Mail::Server::IMAP4::Search

=head1 SYNOPSIS

 use Mail::Box::Manager;
 my $mgr    = Mail::Box::Manager->new;
 my $folder = $mgr->open('Inbox');

 my $filter = Mail::Box::Search::[something]->new;
 my @msgs   = $filter->search($folder, ...);
 if($filter->search($message)) {...}

=head1 DESCRIPTION

This C<Mail::Box::Search> class is the base class for various message scan
algorithms.  The selected messages can be labeled.  Boolean operations on
messages are supported.

Currently implemented searches:

=over 4

=item L<Mail::Box::Search::Grep|Mail::Box::Search::Grep>

Match header or body against a regular expression in a UNIX C<grep> like
fashion.

=item L<Mail::Box::Search::SpamAssassin|Mail::Box::Search::SpamAssassin>

Try to detect spam, using Mail::SpamAssassin.

=item Mail::Box::Search::IMAP

Search an IMAP folder for special interface IMAP folders provide for it.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION till L<Mail::Transport::IMAP4|Mail::Transport::IMAP4> is complete.

=back

=head1 METHODS

=head2 Constructors

Mail::Box::Search-E<gt>B<new>(OPTIONS)

=over 4

Create a filter.

 Option    --Defined in     --Default
 binaries                     <false>
 decode                       <true>
 delayed                      <true>
 deleted                      <false>
 deliver                      undef
 in                           'BODY'
 label                        undef
 limit                        0
 log         Mail::Reporter   'WARNINGS'
 logical                      'REPLACE'
 multiparts                   <true>
 trace       Mail::Reporter   'WARNINGS'

. binaries => BOOLEAN

=over 4

Whether to include binary bodies in the search.

=back

. decode => BOOLEAN

=over 4

Decode the messages before the search takes place.  Even plain text messages
can be encoded, for instance as C<quoted-printable>, which may disturb the
results.  However, decoding will slow-down the search.

=back

. delayed => BOOLEAN

=over 4

Include the delayed messages (which will be parsed) in the search.  If you
set this to false, you may find fewer hits.

=back

. deleted => BOOLEAN

=over 4

In most cases, you will not be interested in results which are
found in messages flagged to be deleted.  However, with this option
you can specify you want them to be searched too.

=back

. deliver => undef|CODE|'DELETE'

=over 4

The exact functionality of this parameter differs per search method, so
read the applicable man-page.  In any case C<undef> means that details
are not collected for this search, which is the fastest search.

C<DELETE> will flag the message to be flagged for deletion.
You may also specify your own CODE reference.  With an reference
to an array, the information about the matches is collected as a list
of hashes, one hash per match.

=back

. in => 'HEAD'|'BODY'|'MESSAGE'

=over 4

Where to look for the match.

=back

. label => STRING

=over 4

Mark all selected messages with the specified STRING.  If this field is
not specified, the message will not get a label; search() also returns
a list of selected messages.

=back

. limit => NUMBER

=over 4

Limit the search to the specified NUMBER of messages.  When the NUMBER
is positive, the search starts at the first message in the folder or
thread.  A negative NUMBER starts at the end of the folder.  If the limit
is set to zero, there is no limit.

=back

. log => LEVEL

. logical => 'REPLACE'|'AND'|'OR'|'NOT'|'AND NOT'|'OR NOT'

=over 4

Only applicable in combination with a C<label>.
How to handle the existing labels.  In case of C<REPLACE>, messages
which already are carrying the label are stripped from their
selection (unless they match again).  With C<AND>, the message must
be selected by this search and already carry the label, otherwise the
label will not be set.  Specify C<OR> to have newly selected messages
added to the set of already selected messages.

C<NOT> is true for messages which do not fulfil the search.  The
details output will still contain the places where the match was
found, however those messages will complementary set of messages will
be labeled and returned.

=back

. multiparts => BOOLEAN

=over 4

Are multiparts to be included in the search results?  Some MUA have
problems handling details received from the search.  When this flag
is turned off, the body of multiparts will be ignored.  The parts
search will include the preamble and epilogue.

=back

. trace => LEVEL

=back

=head2 Searching

$obj-E<gt>B<inBody>(PART, BODY)

=over 4

Tests whether body contains the requesting information.  See the
specific search module for its parameters.

=back

$obj-E<gt>B<inHead>(PART, HEAD)

=over 4

Tests whether header contains the requesting information.  See the
specific search module for its parameters.

=back

$obj-E<gt>B<search>(FOLDER|THREAD|MESSAGE|ARRAY-OF-MESSAGES)

=over 4

Check which messages from the FOLDER (Mail::Box) match the
search parameters.  The matched messages are returned as list.  You
can also specify a THREAD (a L<Mail::Box::Thread::Node|Mail::Box::Thread::Node>), one single
MESSAGE (a L<Mail::Message|Mail::Message>), or an array of messages.

Sometimes we know how only one match is needed.  In this case, this
searching will stop at the first match.  For instance, when C<limit> is C<-1>
or C<1>, or when the search in done in scalar context.

example: 

 my $grep = Mail::Box::Search::Grep->new
  ( match   => 'My Name Is Nobody'
  , deliver => 'PRINT'
  );

 $grep->search($folder);

 my $message = $folder->message(3);
 $grep->search($message);

 my $thread  = $message->threadStart;
 $grep->search($thread);

=back

$obj-E<gt>B<searchPart>(PART)

=over 4

Search this message PART for matches.

=back

=head2 The Results

$obj-E<gt>B<printMatch>([FILEHANDLE], HASH)

=over 4

Print the information about the match (see L<new(deliver)|Mail::Box::Search/"METHODS">) in
some understandable way.  If no file handle
is specified, the output will go to the selected filehandle (see
C<perldoc -f select>).

=back

=head2 Error handling

$obj-E<gt>B<AUTOLOAD>

=over 4

See L<Mail::Reporter/"Error handling">

=back

$obj-E<gt>B<addReport>(OBJECT)

=over 4

See L<Mail::Reporter/"Error handling">

=back

$obj-E<gt>B<defaultTrace>([LEVEL]|[LOGLEVEL, TRACELEVEL]|[LEVEL, CALLBACK])

Mail::Box::Search-E<gt>B<defaultTrace>([LEVEL]|[LOGLEVEL, TRACELEVEL]|[LEVEL, CALLBACK])

=over 4

See L<Mail::Reporter/"Error handling">

=back

$obj-E<gt>B<errors>

=over 4

See L<Mail::Reporter/"Error handling">

=back

$obj-E<gt>B<log>([LEVEL [,STRINGS]])

Mail::Box::Search-E<gt>B<log>([LEVEL [,STRINGS]])

=over 4

See L<Mail::Reporter/"Error handling">

=back

$obj-E<gt>B<logPriority>(LEVEL)

Mail::Box::Search-E<gt>B<logPriority>(LEVEL)

=over 4

See L<Mail::Reporter/"Error handling">

=back

$obj-E<gt>B<logSettings>

=over 4

See L<Mail::Reporter/"Error handling">

=back

$obj-E<gt>B<notImplemented>

=over 4

See L<Mail::Reporter/"Error handling">

=back

$obj-E<gt>B<report>([LEVEL])

=over 4

See L<Mail::Reporter/"Error handling">

=back

$obj-E<gt>B<reportAll>([LEVEL])

=over 4

See L<Mail::Reporter/"Error handling">

=back

$obj-E<gt>B<trace>([LEVEL])

=over 4

See L<Mail::Reporter/"Error handling">

=back

$obj-E<gt>B<warnings>

=over 4

See L<Mail::Reporter/"Error handling">

=back

=head2 Cleanup

$obj-E<gt>B<DESTROY>

=over 4

See L<Mail::Reporter/"Cleanup">

=back

$obj-E<gt>B<inGlobalDestruction>

=over 4

See L<Mail::Reporter/"Cleanup">

=back

=head1 DIAGNOSTICS

Error: Cannot search in body.

=over 4

Th search object does not implement L<inBody()|Mail::Box::Search/"Searching">, and can therefore
not search a message body.

=back

Error: Cannot search in header.

=over 4

Th search object does not implement L<inHead()|Mail::Box::Search/"Searching">, and can therefore
not search a message header.

=back

Error: Don't know how to deliver via results in $way.

=over 4

The search results cannot be delivered in the specific way, because that is
not a defined alternative.

=back

Error: Package $package does not implement $method.

=over 4

Fatal error: the specific package (or one of its superclasses) does not
implement this method where it should. This message means that some other
related classes do implement this method however the class at hand does
not.  Probably you should investigate this and probably inform the author
of the package.

=back

Error: Search in BODY, HEAD or MESSAGE not $in.

=over 4

The C<in> option defines only three names.

=back

=head1 SEE ALSO

This module is part of Mail-Box distribution version 2.079,
built on November 28, 2007. Website: F<http://perl.overmeer.net/mailbox/>

=head1 LICENSE

Copyrights 2001-2007 by Mark Overmeer. For other contributors see ChangeLog.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
under the same terms as Perl itself.
See F<http://www.perl.com/perl/misc/Artistic.html>