198 lines
6.0 KiB
ReStructuredText
198 lines
6.0 KiB
ReStructuredText
|
|
:mod:`poplib` --- POP3 protocol client
|
|
======================================
|
|
|
|
.. module:: poplib
|
|
:synopsis: POP3 protocol client (requires sockets).
|
|
.. sectionauthor:: Andrew T. Csillag
|
|
.. revised by ESR, January 2000
|
|
|
|
.. index:: pair: POP3; protocol
|
|
|
|
This module defines a class, :class:`POP3`, which encapsulates a connection to a
|
|
POP3 server and implements the protocol as defined in :rfc:`1725`. The
|
|
:class:`POP3` class supports both the minimal and optional command sets.
|
|
Additionally, this module provides a class :class:`POP3_SSL`, which provides
|
|
support for connecting to POP3 servers that use SSL as an underlying protocol
|
|
layer.
|
|
|
|
Note that POP3, though widely supported, is obsolescent. The implementation
|
|
quality of POP3 servers varies widely, and too many are quite poor. If your
|
|
mailserver supports IMAP, you would be better off using the
|
|
:class:`imaplib.IMAP4` class, as IMAP servers tend to be better implemented.
|
|
|
|
A single class is provided by the :mod:`poplib` module:
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. class:: POP3(host[, port[, timeout]])
|
|
|
|
This class implements the actual POP3 protocol. The connection is created when
|
|
the instance is initialized. If *port* is omitted, the standard POP3 port (110)
|
|
is used. The optional *timeout* parameter specifies a timeout in seconds for the
|
|
connection attempt (if not specified, the global default timeout setting will
|
|
be used).
|
|
|
|
.. versionchanged:: 2.6
|
|
*timeout* was added.
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. class:: POP3_SSL(host[, port[, keyfile[, certfile]]])
|
|
|
|
This is a subclass of :class:`POP3` that connects to the server over an SSL
|
|
encrypted socket. If *port* is not specified, 995, the standard POP3-over-SSL
|
|
port is used. *keyfile* and *certfile* are also optional - they can contain a
|
|
PEM formatted private key and certificate chain file for the SSL connection.
|
|
|
|
.. versionadded:: 2.4
|
|
|
|
One exception is defined as an attribute of the :mod:`poplib` module:
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. exception:: error_proto
|
|
|
|
Exception raised on any errors from this module (errors from :mod:`socket`
|
|
module are not caught). The reason for the exception is passed to the
|
|
constructor as a string.
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. seealso::
|
|
|
|
Module :mod:`imaplib`
|
|
The standard Python IMAP module.
|
|
|
|
`Frequently Asked Questions About Fetchmail <http://www.catb.org/~esr/fetchmail/fetchmail-FAQ.html>`_
|
|
The FAQ for the :program:`fetchmail` POP/IMAP client collects information on
|
|
POP3 server variations and RFC noncompliance that may be useful if you need to
|
|
write an application based on the POP protocol.
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. _pop3-objects:
|
|
|
|
POP3 Objects
|
|
------------
|
|
|
|
All POP3 commands are represented by methods of the same name, in lower-case;
|
|
most return the response text sent by the server.
|
|
|
|
An :class:`POP3` instance has the following methods:
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. method:: POP3.set_debuglevel(level)
|
|
|
|
Set the instance's debugging level. This controls the amount of debugging
|
|
output printed. The default, ``0``, produces no debugging output. A value of
|
|
``1`` produces a moderate amount of debugging output, generally a single line
|
|
per request. A value of ``2`` or higher produces the maximum amount of
|
|
debugging output, logging each line sent and received on the control connection.
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. method:: POP3.getwelcome()
|
|
|
|
Returns the greeting string sent by the POP3 server.
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. method:: POP3.user(username)
|
|
|
|
Send user command, response should indicate that a password is required.
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. method:: POP3.pass_(password)
|
|
|
|
Send password, response includes message count and mailbox size. Note: the
|
|
mailbox on the server is locked until :meth:`quit` is called.
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. method:: POP3.apop(user, secret)
|
|
|
|
Use the more secure APOP authentication to log into the POP3 server.
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. method:: POP3.rpop(user)
|
|
|
|
Use RPOP authentication (similar to UNIX r-commands) to log into POP3 server.
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. method:: POP3.stat()
|
|
|
|
Get mailbox status. The result is a tuple of 2 integers: ``(message count,
|
|
mailbox size)``.
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. method:: POP3.list([which])
|
|
|
|
Request message list, result is in the form ``(response, ['mesg_num octets',
|
|
...], octets)``. If *which* is set, it is the message to list.
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. method:: POP3.retr(which)
|
|
|
|
Retrieve whole message number *which*, and set its seen flag. Result is in form
|
|
``(response, ['line', ...], octets)``.
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. method:: POP3.dele(which)
|
|
|
|
Flag message number *which* for deletion. On most servers deletions are not
|
|
actually performed until QUIT (the major exception is Eudora QPOP, which
|
|
deliberately violates the RFCs by doing pending deletes on any disconnect).
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. method:: POP3.rset()
|
|
|
|
Remove any deletion marks for the mailbox.
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. method:: POP3.noop()
|
|
|
|
Do nothing. Might be used as a keep-alive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. method:: POP3.quit()
|
|
|
|
Signoff: commit changes, unlock mailbox, drop connection.
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. method:: POP3.top(which, howmuch)
|
|
|
|
Retrieves the message header plus *howmuch* lines of the message after the
|
|
header of message number *which*. Result is in form ``(response, ['line', ...],
|
|
octets)``.
|
|
|
|
The POP3 TOP command this method uses, unlike the RETR command, doesn't set the
|
|
message's seen flag; unfortunately, TOP is poorly specified in the RFCs and is
|
|
frequently broken in off-brand servers. Test this method by hand against the
|
|
POP3 servers you will use before trusting it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. method:: POP3.uidl([which])
|
|
|
|
Return message digest (unique id) list. If *which* is specified, result contains
|
|
the unique id for that message in the form ``'response mesgnum uid``, otherwise
|
|
result is list ``(response, ['mesgnum uid', ...], octets)``.
|
|
|
|
Instances of :class:`POP3_SSL` have no additional methods. The interface of this
|
|
subclass is identical to its parent.
|
|
|
|
|
|
.. _pop3-example:
|
|
|
|
POP3 Example
|
|
------------
|
|
|
|
Here is a minimal example (without error checking) that opens a mailbox and
|
|
retrieves and prints all messages::
|
|
|
|
import getpass, poplib
|
|
|
|
M = poplib.POP3('localhost')
|
|
M.user(getpass.getuser())
|
|
M.pass_(getpass.getpass())
|
|
numMessages = len(M.list()[1])
|
|
for i in range(numMessages):
|
|
for j in M.retr(i+1)[1]:
|
|
print j
|
|
|
|
At the end of the module, there is a test section that contains a more extensive
|
|
example of usage.
|
|
|