(MFC) IMAP Search with THREAD Semantics

Demonstrates how to search an IMAP mailbox and return message numbers grouped together in parent/child relationships based on which messages are replies to others.

Note: This example requires Chilkat v9.5.0.77 or greater.

Chilkat C/C++ Library Downloads MS Visual C/C++ Libs

See Also: Using MFC CString in Chilkat

#include <CkImap.h>
#include <CkJsonObject.h>
#include <CkJsonArray.h>

void ChilkatSample(void)
    {
    CkString strOut;

    // This example requires the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
    // See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

    CkImap imap;

    // Connect to your IMAP server and authenticate..
    imap.put_Ssl(true);
    imap.put_Port(993);
    bool success = imap.Connect("imap.mail.us-west-2.awsapps.com");
    if (success != true) {
        strOut.append(imap.lastErrorText());
        strOut.append("\r\n");
        SetDlgItemText(IDC_EDIT1,strOut.getUnicode());
        return;
    }

    success = imap.Login("myLogin","myPassword");
    if (success != true) {
        strOut.append(imap.lastErrorText());
        strOut.append("\r\n");
        SetDlgItemText(IDC_EDIT1,strOut.getUnicode());
        return;
    }

    // Select a mailbox
    success = imap.SelectMailbox("Inbox");
    if (success != true) {
        strOut.append(imap.lastErrorText());
        strOut.append("\r\n");
        SetDlgItemText(IDC_EDIT1,strOut.getUnicode());
        return;
    }

    // Search for all message having the letter 'a' somewhere in the Subject,
    // and return the messages as JSON.
    CkJsonObject *json = imap.ThreadCmd("REFERENCES","UTF-8","SUBJECT a",true);
    if (imap.get_LastMethodSuccess() == false) {
        strOut.append(imap.lastErrorText());
        strOut.append("\r\n");
        SetDlgItemText(IDC_EDIT1,strOut.getUnicode());
        return;
    }

    // The IMAP server will return a raw response with a format such as this:  (2)(3 6 (4 23)(44 7 96))

    // In tree form, it's like this:
    // 
    //             -- 2
    //             -- 3
    //                 \-- 6
    //                    |-- 4
    //                    |      \-- 23
    //                    |
    //                    |-- 44
    //                               \-- 7
    //                                       \-- 96
    // 

    // It means there are 2 main threads returned, but the 2nd thread splits into two sub-threads.
    // In total, we can think of it as 3 threads -- 2 main threads (with no parents) and one sub-thread w/ a parent.
    // 
    // - The 1st thread contains the message 2, and has no parent thread.
    // - The 2nd thread contains the messages 3, 6, 4, 23, and has no parent thread.
    // - The 3rd thread contains the messages 44, 7, 96 and the parent thread is message 6.
    // 

    // (Yes, this is all highly confusing...)

    // Chilkat will return the above sample response as JSON that looks like this:

    // {
    //   "threads": [
    //     [2],
    //     [3, 6, [4, 23], [44, 7, 96]]
    //   ]
    // }
    // 

    // Use this online tool to generate parsing code from sample JSON: 
    // Generate Parsing Code from JSON
    // In this case, the online tool can help you get a feel for how to write the JSON parsing code..

    int numThreads = json->SizeOfArray("threads");
    strOut.append("The total number of top-level threads is ");
    strOut.appendInt(numThreads);
    strOut.append("\r\n");

    // Let's say we wanted to get the messages in the thread 3, 6, 4, 23.
    // We always follow the 1st branch to the bottom, ignoring the other branches.
    // For example, if we had  [3, 5, [4, 23, [55, 56, 57], [68, 69]], [44, 7, 96]]
    // then the thread would be 3, 5, 4, 43, 55, 56, 57

    // For testing, let's substitute the response from the IMAP server with this sample:
    json->Load("{\"threads\": [[2], [3, 5, [4, 23, [55, 56, 57], [68, 69]], [44, 7, 96]]]}");

    // Begin with the 2nd top-level thread, which is at index 1.
    strOut.append("Following the 2nd top level thread...");
    strOut.append("\r\n");
    CkJsonArray *arr = json->ArrayOf("threads[1]");
    int threadSize = arr->get_Size();
    int i = 0;
    while (i < threadSize) {
        // Do we have an array or integer at this position?
        if (arr->TypeAt(i) == 4) {
            // This is a sub-array.
            CkJsonArray *subArr = arr->ArrayAt(i);
            delete arr;
            // Follow the sub-array starting at the 1st position..
            arr = *subArr;
            i = 0;
            threadSize = arr->get_Size();
        }
        else {
            // Must be a single integer.
            strOut.appendInt(arr->IntAt(i));
            strOut.append("\r\n");
            i = i + 1;
        }

    }

    delete json;

    // The output is:
    // 
    // Following the 2nd top level thread...
    // 3
    // 5
    // 4
    // 23
    // 55
    // 56
    // 57


    SetDlgItemText(IDC_EDIT1,strOut.getUnicode());

    }