(SQL Server) Reading Unread POP3 Email

The POP3 protocol does not provide the ability to ask the server which emails are "unread". Furthermore, a pure POP3 server does not even keep this information. Some servers, such as Exchange Server, expose both POP3 and IMAP interfaces. In these cases, information about read/unread status exists on the server, but it is only available via the IMAP protocol. Email clients such as Outlook and Thunderbird keep read/unread information on the client computer. This example demonstrates how UIDLs can be saved to track and read "unread" email.

Chilkat ActiveX Downloads ActiveX for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows

-- Important: See this note about string length limitations for strings returned by sp_OAMethod calls.
--
CREATE PROCEDURE ChilkatSample
AS
BEGIN
    DECLARE @hr int
    DECLARE @iTmp0 int
    -- Important: Do not use nvarchar(max).  See the warning about using nvarchar(max).
    DECLARE @sTmp0 nvarchar(4000)
    -- This example requires the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
    -- See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

    -- The mailman object is used for receiving (POP3) 
    -- and sending (SMTP) email.
    DECLARE @mailman int
    -- Use "Chilkat_9_5_0.MailMan" for versions of Chilkat < 10.0.0
    EXEC @hr = sp_OACreate 'Chilkat.MailMan', @mailman OUT
    IF @hr <> 0
    BEGIN
        PRINT 'Failed to create ActiveX component'
        RETURN
    END

    -- Set the POP3 server's hostname
    EXEC sp_OASetProperty @mailman, 'MailHost', 'pop.someMailServer.com'

    -- Set the POP3 login/password.
    EXEC sp_OASetProperty @mailman, 'PopUsername', '***'
    EXEC sp_OASetProperty @mailman, 'PopPassword', '***'

    -- You may keep a list of already-seen UIDLs in a text file:
    -- If this is the first time you're running this example,
    -- create an empty text file named "seenUidls.txt"
    DECLARE @saSeenUidls int
    -- Use "Chilkat_9_5_0.StringArray" for versions of Chilkat < 10.0.0
    EXEC @hr = sp_OACreate 'Chilkat.StringArray', @saSeenUidls OUT

    DECLARE @success int
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @saSeenUidls, 'LoadFromFile', @success OUT, 'seenUidls.txt'
    IF @success <> 1
      BEGIN

        PRINT 'failed to load seenUidls.txt'
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @mailman
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @saSeenUidls
        RETURN
      END

    -- Get the complete list of UIDLs on the mail server.
    DECLARE @saUidls int
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @mailman, 'GetUidls', @saUidls OUT
    EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @mailman, 'LastMethodSuccess', @iTmp0 OUT
    IF @iTmp0 = 0
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @mailman, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @mailman
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @saSeenUidls
        RETURN
      END

    -- Create a new string array object (it's an object, not an actual array)
    -- and add the UIDLs from saUidls that aren't already seen.
    DECLARE @saUnseenUidls int
    -- Use "Chilkat_9_5_0.StringArray" for versions of Chilkat < 10.0.0
    EXEC @hr = sp_OACreate 'Chilkat.StringArray', @saUnseenUidls OUT

    DECLARE @i int
    SELECT @i = 0
    DECLARE @n int
    EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @saUidls, 'Count', @n OUT
    WHILE @i < @n
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAMethod @saUidls, 'GetString', @sTmp0 OUT, @i
        EXEC sp_OAMethod @saSeenUidls, 'Contains', @iTmp0 OUT, @sTmp0
        IF @iTmp0 <> 1
          BEGIN
            EXEC sp_OAMethod @saUidls, 'GetString', @sTmp0 OUT, @i
            EXEC sp_OAMethod @saUnseenUidls, 'Append', @success OUT, @sTmp0
          END
        SELECT @i = @i + 1
      END

    EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @saUnseenUidls, 'Count', @iTmp0 OUT
    IF @iTmp0 = 0
      BEGIN

        PRINT 'No unseen emails!'
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @saUidls

        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @mailman
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @saSeenUidls
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @saUnseenUidls
        RETURN
      END

    -- Download in full the unseen emails:
    DECLARE @bundle int
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @mailman, 'FetchMultiple', @bundle OUT, @saUnseenUidls
    EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @mailman, 'LastMethodSuccess', @iTmp0 OUT
    IF @iTmp0 = 0
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @mailman, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @saUidls

        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @mailman
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @saSeenUidls
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @saUnseenUidls
        RETURN
      END

    DECLARE @email int

    SELECT @i = 0
    EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @bundle, 'MessageCount', @iTmp0 OUT
    WHILE @i < @iTmp0
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAMethod @bundle, 'GetEmail', @email OUT, @i
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @email, 'From', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @email, 'Subject', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0

        PRINT '----'
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @email

        SELECT @i = @i + 1
      END

    -- Save saUidls to "seenUidls.txt"
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @saUidls, 'SaveToFile', @success OUT, 'seenUidls.txt'

    EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @saUidls


    EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @mailman
    EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @saSeenUidls
    EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @saUnseenUidls


END
GO