(DataFlex) 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 ActiveX Downloads ActiveX for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows

Use ChilkatAx-win32.pkg

Procedure Test
    Handle hoImap
    Boolean iSuccess
    Variant vJson
    Handle hoJson
    Integer iNumThreads
    Variant vArr
    Handle hoArr
    Integer iThreadSize
    Integer i
    Variant vSubArr
    Handle hoSubArr
    String sTemp1
    Integer iTemp1
    Boolean bTemp1

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

    Get Create (RefClass(cComChilkatImap)) To hoImap
    If (Not(IsComObjectCreated(hoImap))) Begin
        Send CreateComObject of hoImap
    End

    // Connect to your IMAP server and authenticate..
    Set ComSsl Of hoImap To True
    Set ComPort Of hoImap To 993
    Get ComConnect Of hoImap "imap.mail.us-west-2.awsapps.com" To iSuccess
    If (iSuccess <> True) Begin
        Get ComLastErrorText Of hoImap To sTemp1
        Showln sTemp1
        Procedure_Return
    End

    Get ComLogin Of hoImap "myLogin" "myPassword" To iSuccess
    If (iSuccess <> True) Begin
        Get ComLastErrorText Of hoImap To sTemp1
        Showln sTemp1
        Procedure_Return
    End

    // Select a mailbox
    Get ComSelectMailbox Of hoImap "Inbox" To iSuccess
    If (iSuccess <> True) Begin
        Get ComLastErrorText Of hoImap To sTemp1
        Showln sTemp1
        Procedure_Return
    End

    // Search for all message having the letter 'a' somewhere in the Subject,
    // and return the messages as JSON.
    Get ComThreadCmd Of hoImap "REFERENCES" "UTF-8" "SUBJECT a" True To vJson
    If (IsComObject(vJson)) Begin
        Get Create (RefClass(cComChilkatJsonObject)) To hoJson
        Set pvComObject Of hoJson To vJson
    End
    Get ComLastMethodSuccess Of hoImap To bTemp1
    If (bTemp1 = False) Begin
        Get ComLastErrorText Of hoImap To sTemp1
        Showln sTemp1
        Procedure_Return
    End

    // 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..

    Get ComSizeOfArray Of hoJson "threads" To iNumThreads
    Showln "The total number of top-level threads is " iNumThreads

    // 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:
    Get ComLoad Of hoJson '{"threads": [[2], [3, 5, [4, 23, [55, 56, 57], [68, 69]], [44, 7, 96]]]}' To iSuccess

    // Begin with the 2nd top-level thread, which is at index 1.
    Showln "Following the 2nd top level thread..."
    Get ComArrayOf Of hoJson "threads[1]" To vArr
    If (IsComObject(vArr)) Begin
        Get Create (RefClass(cComChilkatJsonArray)) To hoArr
        Set pvComObject Of hoArr To vArr
    End
    Get ComSize Of hoArr To iThreadSize
    Move 0 To i
    While (i < iThreadSize)
        // Do we have an array or integer at this position?
        Get ComTypeAt Of hoArr i To iTemp1
        If (iTemp1 = 4) Begin
            // This is a sub-array.
            Get ComArrayAt Of hoArr i To vSubArr
            If (IsComObject(vSubArr)) Begin
                Get Create (RefClass(cComChilkatJsonArray)) To hoSubArr
                Set pvComObject Of hoSubArr To vSubArr
            End
            Send Destroy of hoArr
            // Follow the sub-array starting at the 1st position..
            Move hoSubArr To hoArr
            Move 0 To i
            Get ComSize Of hoArr To iThreadSize
        End
        Else Begin
            // Must be a single integer.
            Get ComIntAt Of hoArr i To iTemp1
            Showln iTemp1
            Move (i + 1) To i
        End

    Loop

    Send Destroy of hoJson

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


End_Procedure