JavaScript Requires Chilkat v11.0.0+

IMAP Search with THREAD Semantics

See more IMAP Examples

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. JavaScript

var success = false;

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

var imap = new CkImap();

//  Connect to your IMAP server and authenticate..
imap.Ssl = true;
imap.Port = 993;
success = imap.Connect("imap.mail.us-west-2.awsapps.com");
if (success == false) {
    console.log(imap.LastErrorText);
    return;
}

success = imap.Login("myLogin","myPassword");
if (success == false) {
    console.log(imap.LastErrorText);
    return;
}

//  Select a mailbox
success = imap.SelectMailbox("Inbox");
if (success == false) {
    console.log(imap.LastErrorText);
    return;
}

//  Search for all message having the letter 'a' somewhere in the Subject,
//  and return the messages as JSON.
var json = new CkJsonObject();
success = imap.QueryThread("REFERENCES","SUBJECT a",true,json);
if (success == false) {
    console.log(imap.LastErrorText);
    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..

var numThreads = json.SizeOfArray("threads");
console.log("The total number of top-level threads is " + numThreads);

//  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.
console.log("Following the 2nd top level thread...");
// arr: CkJsonArray
var arr = json.ArrayOf("threads[1]");
var threadSize = arr.Size;
var 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.
        // subArr: CkJsonArray
        var subArr = arr.ArrayAt(i);

        //  Follow the sub-array starting at the 1st position..
        arr = subArr;
        i = 0;
        threadSize = arr.Size;
    }
    else {
        //  Must be a single integer.
        console.log(arr.IntAt(i));
        i = i+1;
    }

}

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