(Lianja) Download and Save Email Attachments (POP3)

See more POP3 Examples

Downloads emails from a POP3 mailbox and saves all attachments.

Chilkat Lianja Extension Download Chilkat Lianja Extension

// This example assumes 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.
loMailman = createobject("CkMailMan")

// Set the POP3 server's hostname
loMailman.MailHost = "pop.yourserver.com"

// Set the POP3 login/password.
loMailman.PopUsername = "***"
loMailman.PopPassword = "***"

// Copy the all email from the user's POP3 mailbox 
// into a bundle object.  The email remains on the server.
// CopyMail is a reasonable choice for POP3 maildrops that don't have too many
// emails. For larger mail drops, one might download emails one at a time..
loBundle = loMailman.CopyMail()
if (loMailman.LastMethodSuccess <> .T.) then
    ? loMailman.LastErrorText
    release loMailman
    return
endif

// The directory path can be relative or absolute.
// This shows a Windows style directory path.  On other operating systems, the path
// would be different..
lcDirPath = "c:/myAttachments"

lnBundleIndex = 0
lnNumMessages = loBundle.MessageCount

do while (lnBundleIndex < lnNumMessages)
    loEmail = loBundle.GetEmail(lnBundleIndex)

    // Save all attachments to the specified directory.
    // The directory is automatically created if it does not yet exist.
    llSuccess = loEmail.SaveAllAttachments(lcDirPath)
    if (llSuccess <> .T.) then
        ? loEmail.LastErrorText
        release loMailman
        return
    endif

    // The OverwriteExisting property controls whether already-existing files
    // are automatically overwritten.  By default, it is set to .T. so that existing
    // files will be overwritten.

    // Setting OverwriteExisting = .F. will cause the attachment-saving methods to generate
    // unique filenames if a file with the same name already exists.  The actual filename(s)
    // saved will be present by calling GetAttachmentFilename for each attachment *after*
    // saving.
    // For example...
    loEmail.OverwriteExisting = .F.
    llSuccess = loEmail.SaveAllAttachments(lcDirPath)
    if (llSuccess <> .T.) then
        ? loEmail.LastErrorText
        release loMailman
        return
    endif

    lnNumAttachments = loEmail.NumAttachments
    lnAttachIndex = 0
    do while (lnAttachIndex < lnNumAttachments)
        // If the attachment filename was changed to prevent overwriting,
        // GetAttachmentFilename will return the new filename.
        ? loEmail.GetAttachmentFilename(lnAttachIndex)
        lnAttachIndex = lnAttachIndex + 1
    enddo

    // Attachments can also be saved individually.
    lnAttachIndex = 0
    do while (lnAttachIndex < lnNumAttachments)

        ? "Original Filename: " + loEmail.GetAttachmentFilename(lnAttachIndex)
        llSuccess = loEmail.SaveAttachedFile(lnAttachIndex,lcDirPath)
        if (llSuccess <> .T.) then
            ? loEmail.LastErrorText
            release loMailman
            return
        endif

        // If OverwriteExisting = .T., the saved filename will always equal the original filename,
        // unless there are characters present in the filename that are not allowed by Windows,
        // such as * ? < > | etc.  In those cases the illegal characters are either removed or replaced
        // with underscore characters to allow the file to be saved.
        ? "Saved Filename: " + loEmail.GetAttachmentFilename(lnAttachIndex)
        lnAttachIndex = lnAttachIndex + 1
    enddo
    release loEmail

    lnBundleIndex = lnBundleIndex + 1
enddo

release loBundle


release loMailman