PHP ActiveX

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. PHP ActiveX

<?php

$success = 0;

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

$imap = new COM("Chilkat.Imap");

// Connect to your IMAP server and authenticate..
$imap->Ssl = 1;
$imap->Port = 993;
$success = $imap->Connect('imap.mail.us-west-2.awsapps.com');
if ($success == 0) {
    print $imap->LastErrorText . "\n";
    exit;
}

$success = $imap->Login('myLogin','myPassword');
if ($success == 0) {
    print $imap->LastErrorText . "\n";
    exit;
}

// Select a mailbox
$success = $imap->SelectMailbox('Inbox');
if ($success == 0) {
    print $imap->LastErrorText . "\n";
    exit;
}

// Search for all message having the letter 'a' somewhere in the Subject,
// and return the messages as JSON.
$json = new COM("Chilkat.JsonObject");
$success = $imap->QueryThread('REFERENCES','SUBJECT a',1,$json);
if ($success == 0) {
    print $imap->LastErrorText . "\n";
    exit;
}

// 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..

$numThreads = $json->SizeOfArray('threads');
print 'The total number of top-level threads is ' . $numThreads . "\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.
print 'Following the 2nd top level thread...' . "\n";
// arr is a Chilkat.JsonArray
$arr = $json->ArrayOf('threads[1]');
$threadSize = $arr->Size;
$i = 0;
while ($i < $threadSize) {
    // Do we have an array or integer at this position?
    if ($arr->TypeAt($i) == 4) {
        // This is a sub-array.
        // subArr is a Chilkat.JsonArray
        $subArr = $arr->ArrayAt($i);

        // Follow the sub-array starting at the 1st position..
        // arr is a Chilkat.JsonArray
        $arr = $subArr;
        $i = 0;
        $threadSize = $arr->Size;
    }
    else {
        // Must be a single integer.
        print $arr->IntAt($i) . "\n";
        $i = $i + 1;
    }

}

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

?>