(Ruby) IMAP Delete Old Email (before a specified date)

Demonstrates how to delete email older than a particular date.

Note: This example requires Chilkat v11.0.0 or greater.

Chilkat Ruby Downloads install from rubygems.org gem install chilkat or download... Ruby Library for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Alpine Linux

require 'chilkat'

success = false

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

imap = Chilkat::CkImap.new()

# Connect to an IMAP server.
# Use TLS
imap.put_Ssl(true)
imap.put_Port(993)
# Use your IMAP server domain.  This example 
success = imap.Connect("imap.example.com")
if (success == false)
    print imap.lastErrorText() + "\n";
    exit
end

# Login
success = imap.Login("myLogin","myPassword")
if (success == false)
    print imap.lastErrorText() + "\n";
    exit
end

# Select an IMAP mailbox
success = imap.SelectMailbox("Inbox")
if (success == false)
    print imap.lastErrorText() + "\n";
    exit
end

# Get message ID's for emails older than 1/1/2025
fetchUids = true
messageSet = Chilkat::CkMessageSet.new()
success = imap.QueryMbx("SENTBEFORE 01-Jan-2025",fetchUids,messageSet)
if (success == false)
    print imap.lastErrorText() + "\n";
    exit
end

# If desired, we can examine the Subject of each email to be deleted..
email = Chilkat::CkEmail.new()
i = 0
count = messageSet.get_Count()
headerOnly = true

while i < count
    success = imap.FetchEmail(headerOnly,messageSet.GetId(i),true,email)
    if (success == false)
        print imap.lastErrorText() + "\n";
        exit
    end

    print email.localDateStr() + "\n";
    print email.subject() + "\n";

    i = i + 1
end

# Set the Deleted flag for each message:
success = imap.SetFlags(messageSet,"Deleted",1)
if (success == false)
    print imap.lastErrorText() + "\n";
    exit
end

# Expunge and close the mailbox.
success = imap.ExpungeAndClose()
if (success == false)
    print imap.lastErrorText() + "\n";
    exit
end

# Disconnect from the IMAP server.
success = imap.Disconnect()