(SQL Server) 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

-- Important: See this note about string length limitations for strings returned by sp_OAMethod calls.
--
CREATE PROCEDURE ChilkatSample
AS
BEGIN
    DECLARE @hr int
    DECLARE @iTmp0 int
    -- Important: Do not use nvarchar(max).  See the warning about using nvarchar(max).
    DECLARE @sTmp0 nvarchar(4000)
    -- This example requires the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
    -- See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

    DECLARE @imap int
    -- Use "Chilkat_9_5_0.Imap" for versions of Chilkat < 10.0.0
    EXEC @hr = sp_OACreate 'Chilkat.Imap', @imap OUT
    IF @hr <> 0
    BEGIN
        PRINT 'Failed to create ActiveX component'
        RETURN
    END

    -- Connect to your IMAP server and authenticate..
    EXEC sp_OASetProperty @imap, 'Ssl', 1
    EXEC sp_OASetProperty @imap, 'Port', 993
    DECLARE @success int
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @imap, 'Connect', @success OUT, 'imap.mail.us-west-2.awsapps.com'
    IF @success <> 1
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @imap, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @imap
        RETURN
      END

    EXEC sp_OAMethod @imap, 'Login', @success OUT, 'myLogin', 'myPassword'
    IF @success <> 1
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @imap, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @imap
        RETURN
      END

    -- Select a mailbox
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @imap, 'SelectMailbox', @success OUT, 'Inbox'
    IF @success <> 1
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @imap, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @imap
        RETURN
      END

    -- Search for all message having the letter 'a' somewhere in the Subject,
    -- and return the messages as JSON.
    DECLARE @json int
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @imap, 'ThreadCmd', @json OUT, 'REFERENCES', 'UTF-8', 'SUBJECT a', 1
    EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @imap, 'LastMethodSuccess', @iTmp0 OUT
    IF @iTmp0 = 0
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @imap, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @imap
        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..

    DECLARE @numThreads int
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @json, 'SizeOfArray', @numThreads OUT, 'threads'

    PRINT '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:
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @json, 'Load', @success OUT, '{"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...'
    DECLARE @arr int
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @json, 'ArrayOf', @arr OUT, 'threads[1]'
    DECLARE @threadSize int
    EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @arr, 'Size', @threadSize OUT
    DECLARE @i int
    SELECT @i = 0
    WHILE @i < @threadSize
      BEGIN
        -- Do we have an array or integer at this position?
        EXEC sp_OAMethod @arr, 'TypeAt', @iTmp0 OUT, @i
        IF @iTmp0 = 4
          BEGIN
            -- This is a sub-array.
            DECLARE @subArr int
            EXEC sp_OAMethod @arr, 'ArrayAt', @subArr OUT, @i
            EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @arr

            -- Follow the sub-array starting at the 1st position..
            SELECT @arr = @subArr
            SELECT @i = 0
            EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @arr, 'Size', @threadSize OUT
          END
        ELSE
          BEGIN
            -- Must be a single integer.
            EXEC sp_OAMethod @arr, 'IntAt', @iTmp0 OUT, @i
            PRINT @iTmp0
            SELECT @i = @i + 1
          END
      END

    EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @json

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

    EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @imap


END
GO