Creating, sending or receiving emails in 4D is done by handling an Email object.
Email objects are created when receiving mails through a transporter class function:
- IMAP -
.getMail()and.getMails()functions to get emails from an IMAP server - POP3 -
.getMail()function to get an email from a POP3 server.
You can also create a new, blank
You send Email objects using the SMTP .send() function.
MAIL Convert from MIME and MAIL Convert to MIME commands can be used to convert Email objects to and from MIME contents.
Email Object
Email objects provide the following properties:
4D follows the JMAP specification to format the Email object.
| .attachments : Collection collection of 4D.MailAttachment object(s) |
| .bcc : Text .bcc : Object .bcc : Collection Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) hidden email recipient addresse(s) of the email |
| .bodyStructure : Object EmailBodyPart object, i.e. the full MIME structure of the message body (optional) |
| .bodyValues : Object EmailBodyValue object, containing an object for each <partID> of bodyStructure (optional) |
| .cc : Text .cc : Object .cc : Collection Carbon Copy (CC) additional email recipient addresse(s) of the email |
| .comments : Text additional comments header |
| .from : Text .from : Object .from : Collection Originating address(es) of the email |
| .headers : Collection collection of EmailHeader objects, in the order they appear in the message |
| .htmlBody : Text HTML representation of the email message (default charset is UTF-8) (optional, SMTP only) |
| .id : Text unique ID from the IMAP server |
| .inReplyTo : Text message identifier(s) of the original message(s) to which the current message is a reply |
| .keywords : Object set of keywords as an object, where each property name is a keyword and each value is true |
| .messageId : Text message identifier header ("message-id") |
| .receivedAt : Text timestamp of the email's arrival on the IMAP server in ISO 8601 UTC format (ex: 2020-09-13T16:11:53Z) |
| .references : Collection Collection of all message-ids of messages in the preceding reply chain |
| .replyTo : Text .replyTo : Object .replyTo : Collection addresse(s) for responses |
| .sendAt : Text Email timestamp in ISO 8601 UTC format |
| .sender : Text .sender : Object .sender : Collection email source addresse(s) of the email |
| .size : Integer size (expressed in bytes) of the Email object returned by the IMAP server |
| .subject : Text description of topic |
| .textBody : Text Plain text representation of the email message (default charset is UTF-8) (optional, SMTP only) |
| .to : Text .to : Object .to : Collection primary recipient addresse(s) of the email |
Email Addresses
All properties that contain email addresses (from, cc, bcc, to, sender, replyTo) accept a value of text, object, or collection type.
Text
- single email: "somebody@domain.com"
- single display name+email: "Somebody somebody@domain.com"
- several emails: "Somebody somebody@domain.com,me@home.org"
Object
An object with two properties:
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| name | Text | Display name (can be null) |
| Text | Email address |
Collection
A collection of address objects.
Handling body part
The textBody and htmlBody properties are only used with the SMTP.send() function to allow sending simple mails. When both property are filled, the MIME content-type multipart/alternative is used. The email client should then recognize the multipart/alternative part and display the text part or html part as necessary.
bodyStructure and bodyValues are used for SMTP when the Email object is built from a MIME document, e.g. when generated by the MAIL Convert from MIME command. In this case, both bodyStructure and bodyValues properties must be passed together, and it is not recommended to use textBody and htmlBody.
Example of bodyStructure and bodyValues objects
"bodyStructure": {
"type": "multipart/mixed",
"subParts": [
{
"partId": "p0001",
"type": "text/plain"
},
{
"partId": "p0002",
"type": "text/html"
}
]
},
"bodyValues": {
"p0001": {
"value": "I have the most brilliant plan. Let me tell you all about it."
},
"p0002": {
"value": "<!DOCTYPE html><html><head><title></title><style type=\"text/css\">div{font-size:16px}</style></head><body><div>I have the most brilliant plan. Let me tell you all about it.</div></body></html>"
}
}
.attachments
.attachments : Collection
Description
The .attachments property contains a collection of 4D.MailAttachment object(s).
Attachment objects are defined through the MAIL New attachment command. Attachment objects have specific properties and functions.
.bcc
.bcc : Text
.bcc : Object
.bcc : Collection
Description
The .bcc property contains the Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) hidden email recipient addresse(s) of the email.
.bodyStructure
.bodyStructure : Object
Description
The .bodyStructure property contains the EmailBodyPart object, i.e. the full MIME structure of the message body (optional). See Handling body part section.
The .bodyStructure object contains the following properties:
| Property | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|
| partID | Text | Identifies the part uniquely within the email |
| type | Text | (mandatory) Value of the Content-Type header field of the part |
| charset | Text | Value of the charset parameter of the Content-Type header field |
| encoding | Text | If isEncodingProblem=true, the Content-Transfer-Encoding value is added (by default undefined) |
| disposition | Text | Value of the Content-Disposition header field of the part |
| language | Collection of texts | List of language tags, as defined in RFC3282, in the Content-Language header field of the part, if present. |
| location | Text | URI, as defined in RFC2557, in the Content-Location header field of the part, if present. |
| subParts | Collection of objects | Body parts of each child (collection of EmailBodyPart objects) |
| headers | Collection of objects | List of all header fields in the part, in the order they appear in the message (collection of EmailHeader objects, see headers property) |
.bodyValues
.bodyValues : Object
Description
The .bodyValues property contains the EmailBodyValue object, containing an object for each <partID> of bodyStructure (optional). See Handling body part section.
The .bodyValues object contains the following properties:
| Property | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|
| partID.value | text | Value of the body part |
| partID.isEncodingProblem | boolean | True if malformed sections are found while decoding the charset, or unknown charset, or unknown content transfer-encoding. False by default |
.cc
.cc : Text
.cc : Object
.cc : Collection
Description
The .cc property contains the Carbon Copy (CC) additional email recipient addresse(s) of the email.
.comments
.comments : Text
Description
The .comments property contains an additional comments header.
Comments only appear within the header section of the message (keeping the message's body untouched).
For specific formatting requirements, please consult the RFC#5322.
.from
.from : Text
.from : Object
.from : Collection
Description
The .from property contains the Originating address(es) of the email.
Each email you send out has both the sender and from addresses:
- the sender domain is what the receiving email server gets when opening the session,
- the from address is what the recipient(s) will see.
For better deliverability, it is recommended to use the same from and sender addresses.
.headers
.headers : Collection
Description
The .headers property contains a collection of EmailHeader objects, in the order they appear in the message. This property allows users to add extended (registered) headers or user-defined (not registered, starting with "X") headers.
If an
EmailHeaderobject property defines a header such as "from" or "cc" which is already set as a property at the mail level, theEmailHeaderproperty is ignored.
Every object of the headers collection can contain the following properties:
| Property | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|
| [].name | text | (mandatory) Header field name as defined in RFC#5322. If null or undefined, the header field is not added to the MIME header. |
| [].value | text | Header field values as defined in RFC#5322 |
.htmlBody
.htmlBody : Text
Description
The .htmlBody property contains the HTML representation of the email message (default charset is UTF-8) (optional, SMTP only). See Handling body part section.
.id
.id : Text
Description
IMAP transporter only.
The .id property contains the unique ID from the IMAP server.
.inReplyTo
.inReplyTo : Text
Description
The .inReplyTo property contains the message identifier(s) of the original message(s) to which the current message is a reply.
For specific formatting requirements, please consult the RFC#5322.
.keywords
.keywords : Object
Description
The .keywords property contains a set of keywords as an object, where each property name is a keyword and each value is true.
This property is the "keywords" header (see RFC#4021).
| Property | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|
| .<keyword> | boolean | Keyword to set (value must be true) |
Reserved keywords:
- $draft - Indicates a message is a draft
- $seen - Indicates a message has been read
- $flagged - Indicates a message needs special attention (e.g., Urgent)
- $answered - Indicates a message has been replied to
- $deleted - Indicates a message to delete
Example
$mail.keywords["$flagged"]:=True
$mail.keywords["4d"]:=True
.messageId
.messageId : Text
Description
The .messageId property contains a message identifier header ("message-id").
This header is usually "lettersOrNumbers@domainname", e.g. "abcdef.123456@4d.com". This unique ID is used in particular on forums or public mailing lists. In general, mail servers automatically add this header to the messages they send.
.receivedAt
.receivedAt : Text
Description
IMAP transporter only.
The .receivedAt property contains the timestamp of the email's arrival on the IMAP server in ISO 8601 UTC format (ex: 2020-09-13T16:11:53Z).
.references
.references : Collection
Description
The .references property contains the Collection of all message-ids of messages in the preceding reply chain.
For specific formatting requirements, please consult the RFC#5322.
.replyTo
.replyTo : Text
.replyTo : Object
.replyTo : Collection
Description
The .replyTo property contains the addresse(s) for responses.
.sendAt
.sendAt : Text
Description
The .sendAt property contains the Email timestamp in ISO 8601 UTC format.
.sender
.sender : Text
.sender : Object
.sender : Collection
Description
The .sender property contains the email source addresse(s) of the email.
Each email you send out has both the sender and from addresses:
- the sender domain is what the receiving email server gets when opening the session,
- the from address is what the recipient(s) will see.
For better deliverability, it is recommended to use the same from and sender addresses.
.size
.size : Integer
Description
IMAP transporter only.
The .size property contains the size (expressed in bytes) of the Email object returned by the IMAP server.
.subject
.subject : Text
Description
The .subject property contains the description of topic.
.textBody
.textBody : Text
Description
The .textBody property contains the Plain text representation of the email message (default charset is UTF-8) (optional, SMTP only). See Handling body part section.
.to
.to : Text
.to : Object
.to : Collection
Description
The .to property contains the primary recipient addresse(s) of the email.