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javax.mail

Interface UIDFolder

Known Implementing Classes:
IMAPFolder
public interface UIDFolder
The UIDFolder interface is implemented by Folders that can support the "disconnected" mode of operation, by providing unique-ids for messages in the folder. This interface is based on the IMAP model for supporting disconnected operation.

A Unique identifier(UID) is a positive long value, assigned to each message in a specific folder. Unique identifiers are assigned in a strictly ascending fashion in the mailbox. That is, as each message is added to the mailbox it is assigned a higher UID than the message(s) which were added previously. Unique identifiers persist across sessions. This permits a client to resynchronize its state from a previous session with the server.

Associated with every mailbox is a unique identifier validity value. If unique identifiers from an earlier session fail to persist to this session, the unique identifier validity value must be greater than the one used in the earlier session.

Refer to RFC 2060 http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2060.txt for more information.

Nested Class Summary

static class
UIDFolder.FetchProfileItem
A fetch profile item for fetching UIDs.

Field Summary

static long
LASTUID
This is a special value that can be used as the end parameter in getMessages(start, end), to denote the last UID in this folder.

Method Summary

Message
getMessageByUID(long uid)
Get the Message corresponding to the given UID.
Message[]
getMessagesByUID(long start, long end)
Get the Messages specified by the given range.
Message[]
getMessagesByUID(long[] uids)
Get the Messages specified by the given array of UIDs.
long
getUID(Message message)
Get the UID for the specified message.
long
getUIDValidity()
Returns the UIDValidity value associated with this folder.

Field Details

LASTUID

public static final long LASTUID
This is a special value that can be used as the end parameter in getMessages(start, end), to denote the last UID in this folder.

Field Value:
-1L

Method Details

getMessageByUID

public Message getMessageByUID(long uid)
            throws MessagingException
Get the Message corresponding to the given UID. If no such message exists, null is returned.

Parameters:
uid - UID for the desired message

getMessagesByUID

public Message[] getMessagesByUID(long start,
                                  long end)
            throws MessagingException
Get the Messages specified by the given range. The special value LASTUID can be used for the end parameter to indicate the last available UID.

Parameters:
start - start UID
end - end UID

getMessagesByUID

public Message[] getMessagesByUID(long[] uids)
            throws MessagingException
Get the Messages specified by the given array of UIDs. If any UID is invalid, null is returned for that entry.

Note that the returned array will be of the same size as the specified array of UIDs, and null entries may be present in the array to indicate invalid UIDs.

Parameters:
uids - array of UIDs

getUID

public long getUID(Message message)
            throws MessagingException
Get the UID for the specified message. Note that the message must belong to this folder. Else NoSuchElementException is thrown.

Parameters:
message - Message from this folder

Returns:
UID for this message

getUIDValidity

public long getUIDValidity()
            throws MessagingException
Returns the UIDValidity value associated with this folder.

Clients typically compare this value against a UIDValidity value saved from a previous session to insure that any cached UIDs not stale.

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