Mail::Box::Message::Destructed(3) User Contributed Perl Documentation Mail::Box::Message::Destructed(3)

Mail::Box::Message::Destructed - a destructed message

Mail::Box::Message::Destructed
  is a Mail::Box::Message
  is a Mail::Message
  is a Mail::Reporter

$folder->message(3)->destruct;

When a message folder is read, each message will be parsed into Perl structures. Especially the header structure can consume a huge amount of memory (message bodies can be moved to external temporary files). Destructed messages have forcefully cleaned-up all header and body information, and are therefore much smaller. Some useful information is still in the object.

BE WARNED: once a message is destructed, it cannot be revived. Destructing enforces irreversable deletion from the folder. If you have a folder opened for read-only, the message will stay in that folder, but otherwise it may be deleted.

Extends "DESCRIPTION" in Mail::Box::Message.

Extends "METHODS" in Mail::Box::Message.

Extends "Constructors" in Mail::Box::Message.

$obj->clone(%options)
Inherited, see "Constructors" in Mail::Message
$class->new($msgid, %options)
You cannot instantiate a destructed message object. Destruction is done by calling Mail::Box::Message::destruct(). Improves base, see "Constructors" in Mail::Reporter
-Option    --Defined in        --Default
 body        Mail::Message       undef
 body_type   Mail::Box::Message  <from folder>
 deleted     Mail::Message       false
 field_type  Mail::Message       undef
 folder      Mail::Box::Message  <required>
 head        Mail::Message       undef
 head_type   Mail::Message       Mail::Message::Head::Complete
 labels      Mail::Message       +{}
 messageId   Mail::Message       undef
 message_id  Mail::Message       undef
 modified    Mail::Message       false
 size        Mail::Box::Message  undef
 trusted     Mail::Message       false

Extends "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Message.

$obj->bodyType()
Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Message
$obj->fieldType()
Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Message
$obj->folder( [$folder] )
Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Message
$obj->headType()
Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Message
$obj->messageId()
Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Message
$obj->seqnr( [$integer] )
Inherited, see "Attributes" in Mail::Box::Message

Extends "Constructing a message" in Mail::Box::Message.

$obj->bounce( [<$rg_object|%options>] )
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Bounce
$class->build( [$message|$part|$body], @fields, %options )
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Build
$class->buildFromBody($body, [$head], $headers)
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Build
$obj->forward(%options)
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward
$obj->forwardAttach(%options)
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward
$obj->forwardEncapsulate(%options)
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward
$obj->forwardInline(%options)
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward
$obj->forwardNo(%options)
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward
$obj->forwardPostlude()
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward
$obj->forwardPrelude()
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward
$obj->forwardSubject(STRING)
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Forward
$class->read($fh|$text|\$text|\@lines, %options)
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Read
$obj->rebuild(%options)
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Rebuild
$obj->reply(%options)
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Reply
$obj->replyPrelude( [STRING|$field|$address|\@addrs|\@fields] )
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Reply
$any->replySubject(STRING)
Inherited, see "Constructing a message" in Mail::Message::Construct::Reply

Extends "The message" in Mail::Box::Message.

$obj->container()
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message
$obj->copyTo($folder, %options)
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Box::Message
$obj->endsOnNewline()
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message
$obj->isDummy()
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message
$obj->isPart()
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message
$obj->moveTo($folder, %options)
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Box::Message
$obj->partNumber()
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message
$obj->print( [$fh] )
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message
$obj->send( [$mailer], %options )
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message
$obj->size()
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message
$obj->toplevel()
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message
$obj->write( [$fh] )
Inherited, see "The message" in Mail::Message

Extends "The header" in Mail::Box::Message.

$obj->bcc()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->cc()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->date()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->destinations()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->from()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->get($fieldname)
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->guessTimestamp()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->head( [$head] )
When "undef" is specified for $head, no change has to take place and the method returns silently. In all other cases, this method will complain that the header has been removed. Improves base, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->nrLines()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->sender()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->study($fieldname)
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->subject()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->timestamp()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message
$obj->to()
Inherited, see "The header" in Mail::Message

Extends "The body" in Mail::Box::Message.

$obj->body( [$body] )
When "undef" is specified for $body, no change has to take place and the method returns silently. In all other cases, this method will complain that the body data has been removed. Improves base, see "The body" in Mail::Message
$obj->contentType()
Inherited, see "The body" in Mail::Message
$obj->decoded(%options)
Inherited, see "The body" in Mail::Message
$obj->encode(%options)
Inherited, see "The body" in Mail::Message
$obj->isMultipart()
Inherited, see "The body" in Mail::Message
$obj->isNested()
Inherited, see "The body" in Mail::Message
$obj->parts( [<'ALL'|'ACTIVE'|'DELETED'|'RECURSE'|$filter>] )
Inherited, see "The body" in Mail::Message

Extends "Flags" in Mail::Box::Message.

$obj->delete()
Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message
$obj->deleted( [BOOLEAN] )
Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message
$obj->isDeleted()
Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message
$obj->isModified()
Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message
$obj->label($label|PAIRS)
It is possible to delete a destructed message, but not to undelete it. Improves base, see "Flags" in Mail::Message
$obj->labels()
Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message
$obj->labelsToStatus()
Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message
$obj->modified( [$flag] )
Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message
$obj->statusToLabels()
Inherited, see "Flags" in Mail::Message

Extends "The whole message as text" in Mail::Box::Message.

$obj->file()
Inherited, see "The whole message as text" in Mail::Message::Construct::Text
$obj->lines()
Inherited, see "The whole message as text" in Mail::Message::Construct::Text
$obj->printStructure( [$fh|undef],[$indent] )
Inherited, see "The whole message as text" in Mail::Message::Construct::Text
$obj->string()
Inherited, see "The whole message as text" in Mail::Message::Construct::Text

Extends "Internals" in Mail::Box::Message.

$obj->clonedFrom()
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message
$class->coerce($message)
Coerce a Mail::Box::Message into destruction. Improves base, see "Internals" in Mail::Message

» example: of coercion to death

Mail::Box::Message::Destructed->coerce($folder->message(1));
$folder->message(1)->destruct;  # same
my $msg = $folder->message(1);
Mail::Box::Message::Destructed->coerce($msg);
$msg->destruct;                 # same
$obj->diskDelete()
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box::Message
$obj->isDelayed()
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message
$obj->isTrusted()
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message
$obj->readBody( $parser, $head, [$bodytype] )
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Box::Message
$obj->readFromParser( $parser, [$bodytype] )
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message
$obj->readHead( $parser, [$class] )
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message
$obj->recursiveRebuildPart($part, %options)
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message::Construct::Rebuild
$obj->storeBody($body)
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message
$obj->takeMessageId( [STRING] )
Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message

Extends "Error handling" in Mail::Box::Message.

$obj->AUTOLOAD()
Inherited, see "METHODS" in Mail::Message::Construct
$obj->notImplemented()
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter
$any->shortSize( [$value] )
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Message
$obj->shortString()
Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Message

Extends "Cleanup" in Mail::Box::Message.

$obj->DESTROY()
Inherited, see "Cleanup" in Mail::Reporter
$obj->destruct()
Inherited, see "Cleanup" in Mail::Box::Message

Extends "DETAILS" in Mail::Box::Message.

Unknown alternative for the forward(include). Valid choices are "NO", "INLINE", "ATTACH", and "ENCAPSULATE". Cast by forward()
The message send() mechanism had not enough information to automatically find a mail transfer agent to sent this message. Specify a mailer explicitly using the "via" options. Cast by send()
The message originated from a folder, but its memory has been freed-up forcefully by means of Mail::Box::Message::destruct(). Apparently, your program still tries to get to the header or body data after this destruction, which is not possible. Cast by head()
Unknown alternative for the "include" option of reply(). Valid choices are "NO", "INLINE", and "ATTACH". Cast by reply()
Cast by read()
Fatal error: the specific $package (or one of its superclasses) does not implement this method where it should. This message means that some other related classes do implement this method however the class at hand does not. Probably you should investigate this and probably inform the author of the package. Cast by notImplemented()
Once a message is destructed, it can not be revived. Destruction is an optimization in memory usage: if you need an undelete functionality, then you can not use Mail::Box::Message::destruct(). Cast by label()
Cast by label()
Cast by label()
The message bounce() method forwards a received message off to someone else without modification; you must specified it's new destination. If you have the urge not to specify any destination, you probably are looking for reply(). When you wish to modify the content, use forward(). Cast by bounce()
Cast by forwardAttach()
Cast by forwardEncapsulate()
Cast by forwardNo()
Cast by forwardNo()
Cast by rebuild()
You may wish to construct a message to be stored in a some kind of folder, but you need to do that in two steps. First, create a normal Mail::Message, and then add it to the folder. During this Mail::Box::addMessage() process, the message will get coerce()-d into the right message type, adding storage information and the like. Cast by build()
Cast by parts()
Cast by build()
Only real Mail::Box::Message objects can get destructed into Mail::Box::Message::Destructed objects. Mail::Message free their memory immediately when the last reference is lost. Cast by coerce()
You cannot instantiate a destructed message object directly. Destruction is done by calling Mail::Box::Message::destruct() on any existing folder message. Cast by new()
Cast by body()
Cast by head()
Cast by modified()
Cast by body()
Cast by head()

This module is part of Mail-Box version 4.02, built on April 10, 2026. Website: http://perl.overmeer.net/CPAN/

For contributors see file ChangeLog.

This software is copyright (c) 2001-2026 by Mark Overmeer.

This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.

2026-04-11 perl v5.42.2