mailer.texi 4.4 KB
@c This is part of the GNU Mailutils manual.
@c Copyright (C) 1999,2000,2001,2002,2003,2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See file mailutils.texi for copying conditions.
@comment *******************************************************************

@smallexample
@code{/* Prefix @emph{mailer_} is reserved */}
@code{#include <mailutils/mailer.h>}

@end smallexample

The API is still changing.

@deftypefun int mailer_create (mailer_t *, const char *)
@end deftypefun

@deftypefun void mailer_destroy (mailer_t *)
@end deftypefun

@deftypefun int mailer_open (mailer_t, int flags)
@end deftypefun

@deftypefun int mailer_close (mailer_t)
@end deftypefun

@deftypefun int mailer_send_message (mailer_t @var{mailer}, message_t @var{msg}, address_t @var{from}, address_t @var{to});

If from is not @var{NULL}, it must contain a single fully qualified
RFC2822 email address which will be used as the envelope from
address. This is the address to which delivery status notifications
are sent, so it never matters what it is set to until it REALLY matters.
This is equivalent to sendmail's @var{-f} flag.

The default for @var{from} is provided by the specific mailer.

If to is not @var{NULL}, then the message will be sent to the list of
addresses that it specifies.

The default for @var{to} is to use the contents of the standard "To:", "Cc:",
and "Bcc:" fields, this is equivalent to sendmail's @var{-t} flag.

Note: the previous implementation of mailer_send_message() was equivalent
to having both @var{from} and @var{to} be @var{NULL}.
@end deftypefun

@deftypefun int mailer_get_property (mailer_t, property_t *)
@end deftypefun

@deftypefun int mailer_get_stream (mailer_t, stream_t *)
@end deftypefun

@deftypefun int mailer_set_stream (mailer_t, stream_t)
@end deftypefun

@deftypefun int mailer_get_debug (mailer_t, debug_t *)
@end deftypefun

@deftypefun int mailer_set_debug (mailer_t, debug_t)
@end deftypefun

@deftypefun int mailer_get_observable (mailer_t, observable_t *)
@end deftypefun

@deftypefun int mailer_get_url (mailer_t, url_t *)
@end deftypefun

@sp 1
@subheading Some Usage Notes

Some possible use cases the API must support are:

- original submission

 1 - fill in header addresses

 2 - mailer_send_message(mailer, msg, NULL, NULL);

   - - from will be filled in if missing,

   - bcc's will be deleted before delivery to a non-bcc address,

   - message-id and date will be added, if missing,

   - a to: or apparently-to: will be added if non is present (for RFC
     compliance)

- MTA-style .forward ( and sieve-style redirect )

 1 - get the envelope from of the message to be forwarded

 2 - mailer_send_message(mailer, msg, from, to)

- MUA-style bounce

 1 - add Resent-[to,from,....]

 2 - mailer_send_message(mailer, msg, NULL, to)

- DSN "bounce"

 1 - compose DSN

 2 - mailer_deliver(mailer, msg, address_t( "<>" ), to)

   Don't want mail loops, so the null but valid SMTP address of <> is
   the envelope from.

@subheading The Sendmail Mailer

@file{/sbin/sendmail} isn't always sendmail... sometimes its a
sendmail-compatible wrapper, so assume @file{/sbin/sendmail} understands
only a recipient list, @option{-f} and @option{-oi}, these seem
to be pretty basic. Cross fingers.

Pipe to "/sbin/sendmail -oi [-f from] [to...]", supplying @option{-f}
if there was a from, and supplying the recipient list from the to
(if there is no recipient list, assume it will read the message
contents for the recipients).

Note: since the stdout and stderr of sendmail is closed, we have no
way of ever giving feedback on failure. Also, what should the return
code be from mailer_send_message() when sendmail returns 1? 1 maps to EPERM,
which is less than descriptive!

@subheading The SMTP Mailer

This mailer does NOT canonicalize the message. This must be done before
sending the message, or it may be assumed that the MTA will do so.

It does blind out the Bcc: header before sending, though.

Note: mutt always puts the recipient addresses on the command line, even
bcc ones, do we strip the bcc before forwarding with SMTP?

@subheading Non-RFC822 Addresses

An address that has no domain is not and RFC822 email address. What
do I do with them? Should the user of the API be responsible for
determining what is mean by email to "john" means? Or should the
be able to configure sendmail to decide globally what this means.
If so, we can pass the address to sendmail, but we have to decide
for SMTP! So, right now these addresses are rejected.
This could be changed.