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Diffstat (limited to 'Doc/lib/librfc822.tex')
| -rw-r--r-- | Doc/lib/librfc822.tex | 51 |
1 files changed, 26 insertions, 25 deletions
diff --git a/Doc/lib/librfc822.tex b/Doc/lib/librfc822.tex index fc6a58d..e9317d2 100644 --- a/Doc/lib/librfc822.tex +++ b/Doc/lib/librfc822.tex @@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ \modulesynopsis{Parse \rfc{822} style mail headers.} -%\index{RFC!RFC 822} - This module defines a class, \class{Message}, which represents a collection of ``email headers'' as defined by the Internet standard \rfc{822}. It is used in various contexts, usually to read such @@ -17,38 +15,41 @@ style mailbox files: \module{mailbox}\refstmodindex{mailbox}. \begin{classdesc}{Message}{file\optional{, seekable}} A \class{Message} instance is instantiated with an input object as parameter. Message relies only on the input object having a -\code{readline} method; in particular, ordinary file objects qualify. -Instantiation reads headers from the input object up to a delimiter -line (normally a blank line) and stores them in the instance. - -This class can work with any input object that supports a readline -method. If the input object has seek and tell capability, the -\code{rewindbody} method will work; also, illegal lines will be pushed back -onto the input stream. If the input object lacks seek but has an -\code{unread} method that can push back a line of input, Message will use -that to push back illegal lines. Thus this class can be used to parse -messages coming from a buffered stream. - -The optional \code{seekable} argument is provided as a workaround for -certain stdio libraries in which tell() discards buffered data before -discovering that the \code{lseek()} system call doesn't work. For -maximum portability, you should set the seekable argument to zero to -prevent that initial \code{tell} when passing in an unseekable object -such as a a file object created from a socket object. +\method{readline()} method; in particular, ordinary file objects +qualify. Instantiation reads headers from the input object up to a +delimiter line (normally a blank line) and stores them in the +instance. + +This class can work with any input object that supports a +\method{readline()} method. If the input object has seek and tell +capability, the \method{rewindbody()} method will work; also, illegal +lines will be pushed back onto the input stream. If the input object +lacks seek but has an \method{unread()} method that can push back a +line of input, \class{Message} will use that to push back illegal +lines. Thus this class can be used to parse messages coming from a +buffered stream. + +The optional \var{seekable} argument is provided as a workaround for +certain stdio libraries in which \cfunction{tell()} discards buffered +data before discovering that the \cfunction{lseek()} system call +doesn't work. For maximum portability, you should set the seekable +argument to zero to prevent that initial \method{tell()} when passing +in an unseekable object such as a a file object created from a socket +object. Input lines as read from the file may either be terminated by CR-LF or by a single linefeed; a terminating CR-LF is replaced by a single linefeed before the line is stored. All header matching is done independent of upper or lower case; -e.g. \code{\var{m}['From']}, \code{\var{m}['from']} and +e.g.\ \code{\var{m}['From']}, \code{\var{m}['from']} and \code{\var{m}['FROM']} all yield the same result. \end{classdesc} \begin{classdesc}{AddressList}{field} You may instantiate the AddresssList helper class using a single -string parameter, a comma-separated list of RFC822 addresses to be -parsed. (The parameter None yields an empty list.) +string parameter, a comma-separated list of \rfc{822} addresses to be +parsed. (The parameter \code{None} yields an empty list.) \end{classdesc} \begin{funcdesc}{parsedate}{date} @@ -144,7 +145,7 @@ be returned when there is no header matching \var{name}. \end{methoddesc} \begin{methoddesc}{get}{name\optional{, default}} -An alias for \code{getheader()}, to make the interface more compatible +An alias for \method{getheader()}, to make the interface more compatible with regular dictionaries. \end{methoddesc} @@ -166,7 +167,7 @@ exact same result. \begin{methoddesc}{getaddrlist}{name} This is similar to \code{getaddr(\var{list})}, but parses a header -containing a list of email addresses (e.g. a \code{To} header) and +containing a list of email addresses (e.g.\ a \code{To} header) and returns a list of \code{(\var{full name}, \var{email address})} pairs (even if there was only one address in the header). If there is no header matching \var{name}, return an empty list. |