11.6.1 POP3 Objects

All POP3 commands are represented by methods of the same name, in lower-case; most return the response text sent by the server.

An POP3 instance has the following methods:

getwelcome ()

Returns the greeting string sent by the POP3 server.

user (username)

Send user commad, response should indicate that a password is required.

pass_ (password)

Send password, response includes message count and mailbox size. Note: the mailbox on the server is locked until quit() is called.

apop (user, secret)

Use the more secure APOP authentication to log into the POP3 server.

rpop (user)

Use RPOP authentication (similar to UNIX r-commands) to log into POP3 server.

stat ()

Get mailbox status. The result is a tuple of 2 integers: (message count, mailbox size).

list ([which])

Request message list, result is in the form ['response', ['mesg_num octets', ...]]. If which is set, it is the message to list.

retr (which)

Retrieve whole message number which. Result is in form ['response', ['line', ...], octets].

dele (which)

Delete message number which.

rset ()

Remove any deletion marks for the mailbox.

noop ()

Do nothing. Might be used as a keep-alive.

quit ()

Signoff: commit changes, unlock mailbox, drop connection.

top (which, howmuch)

Retrieves the message header plus howmuch lines of the message after the header of message number which. Result is in form ['response', ['line', ...], octets].

uidl ([which])

Return message digest (unique id) list. If which is specified, result contains unique id for that message, otherwise result is list ['response', ['mesgnum uid', ...], octets].