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[Imap-protocol] FETCH BODY[n.HEADER] on non-message parts

E-mail headers
From: Dan Karp <dkarp@zimbra.com>
To: imap-protocol@u.washington.edu
Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2018 12:34:41 -0000
Message-ID: 348317927.557021206721114013.JavaMail.root@dogfood.zimbra.com permalink / raw / eml / mbox 
Is there a generally-accepted server response when a client requests FETCH
BODY[n.HEADER] on a non-message subpart?
Reply
E-mail headers
From: MRC@Washington.EDU
To: imap-protocol@localhost
Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2018 12:34:41 -0000
Message-ID: alpine.WNT.1.10.0803280956540.764@Shimo-Tomobiki.Panda.COM permalink / raw / eml / mbox 
On Fri, 28 Mar 2008, Dan Karp wrote:
> Is there a generally-accepted server response when a client requests FETCH
> BODY[n.HEADER] on a non-message subpart?

Yes.

The result for any BODY[...] that does not actually exist is a zero-length 
string.  Normally, this is a client error (since the client can determine 
what parts exist from BODYSTRUCTURE).  However, at times it is convenient 
for the client to do a mindless access, typically for BODY[1], so the 
result is a zero-length string rather than a BAD.

-- Mark --

http://staff.washington.edu/mrc
Science does not emerge from voting, party politics, or public debate.
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
Reply
E-mail headers
From: dkarp@zimbra.com
To: imap-protocol@localhost
Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2018 12:34:41 -0000
Message-ID: 2121388044.564471206724380652.JavaMail.root@dogfood.zimbra.com permalink / raw / eml / mbox 
> The result for any BODY[...] that does not actually exist is a
> zero-length string.  Normally, this is a client error (since the
> client can determine what parts exist from BODYSTRUCTURE).
> However, at times it is convenient for the client to do a mindless
> access, typically for BODY[1], so the result is a zero-length string
> rather than a BAD.

A zero-length string rather than a NIL?  If so, under what conditions
will FETCH BODY[...] ever return NIL?

  msg-att-static  = ... / "BODY" section ["<" number ">"] SP nstring / ...
Reply
E-mail headers
From: MRC@Washington.EDU
To: imap-protocol@localhost
Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2018 12:34:41 -0000
Message-ID: alpine.WNT.1.10.0803281057410.4064@Shimo-Tomobiki.Panda.COM permalink / raw / eml / mbox 
On Fri, 28 Mar 2008, Dan Karp wrote:
> A zero-length string rather than a NIL?  If so, under what conditions
> will FETCH BODY[...] ever return NIL?
>  msg-att-static  = ... / "BODY" section ["<" number ">"] SP nstring / ...

IMHO, never.  nstring is a syntax rule, thus NIL is defined but is 
never actually sent in this case.

RFC 2180 section 4.1.3 disagrees with me.  I disagreed with RFC 2180 
section 4.1.3 then, disagree with it now, and note that multiple clients 
crash if they have the misfortune of encountering a server that follows 
RFC 2180 section 4.1.3.

-- Mark --

http://staff.washington.edu/mrc
Science does not emerge from voting, party politics, or public debate.
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
Reply