This issue tracker has been migrated to GitHub, and is currently read-only.
For more information, see the GitHub FAQs in the Python's Developer Guide.

classification
Title: incorrect example of fetching messages in imaplib documentation
Type: enhancement Stage:
Components: Documentation, email Versions: Python 3.8, Python 3.7, Python 3.6, Python 3.5, Python 2.7
process
Status: open Resolution:
Dependencies: Superseder:
Assigned To: docs@python Nosy List: Max Varnar, barry, docs@python, r.david.murray, rahul-kumi
Priority: normal Keywords:

Created on 2019-01-19 08:40 by Max Varnar, last changed 2022-04-11 14:59 by admin.

Messages (1)
msg334048 - (view) Author: Max Varnar (Max Varnar) Date: 2019-01-19 08:40
An example of fetching messages from the mailbox given in "IMAP4 Example" section is incorrect:

typ, data = M.fetch(num, '(RFC822)')
print('Message %s\n%s\n' % (num, data[0][1]))

"fetch" may return server data that was not requested (see "7.4.2.  FETCH Response" section of RFC 3501). In that case "data[0][1]" won't return what user expects.
This is a bad example, that many people repeat and advise to other developers:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/13210737/get-only-new-emails-imaplib-and-python
https://gist.github.com/robulouski/7441883
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/51098962/check-if-email-inbox-is-empty-imaplib-python3
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/21116498/imaplib-not-getting-all-emails-in-folder
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2230037/how-to-fetch-an-email-body-using-imaplib-in-python

I guess, this peculiarity should be clarified in the documentation. I offer to mark this fetching method is not safe and requests careful fetch result parsing.
History
Date User Action Args
2022-04-11 14:59:10adminsetgithub: 79964
2020-12-22 16:16:47rahul-kumisetnosy: + rahul-kumi
2019-01-19 08:40:17Max Varnarcreate