3.2 introduces SSL contexts, which allow bundling SSL configuration options, certificates and private keys into a single (potentially long-lived) structure.
http://docs.python.org/dev/py3k/library/ssl.html#ssl.SSLContext

The IMAP4_SSL constructor should allow passing an SSL context object instead of a key/cert pair.

Is anyone working on this?

> Is anyone working on this?

I don't think so, you could try if you are interested.

I am attaching a patch for the default branch that adds a ssl_context parameter to IMAP4_SSL. Also added a couple of tests to test_imaplib to test the existing ctor with certfile and file and also the new one that accepts an SSLContext.

Currently if the ssl_context param is provided then the keyfile and certfile are ignored, I wasn't sure if the ssl_context should be loaded with the certfile if that is provided along with the ssl_context.

If this looks ok, I can add something similar for smtplib as well.

Thanks for the patch. Comments:
- the keyfile / certfile pair and the context parameter should be mutually exclusive (see e.g. the POP3_SSL constructor in Lib/poplib.py)
- I don't think the remote test server used in test_imaplib supports client certificates, it probably just ignores them; that said, it's better than nothing
- you have a misindented line in test_logincapa
- since we're using a remote, third-party test server, it may be better not to do any spurious connects (in the current patch, a first connection is established in the setUp() and then ignored since another one is established in the test body)
- you need to update the documentation in Doc/library/imaplib.rst

Thanks Antoine. I've attached an updated patch. 

>> 
- the keyfile / certfile pair and the context parameter should be mutually exclusive (see e.g. the POP3_SSL constructor in Lib/poplib.py)
[Sijin] - Yes, Thanks, I don't know why I didn't check POP3 impl before.

- I don't think the remote test server used in test_imaplib supports client certificates, it probably just ignores them; that said, it's better than nothing
[Sijin] - Agreed, I don't think the server supports client certificates, but at least we are able to test that the connect still works. Maybe we should open a new task to have a remote server that supports client certificate connections? We could use that in test cases for other SSL related modules.

- you have a misindented line in test_logincapa
[Sijin] - Fixed.

- since we're using a remote, third-party test server, it may be better not to do any spurious connects (in the current patch, a first connection is established in the setUp() and then ignored since another one is established in the test body)
[Sijin] - Fixed.

- you need to update the documentation in Doc/library/imaplib.rst
[Sijin] - Done. Also added some corresponding info in the poplib and docs for poplib.

New changeset aba7d1f2d2a9 by Antoine Pitrou in branch 'default':
Issue #8808: The IMAP4_SSL constructor now allows passing an SSLContext
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/aba7d1f2d2a9

Thank you! I've tweaked the patch slightly (mostly cosmetics (*)) and committed it to 3.3. I've left out the poplib doc changes, they could be committed separately.

(*) 80-line character limit, calling logout() on the test server