imap_search

Description

array imap_search ( resource imap_stream, string criteria [, int options [, string charset]] )

This function performs a search on the mailbox currently opened in the given imap stream. criteria is a string, delimited by spaces, in which the following keywords are allowed. Any multi-word arguments (e.g. FROM "joey smith") must be quoted.

ALL - return all messages matching the rest of the criteria
ANSWERED - match messages with the \\ANSWERED flag set
BCC "string" - match messages with "string" in the Bcc: field
BEFORE "date" - match messages with Date: before "date"
BODY "string" - match messages with "string" in the body of the message
CC "string" - match messages with "string" in the Cc: field
DELETED - match deleted messages
FLAGGED - match messages with the \\FLAGGED (sometimes referred to as Important or Urgent) flag set
FROM "string" - match messages with "string" in the From: field
KEYWORD "string" - match messages with "string" as a keyword
NEW - match new messages
OLD - match old messages
ON "date" - match messages with Date: matching "date"
RECENT - match messages with the \\RECENT flag set
SEEN - match messages that have been read (the \\SEEN flag is set)
SINCE "date" - match messages with Date: after "date"
SUBJECT "string" - match messages with "string" in the Subject:
TEXT "string" - match messages with text "string"
TO "string" - match messages with "string" in the To:
UNANSWERED - match messages that have not been answered
UNDELETED - match messages that are not deleted
UNFLAGGED - match messages that are not flagged
UNKEYWORD "string" - match messages that do not have the keyword "string"
UNSEEN - match messages which have not been read yet

For example, to match all unanswered messages sent by Mom, you'd use: "UNANSWERED FROM mom". Searches appear to be case insensitive. This list of criteria is from a reading of the UW c-client source code and may be incomplete or inaccurate (see also RFC2060, section 6.4.4).

Valid values for flags are SE_UID, which causes the returned array to contain UIDs instead of messages sequence numbers.

Parameter charset was added in PHP 4.3.3.

add a note User Contributed Notes

lots2learn at gmail dot com
05-Mar-2005 03:22


if no mails match the criteria , imap_search returns an empty array..but the count is still 1...so check for false return status  and not for zero count .

David Koopman
16-Oct-2004 06:35


imap_search fails when I am trying to include an escaped double quote in my search string.  For example:



...

$search = 'David \"the bull\" Koopman';

$search = "BODY \"$search\"";

$result = imap_search($conn, $search, SE_UID);



Results in FALSE, the imap search command is never executed.  I turned on tcpdump and watched the traffic from my server, the SEARCH command is never run.  Remove the double quotes and the command is executed.  I have tried double escaping, still doesn't work.  I am going to report this as a bug.



Raw telnet command works fine:

00000005 UID SEARCH BODY "David \"the bull\" Koopman"

* SEARCH 1773

00000005 OK SEARCH done.

oliver at samera dot com dot py
26-Oct-2002 11:16


imap_search() only supports IMAP2 search criterias, because the function mail_criteria() (from c-client lib) is used in ext/imap/php_imap.c for parsing the search string.

IMAP2 search criteria is defined in RFC 1176, section "tag SEARCH search_criteria".

oliver at samera dot com dot py
27-Jan-2002 01:03


imap_search() return false if it does not understand the search condition or no messages have been found.



$emails imap_seach($mbox, "UNDELETED SENTSINCE 01-Jan-2002");

if($emails === false)

  echo "The search failed";

kkkd at 371 dot net
15-Oct-2001 09:19


imap_search($mbox,$wide." "."\"$key\"");


but don't work when $wide=="BODY";


use $wide="BODY" then display all mail

hxlvt at hotmail dot com
11-Oct-2001 03:29


I was wondering if imap_seach() can handle multiple search strings, and tried this to match both subject and to field: 


$bounce = imap_search($new, 'TO "'.$listName.'" SUBJECT "'.$subject.'"', SE_UID);


 


Seems it works.

eric at ohmforce dot com
15-Mar-2001 08:32


[Editor: restoring note removed by mistake]





Answering to the guys up, 


                         I guess it's due to the '. The variables between simple quotes are


                         not parsed. 





                         This is why you use the escape characters. 





                         Bonjour chez vous :) 





                         c*

ommadawn at club-internet dot fr
27-Jul-2000 05:37


It works... Try this (Php 4) 


$TresGentil = Imap_Search($MailBox,'BODY "Bonjour"', SE_UID);





$LastWeekMsg = Imap_Search($MailBox,'SINCE "Fri, 21 Jul 2000"', SE_UID); etc...

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