ImapIdleSessionWaitForChanges Method

Wait for the server to report changes.

Definition

Namespace: MailKit.Net.Imap
Assembly: MailKit (in MailKit.dll) Version: 5.0.0
C#
public ImapIdleChanges WaitForChanges(
	CancellationToken cancellationToken = default
)

Parameters

cancellationToken  CancellationToken  (Optional)
The cancellation token used to stop waiting. Cancelling it ends the IDLE command gracefully, so the client remains usable.

Return Value

ImapIdleChanges
The changes reported by the server.

Remarks

Waits until the server reports one or more changes, using the IDLE command if the server supports it or by polling with the NOOP command otherwise.

When this method returns, the client is no longer idle, so other commands may be issued.

A folder must be open before calling this method.

Example

C#
                    using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Threading;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System.Collections.Generic;

using MailKit;
using MailKit.Net.Imap;
using MailKit.Security;

namespace ImapIdleSessionExample {
    class Program
    {
        // Connection-related properties
        const SecureSocketOptions SslOptions = SecureSocketOptions.Auto;
        const string Host = "imap.gmail.com";
        const int Port = 993;

        // Authentication-related properties
        const string Username = "username@gmail.com";
        const string Password = "password";

        public static void Main (string[] args)
        {
            using (var client = new IdleClient (Host, Port, SslOptions, Username, Password)) {
                Console.WriteLine ("Hit any key to end the demo.");

                var idleTask = client.RunAsync ();

                Task.Run (() => {
                    Console.ReadKey (true);
                }).Wait ();

                client.Exit ();

                idleTask.GetAwaiter ().GetResult ();
            }
        }
    }

    class IdleClient : IDisposable
    {
        readonly string host, username, password;
        readonly SecureSocketOptions sslOptions;
        readonly int port;
        readonly List<IMessageSummary> messages;
        readonly CancellationTokenSource cancel;
        readonly FetchRequest request;
        readonly ImapClient client;

        public IdleClient (string host, int port, SecureSocketOptions sslOptions, string username, string password)
        {
            this.client = new ImapClient (new ProtocolLogger (Console.OpenStandardError ()));
            this.request = new FetchRequest (MessageSummaryItems.Full | MessageSummaryItems.UniqueId);
            this.messages = new List<IMessageSummary> ();
            this.cancel = new CancellationTokenSource ();
            this.sslOptions = sslOptions;
            this.username = username;
            this.password = password;
            this.host = host;
            this.port = port;
        }

        async Task ReconnectAsync ()
        {
            if (!client.IsConnected)
                await client.ConnectAsync (host, port, sslOptions, cancel.Token);

            if (!client.IsAuthenticated) {
                await client.AuthenticateAsync (username, password, cancel.Token);

                await client.Inbox.OpenAsync (FolderAccess.ReadOnly, cancel.Token);
            }
        }

        async Task FetchMessageSummariesAsync (bool print)
        {
            IList<IMessageSummary> fetched;

            do {
                try {
                    // fetch summary information for messages that we don't already have
                    int startIndex = messages.Count;

                    fetched = await client.Inbox.FetchAsync (startIndex, -1, request, cancel.Token);
                    break;
                } catch (ImapProtocolException) {
                    // protocol exceptions often result in the client getting disconnected
                    await ReconnectAsync ();
                } catch (IOException) {
                    // I/O exceptions always result in the client getting disconnected
                    await ReconnectAsync ();
                }
            } while (true);

            foreach (var message in fetched) {
                if (print)
                    Console.WriteLine ("{0}: new message: {1}", client.Inbox, message.Envelope.Subject);
                messages.Add (message);
            }
        }

        async Task<ImapIdleChanges> WaitForChangesAsync (ImapIdleSession session)
        {
            do {
                try {
                    // Note: The session uses IDLE when the server supports it (refreshing it periodically
                    // so that the server doesn't drop the connection) and falls back to polling with NOOP
                    // when it doesn't.
                    return await session.WaitForChangesAsync (cancel.Token);
                } catch (ImapProtocolException) {
                    // protocol exceptions often result in the client getting disconnected
                    await ReconnectAsync ();
                } catch (IOException) {
                    // I/O exceptions always result in the client getting disconnected
                    await ReconnectAsync ();
                }
            } while (true);
        }

        void ProcessChanges (ImapIdleChanges changes)
        {
            // Note: Events are reported in the order that the server sent them, so applying
            // them in order keeps our 'messages' cache consistent with the folder.
            foreach (var e in changes.Events) {
                switch (e) {
                case CountChangedIdleEvent countChanged:
                    Console.WriteLine ("{0}: message count changed from {1} to {2}.", e.Folder, countChanged.PreviousCount, countChanged.Count);
                    break;
                case MessageExpungedIdleEvent expunged:
                    if (expunged.Index < messages.Count) {
                        var message = messages[expunged.Index];

                        Console.WriteLine ("{0}: message #{1} has been expunged: {2}", e.Folder, expunged.Index, message.Envelope.Subject);

                        // Note: If you are keeping a local cache of message information
                        // (e.g. MessageSummary data) for the folder, then you'll need
                        // to remove the message at expunged.Index.
                        messages.RemoveAt (expunged.Index);
                    } else {
                        Console.WriteLine ("{0}: message #{1} has been expunged.", e.Folder, expunged.Index);
                    }
                    break;
                case MessagesVanishedIdleEvent vanished:
                    // Note: This is only reported by servers when QRESYNC has been enabled.
                    Console.WriteLine ("{0}: {1} messages have vanished.", e.Folder, vanished.UniqueIds.Count);
                    break;
                case MessageChangedIdleEvent changed:
                    if (changed.Message.Flags.HasValue)
                        Console.WriteLine ("{0}: flags have changed for message #{1} ({2}).", e.Folder, changed.Message.Index, changed.Message.Flags.Value);
                    break;
                case FolderStatusChangedIdleEvent statusChanged:
                    Console.WriteLine ("{0}: folder status changed ({1}).", e.Folder, statusChanged.Item);
                    break;
                }
            }
        }

        async Task IdleAsync ()
        {
            // Note: The default options are suitable for most servers (including GMail), but they
            // can be tweaked by passing an ImapIdleOptions to CreateIdleSession().
            var session = client.CreateIdleSession ();

            // Note: If you don't need to handle reconnecting, this loop can be simplified to:
            //
            // await foreach (var changes in session.ReadChangesAsync (cancel.Token)) { ... }
            try {
                do {
                    var changes = await WaitForChangesAsync (session);

                    ProcessChanges (changes);

                    // Note: Unlike when handling the folder events (such as CountChanged) while
                    // idling, it is safe to send new commands here because the IDLE command has
                    // already been ended by the time WaitForChangesAsync() returns.
                    if (changes.MessagesArrived)
                        await FetchMessageSummariesAsync (true);
                } while (true);
            } catch (OperationCanceledException) {
                // Exit() was called. The IDLE command was ended gracefully, so the client is
                // still connected and usable.
            }
        }

        public async Task RunAsync ()
        {
            // connect to the IMAP server and get our initial list of messages
            try {
                await ReconnectAsync ();
                await FetchMessageSummariesAsync (false);
            } catch (OperationCanceledException) {
                await client.DisconnectAsync (true);
                return;
            }

            await IdleAsync ();

            await client.DisconnectAsync (true);
        }

        public void Exit ()
        {
            cancel.Cancel ();
        }

        public void Dispose ()
        {
            client.Dispose ();
            cancel.Dispose ();
        }
    }
}
                  

Exceptions

ObjectDisposedException The ImapClient has been disposed.
ServiceNotConnectedException The ImapClient is not connected.
ServiceNotAuthenticatedException The ImapClient is not authenticated.
InvalidOperationException

A ImapFolder has not been opened.

-or-

The session (or another session for the same client) is already waiting for changes.

OperationCanceledException The operation was canceled via the cancellation token.
IOException An I/O error occurred.
ImapCommandException The server replied to the IDLE or NOOP command with a NO or BAD response.
ImapProtocolException The server responded with an unexpected token.

See Also