Build IMAP-Supported Applications with progressive C# Email API

C# Email API & IMAP: Receive Emails in .NET Applications

Experience a new era of email application development with Aspose.Email for .NET. Our cutting-edge library empowers developers to create powerful applications that seamlessly integrate with the IMAP protocol. Unlock the potential of asynchronous communication, message retrieval, and folder management without blocking the main application thread. The library handles secure server connections, message filtering, and synchronization, allowing developers to automate email retrieval tasks with minimal effort. By utilizing Aspose.Email, you can easily manage mailboxes, work with attachments, and handle complex IMAP commands, all through a robust and reliable .NET API.

Receive Emails via IMAP programmatically

Establish Connection to IMAP Server

Aspose.Email for .NET makes it easy to connect to an IMAP server by providing an intuitive API that handles authentication and connection details. You can authenticate using a username and password, or for more secure scenarios, OAuth-based authentication is also supported.

• The application establishes a connection to the server using the instance of the Aspose.Email ImapClient class.

• SSL/TLS SecurityOptions are available to ensure encrypted communication, which protects user credentials and email data.

ImapClient client = new ImapClient("imap.server.com", "username", "password");
client.SecurityOptions = SecurityOptions.Auto;  // Ensure secure connection

Access Mail Folders

IMAP allows access to multiple mail folders (e.g., Inbox, Sent, Drafts) on the server without downloading the emails. Aspose.Email for .NET provides methods to easily list, select, and navigate through these folders.

• The API allows your C# application to retrieve a list of available folders.

• The Inbox or any other folder can be selected for fetching emails.

• Folder traversal is efficient, allowing structured management of emails.

client.SelectFolder(ImapFolderInfo.Inbox);  // Select the Inbox folder
ImapFolderInfoCollection folders = client.ListFolders();  // List all folders

Retrieve Emails

The receive email API simplifies the process of fetching emails from the server. You can retrieve specific messages or all emails in a folder without downloading them all at once. The API provides filtering options, allowing you to fetch unread emails, emails from a certain date, or those with specific subjects.

• ListMessages() : Retrieves basic metadata like sender, subject, and date for all emails in the selected folder without downloading the full message.
• FetchMessage() : Downloads the full content of the message, including attachments, headers, and body.
• Partial Fetching: The API supports downloading email headers or partial content to reduce data usage when full message details aren’t necessary.

ImapMessageInfoCollection messages = client.ListMessages();
foreach (ImapMessageInfo messageInfo in messages)
{
    MailMessage message = client.FetchMessage(messageInfo.SequenceNumber);
    // Process email content
}

Manage Email Flags and States

IMAP supports the concept of flags to track the state of an email, such as whether it is read, flagged, or deleted. Aspose.Email for .NET automates the management of these flags, enabling you to mark emails as read or unread, or flag them for further action.

• The IsRead flag is used to mark emails as read or unread.

• Other flags, such as IsFlagged or IsDeleted , allow further actions on the server, enabling full email management within the application.

client.ChangeMessageFlags(1, ImapMessageFlags.IsRead);  // Mark message as read

Email Filtering and Searching

IMAP implementation with Aspose.Email supports advanced filtering and searching capabilities. You can search for emails based on criteria like sender, subject, or message date, enabling efficient management of large inboxes.

• The ImapQueryBuilder helps build complex search queries without needing to know the IMAP protocol in depth.

• Messages matching the search criteria are returned in a lightweight format, reducing the need to download unnecessary data.

ImapQueryBuilder builder = new ImapQueryBuilder();
builder.HasFlag(ImapMessageFlags.IsUnread);  // Search for unread emails
ImapMessageInfoCollection unreadMessages = client.ListMessages(builder.GetQuery());

Synchronizing and Managing Email Content

IMAP allows for two-way synchronization, meaning changes made in the client (like marking emails as read or deleting them) are reflected on the server. Aspose.Email for .NET manages this synchronization automatically, ensuring that any actions taken by the application (such as moving an email or flagging it) are updated in real time on the server.

• Email Deletion: Emails can be deleted or moved between folders, and these changes are immediately reflected on the server.
• Expunge: The API can remove deleted emails permanently from the server, keeping the mailbox clean.

client.DeleteMessage(1);  // Delete email by sequence number
client.ExpungeMessages();  // Remove deleted emails from the server

Receive Emails Asynchronously

When integrating Aspose.Email for .NET with IMAP, developers can leverage asynchronous methods to improve the efficiency and responsiveness of their applications. By using asynchronous operations, the application remains non-blocking, allowing for smoother performance, especially when handling large volumes of emails or maintaining constant communication with the IMAP server. Below is a list of key features that can be performed asynchronously using Aspose.Email for .NET:

• Establishing asynchronous connections to the IMAP server.
• Selecting mail folders (e.g., Inbox) asynchronously.
• Retrieving the list of folders asynchronously. -Fetching email metadata and full content asynchronously.
• Managing email flags (e.g., marking as read/unread) asynchronously.
• Performing email searches and applying filters asynchronously.
• Deleting emails and expunging them from the server asynchronously.
• Synchronizing emails with the IMAP server asynchronously.

Below is a sample code demonstrating how to asynchronously connect to an IMAP server, select a folder, and fetch emails:

// Server connection parameters
var host = "imap.example.com";
var username = "your_username";
var token = "your_oauth_token"; // Use the OAuth token provider
var port = 993; // Port for IMAP over SSL
var securityOptions = SecurityOptions.SSLImplicit;

// Creating the IAsyncImapClient
var client = await ImapClient.CreateAsync(host, username, asyncTokenProvider, port, securityOptions);

// Selecting the "Inbox" folder
var folderName = "Inbox";
var readOnly = true;
await client.SelectFolderAsync(folderName, readOnly);

// Getting the list of messages in the folder
var messages = await client.ListMessagesAsync();

Console.WriteLine($"Messages found: {messages.Count}");

// Fetching the full messages
var emls = await client.FetchMessagesAsync(ImapFetchMessages.Create().SetMessages(messages));

// Fetching and displaying each message
foreach (var eml in emls)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Message from: {eml.From}, Subject: {eml.Subject}");
}

// Closing the connection
await client.UnselectFolderAsync(true);

C# Email API Overview

Power your applications with Aspose.Email for .NET. Explore our comprehensive APIs and embark on a journey to build email applications that redefine how users interact with their messages. From handling various email protocols to enabling secure communication, email manipulation, and integration with other productivity elements, this library empowers developers to unlock new dimensions of communication and productivity within their software solutions.

Obtain the API

To leverage the power of the API, you need just a minute to install the library into your project. You can do this by any of the most convenient ways:

• using NuGet Package Manager
• referencing the required assemblies
• or simply by using the following command within the Package Manager Console in Visual Studio:

PM> Install-Package Aspose.Email