Command

Parameters

Description

CHECK

None

Sets a “checkpoint” for the current mailbox. This is used to mark when a certain sequence of operations has been completed.

CLOSE

None

Explicitly closes the current mailbox and returns the session to the Authenticated state. When this command is issued, the server will also implicitly perform an EXPUNGE operation on the mailbox.

EXPUNGE

None

Permanently removes any messages that were flagged for deletion by the client. This is done automatically when a mailbox is closed.

SEARCH

Search criteria and an optional character set specification

Searches the current mailbox for messages matching the specified search criteria. The server response lists the message numbers meeting the criteria. See below.

FETCH

Sequence of message numbers and a list of message data items (or a macro)

Retrieves information about a message or set of messages from the current mailbox. See below for more details.

STORE

Sequence of message numbers, message data item name and value

Stores a value for a particular message data item for a set of messages. See below for more details.

COPY

Sequence of message numbers and a mailbox name

Copies the set of messages specified to the end of the specified mailbox.

UID

Command name and arguments

Used to allow one of the other commands above to be performed using unique identifier numbers for specifying the messages to be operated on, rather than the usual message sequence numbers.