The TCP/IP Guide  9  TCP/IP Application Layer Protocols, Services and Applications (OSI Layers 5, 6 and 7)       9  TCP/IP Key Applications and Application Protocols            9  TCP/IP File and Message Transfer Applications and Protocols (FTP, TFTP, Electronic Mail, USENET, HTTP/WWW, Gopher)                 9  TCP/IP Electronic Mail System: Concepts and Protocols (RFC 822, MIME, SMTP, POP3, IMAP)                      9  TCP/IP Electronic Mail Access and Retrieval Protocols and Methods                           9  TCP/IP Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP/IMAP4)

IMAP Authenticated State: Mailbox Manipulation/Selection Process and Commands 1 2 3 Other TCP/IP Electronic Mail Access and Retrieval Methods

Once the IMAP client has been authorized to access the server, it enters the Authenticated state, where it is allowed to execute tasks on whole mailboxes. Since IMAP allows multiple mailboxes to be manipulated, message-specific commands cannot be used until the client tells the server what mailbox in wants to work with. Only one mailbox can be accessed at a time in a given session.

After the SELECT or EXAMINE command is successfully issued, the session enters the Selected state. In this state, the full “palette” of message and mailbox commands is available to the client. This includes the message-specific commands below as well as the mailbox commands defined for the Authenticated state. Most of IMAP's message-specific commands do not include a mailbox name as a parameters, since the server knows automatically that the commands apply to whatever mailbox was selected in the Authenticated state.

The session remains in the Selected state for as long as the client continues to have work to do with the particular selected (or “examined”) mailbox. Three different actions can cause a transition out of the Selected state:

• If the client has nothing more to do when it is done with the current mailbox, it can use the LOGOUT command to end the session.
  
  
• The client can use the CLOSE command to tell the server it is done with the current mailbox but keep the session active. The server will close the mailbox and the session will go back to the Authenticated state.
  
  
• The client can issue a new SELECT or EXAMINE command. This will implicitly close the current mailbox and then open the new one. The transition in this case is from the Selected state back to the Selected state, but with a new current mailbox.

IMAP Authenticated State: Mailbox Manipulation/Selection Process and Commands 1 2 3 Other TCP/IP Electronic Mail Access and Retrieval Methods