1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
|
=encoding utf8
=head1 NAME
Mail::Message::Field::Flex - one line of a message header
=head1 INHERITANCE
Mail::Message::Field::Flex
is a Mail::Message::Field
is a Mail::Reporter
=head1 SYNOPSIS
=head1 DESCRIPTION
This is the flexible implementation of a field: it can easily be
extended because it stores its data in a hash and the constructor
(C<new>) and initializer (C<init>) are split. However, you pay the
price in performance. L<Mail::Message::Field::Fast|Mail::Message::Field::Fast> is faster (as the
name predicts).
Extends L<"DESCRIPTION" in Mail::Message::Field|Mail::Message::Field/"DESCRIPTION">.
=head1 OVERLOADED
Extends L<"OVERLOADED" in Mail::Message::Field|Mail::Message::Field/"OVERLOADED">.
=over 4
=item overload: B<""> stringification
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"OVERLOADED">
=item overload: B<0+> numification
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"OVERLOADED">
=item overload: B<<=>> numeric comparison
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"OVERLOADED">
=item overload: B<bool> boolean
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"OVERLOADED">
=item overload: B<cmp> string comparison
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"OVERLOADED">
=back
=head1 METHODS
Extends L<"METHODS" in Mail::Message::Field|Mail::Message::Field/"METHODS">.
=head2 Constructors
Extends L<"Constructors" in Mail::Message::Field|Mail::Message::Field/"Constructors">.
=over 4
=item $obj-E<gt>B<clone>()
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Constructors">
=item $class-E<gt>B<new>($line | ($name, ($body|$object|\@objects), [@attributes], [\%options|\@options]))
If you stick to this flexible class of header fields, you have a bit
more facilities than with L<Mail::Message::Field::Fast|Mail::Message::Field::Fast>. Amongst it, you
can specify options with the creation. Possible arguments:
=over 4
=item * B<new> C<$line>
Pass a C<$line> as it could be found in a file: a (possibly folded) line
which is terminated by a new-line.
=item * B<new> C<$name>, (C<$body>|C<$object>|\C<@objects>), [C<@attributes>], [\C<%options>|\C<@options>]
A set of values which shape the line.
=back
To be able to distinguish the different parameters, you will have
to specify the C<@options> as ARRAY of option PAIRS, or HASH of C<%options>.
The C<@attributes> are a flat LIST of key-value PAIRS. The C<$body> is
specified as one string, one C<$object>, or an ARRAY of C<@objects>.
See L<Mail::Message::Field|Mail::Message::Field>.
Improves base, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Constructors">
-Option --Default
attributes +[ ]
comment undef
=over 2
=item attributes => \@attributes|\%attributes
An ARRAY with contains of key-value pairs representing C<@attributes>,
or reference to a HASH containing these pairs. This is an alternative
notation for specifying C<@attributes> directly as method arguments.
=item comment => $text
A pre-formatted list of attributes.
=back
=back
=head2 Attributes
Extends L<"Attributes" in Mail::Message::Field|Mail::Message::Field/"Attributes">.
=head2 The field
Extends L<"The field" in Mail::Message::Field|Mail::Message::Field/"The field">.
=over 4
=item $any-E<gt>B<isStructured>( [$name] )
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"The field">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<length>()
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"The field">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<nrLines>()
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"The field">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<print>( [$fh] )
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"The field">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<size>()
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"The field">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<string>( [$wrap] )
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"The field">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<toDisclose>()
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"The field">
=back
=head2 Access to the name
Extends L<"Access to the name" in Mail::Message::Field|Mail::Message::Field/"Access to the name">.
=over 4
=item $obj-E<gt>B<Name>()
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Access to the name">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<name>()
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Access to the name">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<wellformedName>( [STRING] )
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Access to the name">
=back
=head2 Access to the body
Extends L<"Access to the body" in Mail::Message::Field|Mail::Message::Field/"Access to the body">.
=over 4
=item $obj-E<gt>B<body>()
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Access to the body">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<folded>()
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Access to the body">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<foldedBody>( [$body] )
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Access to the body">
=item $any-E<gt>B<stripCFWS>( [STRING] )
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Access to the body">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<unfoldedBody>( [$body, [$wrap]] )
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Access to the body">
=back
=head2 Access to the content
Extends L<"Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field|Mail::Message::Field/"Access to the content">.
=over 4
=item $obj-E<gt>B<addresses>()
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Access to the content">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<attribute>( $name, [$value] )
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Access to the content">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<attributes>()
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Access to the content">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<comment>( [STRING] )
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Access to the content">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<study>()
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Access to the content">
=item $any-E<gt>B<toDate>( [$time] )
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Access to the content">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<toInt>()
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Access to the content">
=back
=head2 Other methods
Extends L<"Other methods" in Mail::Message::Field|Mail::Message::Field/"Other methods">.
=over 4
=item $any-E<gt>B<dateToTimestamp>(STRING)
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Other methods">
=back
=head2 Internals
Extends L<"Internals" in Mail::Message::Field|Mail::Message::Field/"Internals">.
=over 4
=item $obj-E<gt>B<consume>( $line | <$name,<$body|$objects>> )
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Internals">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<defaultWrapLength>( [$length] )
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Internals">
=item $any-E<gt>B<fold>( $name, $body, [$maxchars] )
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Internals">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<setWrapLength>( [$length] )
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Internals">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<stringifyData>(STRING|ARRAY|$objects)
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Internals">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<unfold>(STRING)
Inherited, see L<Mail::Message::Field/"Internals">
=back
=head2 Error handling
Extends L<"Error handling" in Mail::Message::Field|Mail::Message::Field/"Error handling">.
=over 4
=item $obj-E<gt>B<AUTOLOAD>()
Inherited, see L<Mail::Reporter/"Error handling">
=item $obj-E<gt>B<notImplemented>()
Inherited, see L<Mail::Reporter/"Error handling">
=back
=head2 Cleanup
Extends L<"Cleanup" in Mail::Message::Field|Mail::Message::Field/"Cleanup">.
=over 4
=item $obj-E<gt>B<DESTROY>()
Inherited, see L<Mail::Reporter/"Cleanup">
=back
=head1 DETAILS
Extends L<"DETAILS" in Mail::Message::Field|Mail::Message::Field/"DETAILS">.
=head1 DIAGNOSTICS
=over 4
=item Error: class $package does not implement method $method.
Fatal error: the specific C<$package> (or one of its superclasses) does not
implement this method where it should. This message means that some other
related classes do implement this method however the class at hand does
not. Probably you should investigate this and probably inform the author
of the package.
Cast by C<notImplemented()>
=item Warning: field content is not numerical: $content
The numeric value of a field is requested (for instance the C<Lines> or
C<Content-Length> fields should be numerical), however the data contains
weird characters.
Cast by C<toInt()>
=item Error: field name too long (max $count), in '$name'.
It is not specified in the RFCs how long a field name can be, but
at least it should be a few characters shorter than the line wrap.
Cast by C<fold()>
=item Warning: illegal character in field name $name.
A new field is being created which does contain characters not permitted
by the RFCs. Using this field in messages may break other e-mail clients
or transfer agents, and therefore mutulate or extinguish your message.
Cast by C<consume()>
=back
=head1 SEE ALSO
This module is part of Mail-Message version 4.02,
built on January 22, 2026. Website: F<http://perl.overmeer.net/CPAN/>
=head1 LICENSE
For contributors see file ChangeLog.
This software is copyright (c) 2001-2026 by Mark Overmeer.
This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.
|
