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6.3.9 LIST Command

Arguments (basic):

  • reference name
  • mailbox name with possible wildcards

Arguments (extended):

  • selection options (OPTIONAL)
  • reference name
  • mailbox patterns
  • return options (OPTIONAL)

Responses: untagged responses: LIST

Result:

  • OK - list completed
  • NO - list failure: can't list that reference or mailbox name
  • BAD - command unknown or arguments invalid

The LIST command returns a subset of mailbox names from the complete set of all mailbox names available to the client. Zero or more untagged LIST responses are returned, containing the name attributes, hierarchy delimiter, name, and possible extension information; see the description of the LIST response (Section 7.3.1) for more detail.

The LIST command SHOULD return its data quickly, without undue delay. The extended LIST command, originally introduced in [RFC5258], provides capabilities beyond that of the original IMAP LIST command.

Selection Options tell the server to limit the mailbox names that are selected by the LIST operation.

Return Options control what information is returned for each matched mailbox.

For detailed specifications on syntax, wildcards, selection options, and return options, please refer to the complete RFC text.

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