> Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 09:42:11 +0000 > From: Chris Green <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: IMAP folders, some further thoughts/questions > Since an IMAP folder can (in some implementations at least) both > contain other folders and messages does this mean that it can't be > directly implemented as a Unix/DOS/whatever file and directory > structure? In Unix/DOS a 'folder' is a directory and it can only > contain files and/or further directories, it can't itself contain > data. An IMAP folder on the other hand can contain both mail messages > *and* more IMAP folders. Well, yeah. That's completely upto the IMAP server itself. If it wants, it can store them in a relational database, or on tape. Sun's "Solstice Internet Mail Server" goes as far as storing each message in a database - so if you sent a message to ten people in your organisation, theoretically, it'll store one copy of the mail, just ten sets of headers. And as long as it exports a view of a nested folder system, the IMAP clients are happy. You can actually get a patched version of imapd that uses a Maildir format to store messages, and Maildir supports folders in folders, so there is a one-to-one mapping. This way, if you really want to, you can export the mail directories with NFS, so you can read mail via NFS/Maildir (slow), or IMAP. Kate -- Microsoft. The best reason in the world to drink beer. http://www.redbrick.dcu.ie/~valen
