Mail::Message::Field::Flex(3pm)

NAME
Mail::Message::Field::Flex - one line of a message header

INHERITANCE
 Mail::Message::Field::Flex
   is a Mail::Message::Field
   is a Mail::Reporter

SYNOPSIS

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 ("new") and initializer ("init") are split. However, you pay the price in performance. Mail::Message::Field::Fast is faster (as the name predicts).

Extends "DESCRIPTION" in Mail::Message::Field.

OVERLOADED
Extends "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Message::Field.

overload: "" stringification
    Inherited, see "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Message::Field

overload: 0+ numification
    Inherited, see "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Message::Field

overload: <=> numeric comparison
    Inherited, see "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Message::Field

overload: bool boolean
    Inherited, see "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Message::Field

overload: cmp string comparison
    Inherited, see "OVERLOADED" in Mail::Message::Field

METHODS
Extends "METHODS" in Mail::Message::Field.

  Constructors
Extends "Constructors" in Mail::Message::Field.

$obj->clone()
    Inherited, see "Constructors" in Mail::Message::Field

$class->new($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 Mail::Message::Field::Fast. Amongst it, you can specify options with the creation. Possible arguments:

    •   new $line

        Pass a $line as it could be found in a file: a (possibly folded) line which is terminated by a new-line.

    •   new $name, ($body|$object|\@objects), [@attributes], [\%options|\@options]

        A set of values which shape the line.

    To be able to distinguish the different parameters, you will have to specify the @options as ARRAY of option PAIRS, or HASH of %options. The @attributes are a flat LIST of key-value PAIRS. The $body is specified as one string, one $object, or an ARRAY of @objects. See Mail::Message::Field. Improves base, see "Constructors" in Mail::Message::Field

     -Option    --Default
      attributes  +[ ]
      comment     undef

    attributes => \@attributes|\%attributes
        An ARRAY with contains of key-value pairs representing @attributes, or reference to a HASH containing these pairs. This is an alternative notation for specifying @attributes directly as method arguments.

    comment => $text
        A pre-formatted list of attributes.

  Attributes
Extends "Attributes" in Mail::Message::Field.

  The field
Extends "The field" in Mail::Message::Field.

$any->isStructured( [$name] )
    Inherited, see "The field" in Mail::Message::Field

$obj->length()
    Inherited, see "The field" in Mail::Message::Field

$obj->nrLines()
    Inherited, see "The field" in Mail::Message::Field

$obj->print( [$fh] )
    Inherited, see "The field" in Mail::Message::Field

$obj->size()
    Inherited, see "The field" in Mail::Message::Field

$obj->string( [$wrap] )
    Inherited, see "The field" in Mail::Message::Field

$obj->toDisclose()
    Inherited, see "The field" in Mail::Message::Field

  Access to the name
Extends "Access to the name" in Mail::Message::Field.

$obj->Name()
    Inherited, see "Access to the name" in Mail::Message::Field

$obj->name()
    Inherited, see "Access to the name" in Mail::Message::Field

$obj->wellformedName( [STRING] )
    Inherited, see "Access to the name" in Mail::Message::Field

  Access to the body
Extends "Access to the body" in Mail::Message::Field.

$obj->body()
    Inherited, see "Access to the body" in Mail::Message::Field

$obj->folded()
    Inherited, see "Access to the body" in Mail::Message::Field

$obj->foldedBody( [$body] )
    Inherited, see "Access to the body" in Mail::Message::Field

$any->stripCFWS( [STRING] )
    Inherited, see "Access to the body" in Mail::Message::Field

$obj->unfoldedBody( [$body, [$wrap]] )
    Inherited, see "Access to the body" in Mail::Message::Field

  Access to the content
Extends "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field.

$obj->addresses()
    Inherited, see "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field

$obj->attribute( $name, [$value] )
    Inherited, see "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field

$obj->attributes()
    Inherited, see "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field

$obj->comment( [STRING] )
    Inherited, see "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field

$obj->study()
    Inherited, see "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field

$any->toDate( [$time] )
    Inherited, see "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field

$obj->toInt()
    Inherited, see "Access to the content" in Mail::Message::Field

  Other methods
Extends "Other methods" in Mail::Message::Field.

$any->dateToTimestamp(STRING)
    Inherited, see "Other methods" in Mail::Message::Field

  Internals
Extends "Internals" in Mail::Message::Field.

$obj->consume( $line | <$name,<$body|$objects>> )
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message::Field

$obj->defaultWrapLength( [$length] )
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message::Field

$any->fold( $name, $body, [$maxchars] )
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message::Field

$obj->setWrapLength( [$length] )
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message::Field

$obj->stringifyData(STRING|ARRAY|$objects)
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message::Field

$obj->unfold(STRING)
    Inherited, see "Internals" in Mail::Message::Field

  Error handling
Extends "Error handling" in Mail::Message::Field.

$obj->AUTOLOAD()
    Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

$obj->notImplemented()
    Inherited, see "Error handling" in Mail::Reporter

  Cleanup
Extends "Cleanup" in Mail::Message::Field.

$obj->DESTROY()
    Inherited, see "Cleanup" in Mail::Reporter

DETAILS
Extends "DETAILS" in Mail::Message::Field.

DIAGNOSTICS

Error: class $package does not implement method $method.
    Fatal error: the specific $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 notImplemented()

Warning: field content is not numerical: $content
    The numeric value of a field is requested (for instance the "Lines" or "Content-Length" fields should be numerical), however the data contains weird characters. Cast by toInt()

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 fold()

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 consume()

SEE ALSO
This module is part of Mail-Message version 4.03, built on January 26, 2026. Website: http://perl.overmeer.net/CPAN/

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.