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rfc:rfc6154

Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) B. Leiba Request for Comments: 6154 Huawei Technologies Category: Standards Track J. Nicolson ISSN: 2070-1721 Google

                                                            March 2011
           IMAP LIST Extension for Special-Use Mailboxes

Abstract

 Some IMAP message stores include special-use mailboxes, such as those
 used to hold draft messages or sent messages.  Many mail clients
 allow users to specify where draft or sent messages should be put,
 but configuring them requires that the user know which mailboxes the
 server has set aside for these purposes.  This extension adds new
 optional mailbox attributes that a server may include in IMAP LIST
 command responses to identify special-use mailboxes to the client,
 easing configuration.

Status of This Memo

 This is an Internet Standards Track document.
 This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force
 (IETF).  It represents the consensus of the IETF community.  It has
 received public review and has been approved for publication by the
 Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG).  Further information on
 Internet Standards is available in Section 2 of RFC 5741.
 Information about the current status of this document, any errata,
 and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at
 http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6154.

Copyright Notice

 Copyright (c) 2011 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
 document authors.  All rights reserved.
 This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
 Provisions Relating to IETF Documents
 (http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of
 publication of this document.  Please review these documents
 carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect
 to this document.  Code Components extracted from this document must
 include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of
 the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as
 described in the Simplified BSD License.

Leiba & Nicolson Standards Track [Page 1] RFC 6154 IMAP LIST: Special-Use Mailboxes March 2011

Table of Contents

 1.  Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  3
   1.1.  Conventions Used in This Document  . . . . . . . . . . . .  3
 2.  New Mailbox Attributes Identifying Special-Use Mailboxes . . .  3
 3.  Extension to IMAP CREATE Command to Set Special-Use
     Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  5
 4.  IMAP METADATA Entry for Special-Use Attributes . . . . . . . .  6
 5.  Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  7
   5.1.  Example of an IMAP LIST Command  . . . . . . . . . . . . .  7
   5.2.  Example of an Extended IMAP LIST Command . . . . . . . . .  7
   5.3.  Example of an IMAP CREATE Command  . . . . . . . . . . . .  8
   5.4.  Example of Using IMAP METADATA to Manipulate
         Special-Use Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  8
 6.  Formal Syntax  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  9
 7.  Security Considerations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  9
 8.  IANA Considerations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
   8.1.  Registration of USEATTR IMAP Response Code . . . . . . . . 10
   8.2.  Registration of CREATE-SPECIAL-USE IMAP Capability . . . . 10
   8.3.  Registration of SPECIAL-USE IMAP Capability  . . . . . . . 10
   8.4.  Registration of SPECIAL-USE Selection Option . . . . . . . 10
   8.5.  Registration of SPECIAL-USE Return Option  . . . . . . . . 11
   8.6.  Registration of SPECIAL-USE Metadata . . . . . . . . . . . 11
 9.  References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
   9.1.  Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
   9.2.  Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Leiba & Nicolson Standards Track [Page 2] RFC 6154 IMAP LIST: Special-Use Mailboxes March 2011

1. Introduction

 Some IMAP message stores include special-use mailboxes, such as those
 used to hold draft messages or sent messages.  Many mail clients
 allow users to specify where draft or sent messages should be put,
 but configuring them requires that the user know which mailboxes the
 server has set aside for these purposes.  This extension adds new
 optional mailbox attributes that a server may include in IMAP LIST
 command responses to identify special-use mailboxes to the client,
 easing configuration.
 In addition, this extension adds an optional parameter on the IMAP
 CREATE command, allowing a client to assign a special use to a
 mailbox when it is created.  Servers may choose to support this part
 of the extension, but are not required to.

1.1. Conventions Used in This Document

 In examples, "C:" indicates lines sent by a client that is connected
 to a server.  "S:" indicates lines sent by the server to the client.
 The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
 "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
 document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119 [RFC2119].

2. New Mailbox Attributes Identifying Special-Use Mailboxes

 An IMAP server that supports this extension MAY include any or all of
 the following attributes in responses to the non-extended IMAP LIST
 command.  The new attributes are included along with existing
 attributes, such as "\Marked" and "\Noselect".  A given mailbox may
 have none, one, or more than one of these attributes.  In some cases,
 a special use is advice to a client about what to put in that
 mailbox.  In other cases, it's advice to a client about what to
 expect to find there.  There is no capability string related to the
 support of special-use attributes on the non-extended LIST command.
 For the extended list command [RFC5258], this extension adds a new
 capability string, a new selection option, and a new return option,
 all called "SPECIAL-USE".  Supporting implementations MUST include
 the "SPECIAL-USE" capability string in response to an IMAP CAPABILITY
 command.  If the client specifies the "SPECIAL-USE" selection option,
 the LIST command MUST return only those mailboxes that have a
 special-use attribute set.  If the client specifies the "SPECIAL-USE"
 return option, the LIST command MUST return the new special-use
 attributes on those mailboxes that have them set.  The "SPECIAL-USE"

Leiba & Nicolson Standards Track [Page 3] RFC 6154 IMAP LIST: Special-Use Mailboxes March 2011

 return option is implied by the "SPECIAL-USE" selection option.  The
 extended LIST command MAY return SPECIAL-USE attributes even if the
 client does not specify the return option.
 The new attributes defined here are as follows:
 \All
      This mailbox presents all messages in the user's message store.
      Implementations MAY omit some messages, such as, perhaps, those
      in \Trash and \Junk.  When this special use is supported, it is
      almost certain to represent a virtual mailbox.
 \Archive
      This mailbox is used to archive messages.  The meaning of an
      "archival" mailbox is server-dependent; typically, it will be
      used to get messages out of the inbox, or otherwise keep them
      out of the user's way, while still making them accessible.
 \Drafts
      This mailbox is used to hold draft messages -- typically,
      messages that are being composed but have not yet been sent.  In
      some server implementations, this might be a virtual mailbox,
      containing messages from other mailboxes that are marked with
      the "\Draft" message flag.  Alternatively, this might just be
      advice that a client put drafts here.
 \Flagged
      This mailbox presents all messages marked in some way as
      "important".  When this special use is supported, it is likely
      to represent a virtual mailbox collecting messages (from other
      mailboxes) that are marked with the "\Flagged" message flag.
 \Junk
      This mailbox is where messages deemed to be junk mail are held.
      Some server implementations might put messages here
      automatically.  Alternatively, this might just be advice to a
      client-side spam filter.
 \Sent
      This mailbox is used to hold copies of messages that have been
      sent.  Some server implementations might put messages here
      automatically.  Alternatively, this might just be advice that a
      client save sent messages here.
 \Trash
      This mailbox is used to hold messages that have been deleted or
      marked for deletion.  In some server implementations, this might
      be a virtual mailbox, containing messages from other mailboxes

Leiba & Nicolson Standards Track [Page 4] RFC 6154 IMAP LIST: Special-Use Mailboxes March 2011

      that are marked with the "\Deleted" message flag.
      Alternatively, this might just be advice that a client that
      chooses not to use the IMAP "\Deleted" model should use this as
      its trash location.  In server implementations that strictly
      expect the IMAP "\Deleted" model, this special use is likely not
      to be supported.
 All of the above attributes are OPTIONAL, and any given server or
 message store may support any combination of the attributes, or none
 at all.  In most cases, there will likely be at most one mailbox with
 a given attribute for a given user, but in some server or message
 store implementations it might be possible for multiple mailboxes to
 have the same special-use attribute.
 Special-use attributes are likely to be user-specific.  User Adam
 might share his \Sent mailbox with user Barb, but that mailbox is
 unlikely to also serve as Barb's \Sent mailbox.  It's certainly
 possible for Adam and Barb to each set the \Sent use on the same
 mailbox, but that would be done by specific action (see the sections
 below).

3. Extension to IMAP CREATE Command to Set Special-Use Attributes

 As an OPTIONAL feature, a server MAY allow clients to designate a
 mailbox, at creation, as having one or more special uses.  This
 extension defines the "USE" parameter to the IMAP CREATE command for
 that purpose (using the syntax defined in RFC 4466 section 2.2
 [RFC4466]).  The new OPTIONAL "USE" parameter is followed by a
 parenthesized list of zero or more special-use attributes, as defined
 above.
 In some server implementations, some special uses may imply automatic
 action by the server.  For example, creation of a "\Junk" mailbox
 might cause the server to start placing messages that have been
 evaluated as spam into the mailbox.
 In some server implementations, some special uses may result in a
 mailbox with unusual characteristics or side effects.  For example,
 creation of an "\All" mailbox might cause the server to create a
 virtual mailbox, rather than a standard one, and that mailbox might
 behave in unexpected ways (COPY into it might fail, for example).
 Servers MAY allow the creation of a special-use mailbox even if one
 so designated already exists.  This might have the effect of moving
 the special use from the old mailbox to the new one, or might create
 multiple mailboxes with the same special use.  Alternatively, servers
 MAY refuse the creation, considering the designation to be a
 conflict.

Leiba & Nicolson Standards Track [Page 5] RFC 6154 IMAP LIST: Special-Use Mailboxes March 2011

 If the server cannot create a mailbox with the designated special use
 defined, for whatever reason, it MUST NOT create the mailbox, and
 MUST respond to the CREATE command with a tagged NO response.  If the
 reason for the failure is related to the special-use attribute (the
 specified special use is not supported or cannot be assigned to the
 specified mailbox), the server SHOULD include the new "USEATTR"
 response code in the tagged response (see Section 5.3 for an
 example).
 An IMAP server that supports this OPTIONAL feature will advertise the
 "CREATE-SPECIAL-USE" capability string.  Clients MUST NOT use the
 "USE" parameter unless the server advertises the capability.  Note
 that this capability string is different from the "SPECIAL-USE"
 string defined above, and a server that supports both functions MUST
 advertise both capability strings.

4. IMAP METADATA Entry for Special-Use Attributes

 If a server supports this extension and the METADATA extension
 [RFC5464], it SHOULD tie the special-use attributes for a mailbox to
 its metadata entry "/private/specialuse".  The value of /private/
 specialuse is either NIL (if there are no special-use attributes for
 that mailbox) or a space-separated list of special-use attributes,
 presented the same way they would be presented in the LIST command
 response.
 Such a server MAY allow the setting of special-use attributes through
 the METADATA mechanisms, thereby allowing clients to change the
 special uses of existing mailboxes.  These changes might have side
 effects, as the server automatically adjusts the special uses
 accordingly, just as it might do with CREATE USE, above.  See
 Section 5.4 for an example.
 A server that supports this MUST check the validity of changes to the
 special-use attributes that are done through the metadata in the same
 way that it checks validity for the CREATE command and for any
 internal mechanisms for setting special uses on mailboxes.  It MUST
 NOT just blindly accept setting of these metadata by clients, which
 might result in the setting of special uses that the implementation
 does not support, multiple mailboxes with the same special use, or
 other situations that the implementation considers invalid.

Leiba & Nicolson Standards Track [Page 6] RFC 6154 IMAP LIST: Special-Use Mailboxes March 2011

5. Examples

5.1. Example of an IMAP LIST Command

 This example shows an IMAP LIST response from a server that supports
 this extension.  Note that not all of the attributes are used.  This
 server also supports the Child Mailbox extension [RFC3348].
   C: t1 LIST "" "%"
   S: * LIST (\Marked \HasNoChildren) "/" Inbox
   S: * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "/" ToDo
   S: * LIST (\HasChildren) "/" Projects
   S: * LIST (\Sent \HasNoChildren) "/" SentMail
   S: * LIST (\Marked \Drafts \HasNoChildren) "/" MyDrafts
   S: * LIST (\Trash \HasNoChildren) "/" Trash
   S: t1 OK done

5.2. Example of an Extended IMAP LIST Command

 This example shows an IMAP LIST response from a server that supports
 this extension.  The client uses the extended IMAP LIST command.
   C: t1 CAPABILITY
   S: * CAPABILITY IMAP4rev1 SPECIAL-USE
   S: t1 OK done
   C: t2 LIST "" "%" RETURN (SPECIAL-USE)
   S: * LIST (\Marked) "/" Inbox
   S: * LIST () "/" ToDo
   S: * LIST () "/" Projects
   S: * LIST (\Sent) "/" SentMail
   S: * LIST (\Marked \Drafts) "/" MyDrafts
   S: * LIST (\Trash) "/" Trash
   S: t2 OK done
 Here, the client also includes the "SPECIAL-USE" selection option for
 the same list.  The "SPECIAL-USE" return option could also have been
 specified, but it is unnecessary, as it is implied by the selection
 option.  Note that in this case, mailboxes that do not have a
 special-use attribute are not listed.  Also note that we've used the
 wildcard "*", rather than "%", to make sure we see all special-use
 mailboxes, even ones that might not be at the namespace's root.
   C: t3 LIST (SPECIAL-USE) "" "*"
   S: * LIST (\Sent) "/" SentMail
   S: * LIST (\Marked \Drafts) "/" MyDrafts
   S: * LIST (\Trash) "/" Trash
   S: t3 OK done

Leiba & Nicolson Standards Track [Page 7] RFC 6154 IMAP LIST: Special-Use Mailboxes March 2011

5.3. Example of an IMAP CREATE Command

 This example shows an IMAP CREATE command that might be used to
 create a mailbox designated to hold draft and sent messages.  It also
 attempts to create a mailbox that will contain all the user's
 messages, but the server does not support that special use for this
 user's message store.
   C: t1 CAPABILITY
   S: * CAPABILITY IMAP4rev1 CREATE-SPECIAL-USE
   S: t1 OK done
   C: t2 CREATE MySpecial (USE (\Drafts \Sent))
   S: t2 OK MySpecial created
   C: t3 CREATE Everything (USE (\All))
   S: t3 NO [USEATTR] \All not supported

5.4. Example of Using IMAP METADATA to Manipulate Special-Use

    Attributes
 This example shows how IMAP METADATA can be used to manipulate
 special-use attributes, if the operation is supported on the server.
   ==> Starting point:
   C: t1 LIST "" "%" RETURN (SPECIAL-USE)
   S: * LIST (\Sent) "/" SentMail
   S: * LIST (\Drafts) "/" MyDrafts
   S: * LIST () "/" SavedDrafts
   S: * LIST (\Trash) "/" Trash
   S: t1 OK done
   ==> Demonstrate the connection:
   C: t2 GETMETADATA "MyDrafts" /private/specialuse
   S: * METADATA "MyDrafts" (/private/specialuse "\\Drafts")
   S: t2 OK done
   ==> Set new use for SavedDrafts; MyDrafts changes automatically:
   C: t3 SETMETADATA "SavedDrafts" (/private/specialuse "\\Drafts")
   S: * METADATA "MyDrafts" (/private/specialuse NIL)
   S: t3 OK SETMETADATA complete
   ==> Remove special use for SentMail:
   C: t4 SETMETADATA "SentMail" (/private/specialuse NIL)
   S: t4 OK SETMETADATA complete

Leiba & Nicolson Standards Track [Page 8] RFC 6154 IMAP LIST: Special-Use Mailboxes March 2011

   ==> Check the results:
   C: t5 LIST "" "%" RETURN (SPECIAL-USE)
   S: * LIST () "/" SentMail
   S: * LIST () "/" MyDrafts
   S: * LIST (\Drafts) "/" SavedDrafts
   S: * LIST (\Trash) "/" Trash
   S: t5 OK done

6. Formal Syntax

 The following syntax specification uses the augmented Backus-Naur
 Form (BNF) as described in [RFC5234].
 create-param   =/  "USE" SP "(" [use-attr *(SP use-attr)] ")"
                  ; Extends "create-param" from RFC 4466 [RFC4466]
 mbx-list-oflag =/  use-attr
                  ; Extends "mbx-list-oflag" from IMAP base [RFC3501]
 list-select-independent-opt =/  "SPECIAL-USE"
                  ; Extends "list-select-independent-opt" from
                  ; LIST-extended [RFC5258]
 return-option =/ "SPECIAL-USE"
                  ; Extends "return-option" from
                  ; LIST-extended [RFC5258]
 resp-text-code =/  "USEATTR"
                  ; Extends "resp-text-code" from
                  ; IMAP [RFC3501]
 use-attr        =  "\All" / "\Archive" / "\Drafts" / "\Flagged" /
                  "\Junk" / "\Sent" / "\Trash" / use-attr-ext
 use-attr-ext    =  "\" atom
                  ; Reserved for future extensions.  Clients
                  ; MUST ignore list attributes they do not understand
                  ; Server implementations MUST NOT generate
                  ; extension attributes except as defined by
                  ; future Standards-Track revisions of or
                  ; extensions to this specification.

7. Security Considerations

 LIST response:
 Conveying special-use information to a client exposes a small bit of
 extra information that could be of value to an attacker.  Knowing,
 for example, that a particular mailbox (\All) contains pointers to

Leiba & Nicolson Standards Track [Page 9] RFC 6154 IMAP LIST: Special-Use Mailboxes March 2011

 every message the user has might be of particular value.  If the IMAP
 channel is not protected from passive eavesdropping, this could be an
 issue.
 CREATE command "USE" parameter and metadata extension: In some server
 implementations, some special uses may imply automatic action by the
 server.  For example, creation of a "\Junk" mailbox might cause the
 server to start placing messages that have been evaluated as spam
 into the mailbox.  Implementors SHOULD consider the consequences of
 allowing a user (or client program) to designate the target of such
 automatic action.
 Example: If a user is allowed to give the "\Junk" attribute to a
 shared mailbox, legitimate mail that's misclassified as junk (false
 positives) will be put into that shared mailbox, exposing the user's
 private mail to others.  The server might warn a user of that
 possibility, or might refuse to allow the specification to be made on
 a shared mailbox.  (Note that this problem exists independent of this
 specification, if the server allows a user to share a mailbox that's
 already in use for such a function.)

8. IANA Considerations

8.1. Registration of USEATTR IMAP Response Code

 This document defines a new IMAP response code, "USEATTR", which IANA
 added to the IMAP Response Codes registry.

8.2. Registration of CREATE-SPECIAL-USE IMAP Capability

 This document defines a new IMAP capability, "CREATE-SPECIAL-USE",
 which IANA added to the IMAP 4 Capabilities registry.

8.3. Registration of SPECIAL-USE IMAP Capability

 This document defines a new IMAP capability, "SPECIAL-USE", which
 IANA added to the IMAP 4 Capabilities registry.

8.4. Registration of SPECIAL-USE Selection Option

 This document defines a new IMAP4 List Extended selection option,
 "SPECIAL-USE", which IANA added to the IMAP4 List Extended registry,
 as follows:
 To: iana@iana.org
 Subject: Registration of LIST-EXTENDED selection option SPECIAL-USE
 LIST-EXTENDED option name: SPECIAL-USE
 LIST-EXTENDED option type: SELECTION

Leiba & Nicolson Standards Track [Page 10] RFC 6154 IMAP LIST: Special-Use Mailboxes March 2011

 Implied return option(s): SPECIAL-USE
 LIST-EXTENDED option description: Limit the list to special-use
 mailboxes only
 Published specification: RFC 6154
 Security considerations: none
 Intended usage: COMMON
 Person and email address to contact for further information: Authors'
 Addresses at the end of RFC 6154
 Owner/Change controller: iesg@ietf.org

8.5. Registration of SPECIAL-USE Return Option

 This document defines a new IMAP4 List Extended return option,
 "SPECIAL-USE", which IANA added to the IMAP4 List Extended registry,
 as follows:
 To: iana@iana.org
 Subject: Registration of LIST-EXTENDED return option SPECIAL-USE
 LIST-EXTENDED option name: SPECIAL-USE
 LIST-EXTENDED option type: RETURN
 LIST-EXTENDED option description: Request special-use mailbox
 information
 Published specification: RFC 6154
 Security considerations: none
 Intended usage: COMMON
 Person and email address to contact for further information: Authors'
 Addresses at the end of RFC 6154
 Owner/Change controller: iesg@ietf.org

8.6. Registration of SPECIAL-USE Metadata

 This document defines a new IMAP METADATA entry.  IANA added the
 following to the IMAP METADATA Mailbox Entry registry:
 To: iana@iana.org
 Subject: IMAP METADATA Entry Registration
 Type: Mailbox
 Name: /private/specialuse
 Description: Defines any special-use features of a mailbox.  See the
 reference specification for details of its use.
 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
 RFC Number: RFC 6154
 Contact: MORG mailing list mailto:morg@ietf.org

Leiba & Nicolson Standards Track [Page 11] RFC 6154 IMAP LIST: Special-Use Mailboxes March 2011

9. References

9.1. Normative References

 [RFC2119]  Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
            Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997.
 [RFC3501]  Crispin, M., "INTERNET MESSAGE ACCESS PROTOCOL - VERSION
            4rev1", RFC 3501, March 2003.
 [RFC4466]  Melnikov, A. and C. Daboo, "Collected Extensions to IMAP4
            ABNF", RFC 4466, April 2006.
 [RFC5234]  Crocker, D. and P. Overell, "Augmented BNF for Syntax
            Specifications: ABNF", STD 68, RFC 5234, January 2008.
 [RFC5258]  Leiba, B. and A. Melnikov, "Internet Message Access
            Protocol version 4 - LIST Command Extensions", RFC 5258,
            June 2008.
 [RFC5464]  Daboo, C., "The IMAP METADATA Extension", RFC 5464,
            February 2009.

9.2. Informative References

 [RFC3348]  Gahrns, M. and R. Cheng, "The Internet Message Action
            Protocol (IMAP4) Child Mailbox Extension", RFC 3348,
            July 2002.

Authors' Addresses

 Barry Leiba
 Huawei Technologies
 Phone: +1 646 827 0648
 EMail: barryleiba@computer.org
 URI:   http://internetmessagingtechnology.org/
 Jamie Nicolson
 Google
 EMail: nicolson@google.com

Leiba & Nicolson Standards Track [Page 12]

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