imap_msgno returns 0, Unknown: IMAP protocol error: Error in IMAP command COPY: Invalid messageset (0.001 + 0.000 secs).

[jabcreations]

I've been working on Mail / IMAP synchronization with remote servers of late. I managed to move several messages from the inbox to the archive folder (with a shim to compensate for things like Archive and INBOX.Archive). I confirmed that the messages were successfully moved locally and on the remote servers (across multiple different providers, not including Gmail because they don't have a system Archive folder).

Because any developer worth their grain in salt tests-to-verify to the point of hating cake I simply decided to move the messages back from the Archives folder to the Inbox. I received the following errors:

Unknown: IMAP protocol error: Error in IMAP command COPY: Invalid messageset (0.001 + 0.000 secs). (errflg=2)

Unknown: Error in IMAP command COPY: Invalid messageset (0.001 + 0.000 secs). (errflg=2)

Now naturally it doesn't make sense to have multiple ids to identify items though I didn't design any of this. I have the actual unique ids (fully verified) however imap_mail_move uses some sort of fluff "id" that needs to be acquired via imap_msgno. This worked fine the first time however failed the second.

The behavior that I have seemed to confirm is that imap_msgno only seems to work for messages in the inbox, not other folders. I don't know what the underlying cause of this is, just that once a message has left the inbox I can no longer get it's fluff "id".

I have also went to the provider and manually move the same message back to the inbox and then tried using imap_msgno again and it still returns 0. So once a given message has been moved from the inbox I have lost total control to synchronize moving the message any more. I should mention that although obviously implied that yes, I am using imap_expunge($mail_connection); (I'm used to people making stupid comments on my posts in general).

I was using 8.0.3, updated to 8.0.13 and then to 8.1.0, all of which failed. I came across this thread on Stack and then discovered PHP to be using the Microsoft owned Github for some reason with a lock down on PHP's bug report system...for some reason.

[damianwadley]

Did you see this other SO thread? Are you sure you're using the correct identifiers for the operation?

If you're sure, please post the code you're using.

and then discovered PHP to be using the Microsoft owned Github for some reason with a lock down on PHP's bug report system...for some reason.

Let's nip that "eww Microsoft" stuff in the bud, alright? For reference, the move was discussed extensively on the internals mailing list for the past month.
https://externals.io/message/116302
https://wiki.php.net/rfc/github_issues

[jabcreations]

I've read a comment that imap_mail_move() doesn't actually move a message though instead creates a copy and then deletes the original. If true then the function shouldn't return true, it should return the new id of the generated copy of the message! I now have to waste the insufficient time I have to verify all of this nonsense.

[damianwadley]

Please post the code you're using.

[jabcreations]

Condensed without unrelated stuff:

$mail_connection = imap_open($server, $username, $password);

if ($mail_connection)
{
 $message_number = imap_msgno($mail_connection, $row1['imap_unique']);
 $result = imap_mail_move($mail_connection, $message_number, $folder);

 if ($result) {echo 'GOOD: '.$k1.'; '.$row1['imap_unique'];}
 else {echo 'BAD Move: '.$k1.'; '.$message_number.'; '.$row1['imap_unique'];}
}
else {}

[damianwadley]

Your description of the problem said that the first move would work but additional moves would not. Does the code you've posted demonstrate that? Is the value of $row1's imap_unique UID being updated after every move, considering how messages are not actually moved but copied and therefore assigned new UIDs?

[cmb69]

Let's nip that "eww Microsoft" stuff in the bud, alright?

👍

If true then the function shouldn't return true, it should return the new id of the generated copy of the message!

imap_mail_move() is a than wrapper over mail_copy_full() with the CP_MOVE flag enforced. Since the latter only returns success, it makes sense to do that for the former, too.

Anyhow, this looks like a documentation issue and as such should be transferred to php/doc-en.

[le-melon]

Congratulations to @nikic and @damianwadley for keeping calm and focused although the tone of the message (before it was edited out) was aggressive and rude. PHP community can thank you today (and every other day too).

[jabcreations]

After verifying the behavior it's clear that the documentation was insufficient and thus misleading.

Congratulations to @nikic and @damianwadley for keeping calm and focused although the tone of the message (before it was edited out) was aggressive and rude. PHP community can thank you today (and every other day too).

Pointing out the truth is not aggressive or rude. This post however isn't rude or aggressive, it is a strawman false argument and outright libel.