imaplib.py "select" mailbox names containing spaces.

[mckenzm]

BPO	46220
Nosy	@terryjreedy, @mckenzm

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

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GitHub fields:

assignee = None
closed_at = None
created_at = <Date 2022-01-01.13:08:23.738>
labels = ['type-feature', 'library', '3.11']
title = 'imaplib.py "select" mailbox names containing spaces.'
updated_at = <Date 2022-01-07.18:50:27.423>
user = 'https://github.com/mckenzm'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2022-01-07.18:50:27.423>
actor = 'terry.reedy'
assignee = 'none'
closed = False
closed_date = None
closer = None
components = ['Library (Lib)']
creation = <Date 2022-01-01.13:08:23.738>
creator = 'mckenzm'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 46220
keywords = []
message_count = 2.0
messages = ['409457', '410000']
nosy_count = 2.0
nosy_names = ['terry.reedy', 'mckenzm']
pr_nums = []
priority = 'normal'
resolution = None
stage = None
status = 'open'
superseder = None
type = 'enhancement'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue46220'
versions = ['Python 3.11']

[mckenzm]

A mailbox (folder) need not be for a recipient and need not be the private part of an RFC2822 address.

Passing a value of "000 Bookings" to select() results in validation issues when the tokens are parsed as arguments and there are too many.

It would be a nice-to-have to accept spaces in the name.

Workaround is for a rule to be applied by a desktop email client such as Evolution to move it from the INBOX upon discovery according to filter criteria.

[terryjreedy]

I presume you mean the mailbox parameter of imaplib.IMAP.select().
https://docs.python.org/3/library/imaplib.html#imaplib.IMAP4.select

IMAP4.select(mailbox='INBOX', readonly=False)

Select a mailbox. Returned data is the count of messages in mailbox (EXISTS response). The default mailbox is 'INBOX'. If the readonly flag is set, modifications to the mailbox are not allowed.

Enhancements only go into future releases. Please make sure that the current main branch does not have the feature you are requesting.

Neither our doc nor https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2060.html contain '2822', so you might be requesting something not supported.

There is no active maintainer for this module, so response from someone familiar with imaplib may take awhile.

[vadmium]

In general I believe select(mailbox) expects the argument to use the IMAP protocol astring syntax. Perhaps adding an encode_astring function would help?

[serhiy-storchaka]

Mailbox names containing spaces are now quoted automatically since GH-152703. Closing as a duplicate of gh-40038.