InterIMAP: Requirements

This post will serve as the official requirements documentation for the InterIMAP library. Please comment on this post with your suggestions for further requirements.

Core Requirements

• Multi-threaded, multi-connection, asynchronous processing
• Ability to support multiple accounts simultaneously
• Ability to detect and retrieve only new messages for any or all folders
• Ability to receive and save all file attachments, and message content
• Ability to read/write messages in EML format
• Optimized single process/connection synchronous client for repeated, specific purposes

Storage Requirements

•  Provide 3 storage mechanisms: Virtual, Physical, Database
• Ability to store folder and message data in memory temporarily
• Ability to store folder and message data including attachments in a file on disk that can allow a mailbox to be cached, and to make that data portable.
• Ability to store folder and message data in a relation database such as SQL Server, so that the data can be easily shared among other applications without having to distribute a local cache file, or stream the data to other services.
• Ability to use Physical and Database storage mechanisms concurrently. 

API Requirements

• Provide clean and clear interface to IMAP protocol
• Provide easy to use Request/Response system
• Provide clean object model