RFC - 2342

IMAP4 Namespace

Original:	ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc2342.txt
Authors:	M. Gahrns [Microsoft], C. Newman [Innosoft]
Date:	May 1998
Category:	Proposed Standard

---

Updated by:
RFC-4466prop	Collected Extensions to IMAP4 ABNF

Referred by:	15 RFC
Refers to:	4 RFC

---

Status

This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements. Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state and status of this protocol. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1998). All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

IMAP4 [RFC-2060] does not define a default server namespace. As a result, two common namespace models have evolved:

The "Personal Mailbox" model, in which the default namespace that is presented consists of only the user's personal mailboxes. To access shared mailboxes, the user must use an escape mechanism to reach another namespace.

The "Complete Hierarchy" model, in which the default namespace that is presented includes the user's personal mailboxes along with any other mailboxes they have access to.

These two models, create difficulties for certain client operations. This document defines a NAMESPACE command that allows a client to discover the prefixes of namespaces used by a server for personal mailboxes, other users' mailboxes, and shared mailboxes. This allows a client to avoid much of the manual user configuration that is now necessary when mixing and matching IMAP4 clients and servers.

---