Tutorial

Brief history

With the new standard of C++11, renaissance of the language started. New paradigms provided writing safer code which is more concise and elegant. Network programming was done mostly in POSIX which provides C api, or in C++ libraries like POCO which abstracted away low level approach by using design patterns like reactor. New C++ constructs like std::function and lambdas enabled functions to be the first class citizens. All of that made possible new approaches to network programming by using asynchronous constructs.

Boost.Asio library uses new paradigms to provide support for the TCP and UDP protocols. Many other libraries are built on top of Asio to provide support for protocols like HTTP. Email as decentralized form of communication, is a big part of internet traffic. It consists of three protocols (SMTP, POP3, IMAP) and MIME format. Mailio implements them by using Asio for the TCP and TLS layers.

Features

Mailio is a robust C++ library designed for creating, parsing, and managing email messages with ease. It provides developers with the tools to handle email messages in compliance with standard formats and protocols, such as MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) and RFCs (Request for Comments) that define email communication standards. Mailio is particularly useful for applications that require precise email handling, such as email clients, automated messaging systems, and server-side email processing. Its modern C++ implementation emphasizes performance, scalability, and clarity, making it suitable for both small-scale projects and enterprise-level applications. The goal is to make an add-on to the standard and Boost libraries easy to use. The source code is documented using Doxygen syntax and HTML content can be generated.

Key features:

  • Email Parsing and Construction: Mailio simplifies the parsing of email messages, including their headers, body, and attachments. Developers can easily construct and send rich, multi-part emails with text, HTML, and embedded attachments.
  • MIME Support: Full support for MIME ensures compatibility with modern email formats, including encodings like base64, quoted-printable, percent, as well handling of multipart messages.
  • SMTP, IMAP, and POP3 Protocol Support: Mailio includes comprehensive implementations of common email protocols, enabling seamless integration with email servers for sending and receiving messages.
  • Unicode and Internationalization: With built-in support for Unicode and international character sets, Mailio allows developers to send and receive emails in multiple languages and formats.
  • Security and Encryption: The library supports TLS/SSL for secure email transmission.

Use cases:

  • Building email clients utilities.
  • Automating email workflows in enterprise systems.
  • Processing and analyzing large volumes of email data.
  • Sending transactional or marketing emails programmatically.

Why Choose Mailio?

  • Standards Compliant: Fully adheres to email standards and protocols for high interoperability.
  • Modern C++: Uses clean, modular design and takes advantage of modern C++ features.
  • Actively Maintained: Regular updates and community support ensure reliability and security.
Whether you are crafting a lightweight tool to send emails or developing a complex email processing system, Mailio provides the foundation you need to handle emails effectively in your application.