.. _lib-storage_mail_user:

=========
Mail User
=========

``src/lib-storage/mail-user.h`` describes mail user. The struct contains
all kinds of useful information about the user that can be accessed
directly. Some of the most useful things you can do with a user are:

-  ``user->username`` gives you the actual username string (e.g.
   ``user@domain.org``).

-  ``user->set`` gives you access to user's settings.

-  ``user->namespaces`` points to a linked list of user's namespaces.

-  ``mail_user_get_home()`` returns user's home directory, if there's
   one.

-  ``mail_user_home_expand()`` expands ``~/`` at the beginning of given
   path to user's actual home directory.

-  ``mail_user_plugin_getenv()`` returns value for a setting defined in
   ``plugin {}`` section.

Typically each new IMAP/POP3/etc. connection creates a single mail user.
If the same process handles multiple connections for the same user, they
don't share the same mail_user (especially since each mail_user has a
unique session ID).

If a user has shared mailboxes from other users (not public namespaces),
a mail user is also created whenever necessary to list/access the user's
mailboxes. Again there is no attempt to share the created mail user with
other connections.