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3132718Skan<TITLE>Filtering Mail with Sendmail</TITLE>
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9169689Skan
10169689Skan<H1>Filtering Mail with Sendmail</H1>
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12117395Skan<!--
13117395Skan<P><B>Disclaimer</B>: 
14117395SkanThis preliminary API description is provided for review only.  This
15169689Skanspecification may change based on feedback from reviewers, and does
16169689Skannot bind Sendmail to offer this functionality in any release.
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18169689Skan
19122180Skan<H2>Introduction</H2>
20117395Skan
21169689Skan<P>
22169689SkanSendmail's Content Management API (milter) provides third-party
23117395Skanprograms to access mail messages as they are being processed by the
24117395SkanMail Transfer Agent (MTA), allowing them to examine and modify message
25117395Skancontent and meta-information.  Filtering policies implemented by
26117395SkanMilter-conformant filters may then be centrally configured and
27117395Skancomposed in an end-user's MTA configuration file.
28132718Skan
29169689Skan<P>
30169689SkanPossible uses for filters include spam rejection, virus
31169689Skanfiltering, and content control.  In general, Milter seeks to address
32169689Skansite-wide filtering concerns in a scalable way.  Individual users' mail
33169689Skanfiltering needs (e.g. sorting messages by subject) are left to
34client-level programs such as <A href="http://www.procmail.org">Procmail</A>.
35
36<P>
37This document is a technical introduction intended for those
38interested in developing Milter filters.  It includes:
39<UL>
40<LI>A description of Milter's design goals.
41
42<LI>An explanation of Milter application architecture, including
43interactions between the support library and user code, and between
44filters and the MTA.
45
46<LI>A specification of the C application programming interface.
47<LI>An example of a simple Milter filter.
48</UL>
49
50<H2>Contents</H2>
51
52<UL>
53<LI><A href="design.html">Architecture</A>
54<UL>
55    <LI>Design Goals
56    <LI>Implementing Filtering Policies
57    <LI>MTA - Filter communication
58</UL>
59<LI><A href="overview.html">Technical Overview</A>
60<UL>
61    <LI>Initialization
62    <LI>Control flow
63    <LI>Multithreading
64    <LI>Resource Management
65    <LI>Signal Handling
66</UL>
67<LI><A href="api.html">API Documentation</A>
68<UL>
69    <LI>Library Control Functions
70    <LI>Data Access Functions
71    <LI>Message Modification Functions
72    <LI>Callbacks
73</UL>
74<LI><A href="installation.html">Installation and Configuration</A>
75<UL>
76    <LI>Compiling and Installing Your Filter
77    <LI>Configuring Sendmail
78</UL>
79<LI><A href="sample.html">A Sample Filter</A>
80<!-- <LI><A href="other.html">Other Sources of Information</A> -->
81</UL>
82
83<HR size="1">
84<FONT size="-1">
85Copyright (c) 2000, 2001, 2003 Sendmail, Inc. and its suppliers.
86All rights reserved.
87<BR>
88By using this file, you agree to the terms and conditions set
89forth in the LICENSE.
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93