imap - May I shuffle the order of the e-mails in a response for a FETCH command? -

if client fetch range of sequence numbers, must server response give each e-mail in ascending sequence number order?

the rfc3501 contains following example of fetch command.

c: a654 fetch 2:4 (flags body[header.fields (date from)]) s: * 2 fetch .... s: * 3 fetch .... s: * 4 fetch .... s: a654 ok fetch completed 

would following example represent compliant server?

c: a654 fetch 2:4 (flags body[header.fields (date from)]) s: * 3 fetch .... s: * 4 fetch .... s: * 2 fetch .... s: a654 ok fetch completed 

i not find nothing in sections fetch request , fetch response regarding order of response.

you can reorder as want. paragraph paurian quotes applies uid assignment, not reporting.

it's safe in practice: symantec's imap proxy (i forget name, job scan naughty attachments , present santised view of world imap clients) sends fetch responses in unpredictable order, , main developer knows no problems resulting that.