# Accessing just the body of email in text format? **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [February 17, 2006, 6:57am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/accessing-just-the-body-of-email-in-text-format/69544 "2006-02-17T06:57:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![softwareengineer\_99](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@softwareengineer\_99](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/softwareengineer_99)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 6:57am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/accessing-just-the-body-of-email-in-text-format/69544/1 "2006-02-17T06:57:57Z")
I am interested in accessing the body of the email in text format using IMAP to receive emails. So far I have tried the following ``` #body = imap.fetch(message_id, "BODY[TEXT]") #body = imap.fetch(message_id, ["BODY[]"])[0].attr['BODY[]'] ``` But both of the above give me body text + the headers including Content-Type etc. How can I access just the body in text format. I appreciate your assistance. Thanks Frank ---
**Author:** ![softwareengineer\_99](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@softwareengineer\_99](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/softwareengineer_99)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 7:28am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/accessing-just-the-body-of-email-in-text-format/69544/2 "2006-02-17T07:28:08Z")
I have gotten to the part where I can access the body of the email with # email.body after passing it to my receiver function using body = imap.fetch(message\_id, [“BODY[]”])[0].attr[‘BODY[]’] The problem now is that I get both a text version of the email as well as the HTML version of the email. How can I just get the text version of the email. Thanks Frank softwareengineer 99 [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: I am interested in accessing the body of the email in text format using IMAP to receive emails. So far I have tried the following ``` #body = imap.fetch(message_id, "BODY[TEXT]") #body = imap.fetch(message_id, ["BODY[]"])[0].attr['BODY[]'] ``` But both of the above give me body text + the headers including Content-Type etc. How can I access just the body in text format. I appreciate your assistance. Thanks Frank * * * Relax. Yahoo! Mail virus scanning helps detect nasty viruses!\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Rails mailing list removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails](http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails) ---
**Author:** ![softwareengineer\_99](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@softwareengineer\_99](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/softwareengineer_99)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/accessing-just-the-body-of-email-in-text-format/69544/3 "2006-02-17T18:51:56Z")
Experts, I appreciate any pointers you can provide on how I can access/split the message in text form and/or extract the text only version from text and html? Currently I am able to get to this part: * * * This is my first blog post via email and I am happy about it. * * * ## Yahoo! Mail Use Photomail to share photos without annoying attachments. This is my first blog post via email and I am happy about it. * * * Yahoo! Mail [Use Photomail](http://pa.yahoo.com/*http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=38867/*http://photomail.mail.yahoo.com) to share photos without annoying attachments. As you can see the HTML post follows the text post in the same message. How can I leave the duplicate HTML copy out? Many Thanks for your assistance Frank softwareengineer 99 [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: I have gotten to the part where I can access the body of the email with # email.body after passing it to my receiver function using body = imap.fetch(message\_id, [“BODY[]”])[0].attr[‘BODY[]’] The problem now is that I get both a text version of the email as well as the HTML version of the email. How can I just get the text version of the email. Thanks Frank softwareengineer 99 [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: I am interested in accessing the body of the email in text format using IMAP to receive emails. So far I have tried the following ``` #body = imap.fetch(message_id, "BODY[TEXT]") #body = imap.fetch(message_id, ["BODY[]"])[0].attr['BODY[]'] ``` But both of the above give me body t ext + the headers including Content-Type etc. How can I access just the body in text format. I appreciate your assistance. Thanks Frank * * * Relax. Yahoo! Mail virus scanning helps detect nasty viruses!\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Rails mailing list removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails](http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails) * * * What are the most popular cars? Find out at Yahoo! Autos * * * Rails mailing list removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails](http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails)