Tech Tip: Email Format Selection Based on Use Case
PRODUCT: 4D | VERSION: 20 R | PLATFORM: Mac & Win
Published On: October 1, 2025
When building email management systems, selecting the appropriate format parameter in getMail() significantly impacts performance and resource consumption. Different workflows require different data depths.
Minimal Format - Fastest for Listings:
Metadata Format - Headers Without Body:
Raw Format - Complete Email:
Use minimal format for scanning and listing operations, metadata when headers are needed for filtering, and raw format only when displaying complete email content to users.
Minimal Format - Fastest for Listings:
| $google:=cs.NetKit.Google.new($oAuth2Provider) // Returns only ID and labels $mail:=$google.mail.getMail($mailId; New object("format"; "minimal")) |
Metadata Format - Headers Without Body:
| // Get specific headers for filtering $param:=New object("format"; "metadata"; "headers"; ["From"; "Subject"; "Date"]) $mail:=$google.mail.getMail($mailId; $param) |
Raw Format - Complete Email:
| // Returns full email content (default) $mail:=$google.mail.getMail($mailId; New object("format"; "raw")) |
Use minimal format for scanning and listing operations, metadata when headers are needed for filtering, and raw format only when displaying complete email content to users.