Output Routine

When an output routine is not used, the inspection routine can detect the transition from one message part to another by observing the part number on each call. The part number is obtained by calling mtaDecodeMessageInfoString() with an item value of MTA_DECODE_PART_NUMBER.

When the optional output routine (pointed to by the output argument) is used, an additional data type, MTA_DATA_NONE, is presented to the inspection routine. It is presented to the inspection routine after the part’s header and entire content have been presented. However, no data is actually presented for the MTA_DATA_NONE type. As such, this data type merely serves to (1) let the inspection routine know that the entire part has now been presented, and (2) allows the inspection routine a final chance to delete the part from the data being output to the output routine. For example, it allows a virus scanner to be activated and a judgment passed. Based upon the result of the virus scan, the part can then either be copied to the output or not.

If it is not copying the part to the output, the inspection routine must call mtaDecodeMessagePartDelete(). That call will either delete the part entirely, or optionally replace it with caller-supplied content. Calling mtaDecodeMessagePartCopy() makes the copy operation explicit; if neither routine is called, then the part will be implicitly copied to the message being output.

When using an output routine, the inspection routine may call mtaDecodeMessagePartDelete() or mtaDecodeMessagePartCopy() at any time. It is not necessary to wait until the inspection routine is called with a data type of MTA_DATA_NONE. For instance, a virus scanner may want to discard a part when it sees that the part’s content type indicates an executable program. However, once either of these routines is called, the inspection routine will not be called any further for that message part.