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[[Image:E-mail client.png|right|thumb|250px|Mozilla Thunderbird e-mail client]] An '''e-mail client''' is a frontend [[computer program]] used to manage [[e-mail]]. Large all-in-one e-mail clients such as [[Mozilla Thunderbird]] and [[Microsoft Outlook]] today combine the operations of an [[Mail transfer agent|MTA]], [[Mail delivery agent|MDA]], [[Mail retrieval agent|MRA]] and [[Mail user agent|MUA]] in one application. However, simple MUAs like [[mutt]] are also sometimes referred to as e-mail clients. == Function of an MUA == A mail user agent (MUA) functions by connecting to a [[mailbox]] into which e-mail has been fetched and stored in a particular format. It typically presents a simple user interface to perform tasks with the mail. An MUA by itself is incapable of sending or retrieving mail. == Mail concept == In a POP3 mail setup, an MRA retrieves mail from a remote [[mailserver]]. An MDA delivers that mail to a local mailbox. Finally, an MUA connects to the local mailbox and reads mail. An MTA is then called to connect to a remote MTA to send mail.<ref>http://wiki.mutt.org/?MailConcept</ref> However, note that some/ several of these components may be built into the same application. For example, in many MUAs, atleast a basic MTA is built in In an IMAP mail setup, an MDA is unnecessary as the mail stays on the mailserver and is directly read from there.{{Fact|date=June 2007}} == Standards == While popular protocols for retrieving mail include [[POP3]] and [[IMAP4]], sending mail is usually done using the [[SMTP]] protocol. Another important standard supported by most e-mail clients is [[MIME]], which is used to send [[binary file]] [[e-mail attachment]]s. Attachments are files that are not part of the e-mail proper, but are sent with the e-mail. Most e-mail clients use an X-Mailer [[header (information technology)|header]] to identify the software used to send the message. According to RFC 2076<ref>http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc2076.html</ref>, this is a common but non-standard header. A [[Thunderbird]] extension called [http://cweiske.de/misc_extensions.htm#dispMUA dispMUA] supports over 500 of these headers and recognizes almost 2000 others. <ref>http://cweiske.de/misc_extensions_dispmuas.htm</ref> == Webmail == In addition to the [[fat client]] e-mail clients and small MUAs in cooperation with a local MDA/ MTA/ MRA, there are also [[World Wide Web|Web]]-based e-mail programs called [[webmail]]. Webmail has several advantages which include the ability to send and receive e-mail from anywhere using a single application: a web browser. This eliminates the need to setup an MTA/ MRA/ MDA/ MUA chain. Significant examples of e-mail services which also provide the user a webmail interface are [[hotmail]] and [[gmail]]. <!-- Where to put this paragraph? [[Messaging Application Programming Interface]] (MAPI) is a [[proprietary software|proprietary]] Microsoft Windows [[application programming interface]] (API) that can be used to access the [[Microsoft Exchange]] [[mail transfer agent|e-mail server]] or to interact with the [[Microsoft Outlook]] client. --> == Notes == {{reflist|2}} == See also == *[[Comparison of e-mail clients]] *[[Unicode and e-mail]]

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