MailAddress Class

The MailAddress class is used by the SmtpClient and MailMessage classes to store address information for e-mail messages.

A mail address is composed of a User name, Host name and optionally, a DisplayName. The DisplayName can contain non-ASCII characters if you encode them.

The MailAddress class supports the following mail address formats:

• A simple address format of user@host. If a DisplayName is not set, this is the mail address format generated.

• A standard quoted display name format of "display name" <user@host>. If a DisplayName is set, this is the format generated.

• Angle brackets are added around the User name, Host name for "display name" user@host if these are not included.

• Quotes are added around the DisplayName for display name <user@host>, if these are not included.

• Unicode characters are supported in the DisplayName. property.

• A User name with quotes. For example, "user name"@host.

• Consecutive and trailing dots in user names. For example, user...name..@host.

• Bracketed domain literals. For example, <user@[my domain]>.

• Comments. For example, (comment)"display name"(comment)<(comment)user(comment)@(comment)domain(comment)>(comment). Comments are removed before transmission.

A comma is used to separate elements in a list of mail addresses. As a result, a comma should not be used in unquoted display names in a list. The following mail addresses would be allowed

"John, Doe" <user@host>, "Bob, Smith" <user2@host>

The following mail address would not be allowed:

John, Doe <user@host>, Bob, Smith <user2@host>

Quotes can be embedded in a quoted string, but they must be escaped. The following mail addresses would be allowed

"John \"Jr\" Doe" <user@host>

"\"John \\\"Jr\\\" Doe\" <user@host>"

The following mail address would not be allowed:

"John "Jr" Doe" <user@host>

When the username is note quoted, all text between the start of the string (or comma) and the address are considered part of the DisplayName, including comments.

-- Example: (non comment) unquoted display (non comment) name (non comment) <user@host>

Although the MailAddress class accepts a mail address as valid, other mail servers may not accept the mail address.

The MailAddress class does not support the following mail address formats:

Mixed quoted and unquoted display names. For example, display "name" <user@host>

Groups, as defined in RFC 2822 Section 3.4 published by the IETF.

The obsolete user name formats of "user"."name"@host, user."name"@host or "user".name@host

The following code example demonstrates sending an e-mail message by using the SmtpClient, MailAddress, and MailMessage classes.

		public static void CreateCopyMessage(string server)
		{
			MailAddress from = new MailAddress("ben@contoso.com", "Ben Miller");
			MailAddress to = new MailAddress("jane@contoso.com", "Jane Clayton");
			MailMessage message = new MailMessage(from, to);
			// message.Subject = "Using the SmtpClient class.";
			message.Subject = "Using the SmtpClient class.";
			message.Body = @"Using this feature, you can send an e-mail message from an application very easily.";
			// Add a carbon copy recipient.
			MailAddress copy = new MailAddress("Notification_List@contoso.com");
			message.CC.Add(copy);
			SmtpClient client = new SmtpClient(server);
			// Include credentials if the server requires them.
			client.Credentials = CredentialCache.DefaultNetworkCredentials;
			Console.WriteLine("Sending an e-mail message to {0} by using the SMTP host {1}.",
				 to.Address, client.Host);
	
	    try {
        client.Send(message);
      }
      catch (Exception ex) {
        Console.WriteLine("Exception caught in CreateCopyMessage(): {0}", 
                    ex.ToString() );
  	  }
    }

.NET Framework

.NET Framework Client Profile

Windows 7, Windows Vista SP1 or later, Windows XP SP3, Windows XP SP2 x64 Edition, Windows Server 2008 (Server Core not supported), Windows Server 2008 R2 (Server Core supported with SP1 or later), Windows Server 2003 SP2

Reference