Saving email from Outlook into folder with Python

Question

I'm trying to automate saving emails in our folders from outlook. I don't see a code for saving an email as .msg or any other type.

import win32com.client
import os
os.chdir("filepathhere")
outlook = win32com.client.Dispatch("Outlook.Application").GetNamespace("MAPI")
accounts= win32com.client.Dispatch("Outlook.Application").Session.Accounts;

Tokyo = "email from Tokyo"

inbox = outlook.GetDefaultFolder(6) 
subject = Tokyo
messages = inbox.Items
message = messages.GetFirst()

for msg in messages:
    if msg.subject == Tokyo:
        msgname = msg.subject
        msgname=str(msgname)
        print msgname
        message.saveasfile(msgname+".msg")

I get the error message: AttributeError: .saveasfile

Solution 1

The below code works:

from win32com.client import Dispatch
import os
import re

outlook = Dispatch("Outlook.Application").GetNamespace("MAPI")
inbox = outlook.GetDefaultFolder(6)
print(inbox)
messages = inbox.items
message = messages.GetLast()
name = str(message.subject)
#to eliminate any special charecters in the name
name = re.sub('[^A-Za-z0-9]+', '', name)+'.msg'
#to save in the current working directory
message.SaveAs(os.getcwd()+'//'+name)

Solution 2

SaveAsFile is a method only to be used on attachments.

For the message itself, use simply message.SaveAs().

Source: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/VBA/Outlook-VBA/articles/mailitem-saveas-method-outlook

Comments

[GetHacked]

If you want to save the message that you're on within the loop, your last line should read msg.saveasfile(). Does that help? I'm not familiar with the win32com package.

[pypi34]

I still get the error that says: AttributeError: <unknown>.saveasfile

[abarnert]

Where did you get that saveasfile from? Are you just guessing at what methods the object might provide and crossing your fingers? Look up the type in the MSDN docs.

[pypi34]

saveasfile() is the method I've seen people use to save attachment from emails. I haven't been able to find the right command

[abarnert]

First, where have you seen that? If you give us a link, we can check whether you're actually doing the same thing as them. Second, you're not trying to save an attachment, you're trying to save a message. Those are obviously going to be different types, so why are you assuming they'll have the same methods?

[GetHacked]

Have you tried just SaveAs()? msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/VBA/Outlook-VBA/articles/…

[pypi34]

it says i don't currently have the right permissions to access to folder I'm trying to save in (separate issue) - but this seems to be working! my last line was msg.SaveAs(file_path) Thanks!

[GetHacked]

@pypi34 No problem! I added it as an answer so as not to break the "answering in comments" rule.