Clone Method (MailMessage)

Creates a deep copy of the MailMessage, but deep/shallow copies of its Parts. Attachments and Resources are shallow copies, Textparts and Htmlparts are deep copies.

Syntax

Visual Basic (Declaration)
Visual Basic (Usage)
C#
Managed Extensions for C++
C++/CLI

Public Overrides Function Clone() As Object

Dim instance As MailMessage
Dim value As Object
 
value = instance.Clone()

public override object Clone()

public: Object* Clone(); override

public:
Object^ Clone(); override

Return Value

A MailMessage.

Remarks

Note: Calling Dispose() on the original or cloned MailMessage will dispose of any shallow-copied parts that the original and clone reference.

Example

This example demonstrates how to create a custom reply message. The reply text is followed by some header fields and the text from the original message.

private MailMessage createCustomReplyMessage(MailMessage originalMessage, string replyText, string fromAddress)
{
    //Clone the original message
    MailMessage replyMessage = originalMessage.Clone() as MailMessage;

    //Set the recipient address
    if (!String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(replyMessage.ReplyTo))
        replyMessage.To = replyMessage.ReplyTo;
    else if (!String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(replyMessage.From))
        replyMessage.To = replyMessage.From;

    //Set the sender's address
    replyMessage.From = fromAddress;

    //Indicate that this is a reply in the subject
    replyMessage.Subject = "Re: " + originalMessage.Subject;

    //Clear some properties of the message
    replyMessage.ReplyTo = "";
    replyMessage.Cc = "";
    replyMessage.Sender = "";

    //Set the message text to be the reply followed by some of the original
    //message's header fields and the original text
    string messageText = replyText + Environment.NewLine + Environment.NewLine;
    messageText += "From: " + originalMessage.From + Environment.NewLine;
    messageText += "Sent: " + originalMessage.Date.ToString() + Environment.NewLine;
    messageText += "To: " + originalMessage.To + Environment.NewLine;
    messageText += "Subject: " + originalMessage.Subject + Environment.NewLine + Environment.NewLine;

    //Set the plain text
    replyMessage.Text = messageText + originalMessage.Text;

    //Set the HTML text
    string html = originalMessage.Html;

    //Locate place in HTML string to insert reply text
    int textStartIndex = html.ToLower().IndexOf("<body");
    if (textStartIndex == -1) 
        textStartIndex = html.ToLower().IndexOf("<html");
    textStartIndex = html.IndexOf(">", textStartIndex) + 1;

    //Insert reply text into HTML string and set the Body.Html
    messageText = "<div style=\"color:black\">" + messageText.Replace("\r\n", "<br />") + "</div>";
    html = html.Insert(textStartIndex, messageText);
    replyMessage.Html = html;
    return replyMessage;
}

Visual Basic

Private Function createCustomReplyMessage(ByVal originalMessage As MailMessage, ByVal replyText As String, ByVal fromAddress As String) As MailMessage
    'Clone the original message
    Dim replyMessage As MailMessage = TryCast(originalMessage.Clone(), MailMessage)

    'Set the recipient address
    If Not String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(replyMessage.ReplyTo) Then
        replyMessage.To = replyMessage.ReplyTo
    ElseIf Not String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(replyMessage.From) Then
        replyMessage.To = replyMessage.From
    End If

    'Set the sender's address
    replyMessage.From = fromAddress

    'Indicate that this is a reply in the subject
    replyMessage.Subject = "Re: " & originalMessage.Subject

    'Clear some properties of the message
    replyMessage.ReplyTo = ""
    replyMessage.Cc = ""
    replyMessage.Sender = ""

    'Set the message text to be the reply followed by some of the original
    'message's header fields and the original text
    Dim messageText As String = replyText & Environment.NewLine & Environment.NewLine
    messageText &= "From: " & originalMessage.From & Environment.NewLine
    messageText &= "Sent: " & originalMessage.Date.ToString() & Environment.NewLine
    messageText &= "To: " & originalMessage.To & Environment.NewLine
    messageText &= "Subject: " & originalMessage.Subject & Environment.NewLine & Environment.NewLine

    'Set the plain text
    replyMessage.Text = messageText & originalMessage.Text

    'Set the HTML text
    Dim html As String = originalMessage.Html

    'Locate place in HTML string to insert reply text
    Dim textStartIndex As Integer = html.ToLower().IndexOf("<body")
    If textStartIndex = -1 Then
        textStartIndex = html.ToLower().IndexOf("<html")
    End If
    textStartIndex = html.IndexOf(">", textStartIndex) + 1

    'Insert reply text into HTML string and set the Body.Html
    messageText = "<div style=""color:black"">" & messageText.Replace(vbCrLf, "<br />") & "</div>"
    html = html.Insert(textStartIndex, messageText)
    replyMessage.Html = html
    Return replyMessage
End Function

Reference

MailMessage Class
MailMessage Members