# Sieve

> Programming language that can be used for email filtering

**Wikidata**: [Q1418686](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1418686)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sieve_(mail_filtering_language))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/sieve

## Summary
Sieve is a programming language designed specifically for filtering email. It is defined by RFC 5228 and uses the Sieve file format for readable and writable rule sets.

## Key Facts
- Sieve is an instance of a programming language used for email filtering.
- Sieve is described by RFC 5228: "Sieve: An Email Filtering Language."
- The readable and writable format for Sieve rules is called the Sieve file format.
- Wikidata lists Sieve with the freebase_id /m/07xvnz (reference publication date 2013-10-28).
- The Wikipedia article title is "Sieve (mail filtering language)."
- Sieve has Wikipedia coverage in these language editions: af, de, en, fr, ja, pt, ru.
- Sieve appears in 7 sitelinks according to the provided metadata (sitelink_count: 7).
- ArchWiki has an article titled "Sieve_filters" in English.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Sieve used for?
A: Sieve is used for filtering email. It provides a language for writing rules that process or sort incoming mail.

### Q: Where is Sieve specified or defined?
A: Sieve is specified in RFC 5228, titled "Sieve: An Email Filtering Language."

### Q: What file format does Sieve use?
A: Sieve uses the Sieve file format for both readable and writable rule representations.

## Why It Matters
Sieve matters because it provides a standardized, language-based way to express email filtering rules. By defining filters as a programming language and documenting that language in RFC 5228, Sieve enables mail servers and clients to implement consistent, machine-readable rule processing. The existence of a defined file format (the Sieve file format) allows filters to be stored, transferred, and parsed by tools and services. Sieve's dedicated specification separates filtering logic from individual mail server implementations, which can simplify configuration, increase interoperability, and make automated mail processing more reproducible. Its presence in multiple language editions of Wikipedia and coverage in resources like the ArchWiki indicate an established body of documentation and community knowledge around using Sieve for email handling tasks.

## Notable For
- Being a programming language created specifically for email filtering tasks.
- Having an IETF RFC-level specification: RFC 5228 ("Sieve: An Email Filtering Language").
- Using a defined Sieve file format for both readable and writable rule storage.
- Having dedicated documentation and coverage across multiple Wikipedia language editions and an ArchWiki article.

## Body
### Overview
- Sieve is classified as a programming language.
- Its primary use is email filtering.
- The language is documented under RFC 5228.

### Specification
- The language specification is RFC 5228: "Sieve: An Email Filtering Language."
- RFC 5228 is cited as the descriptive source for Sieve.

### File format
- The Sieve file format is the readable file format for Sieve rules.
- The Sieve file format is also listed as the writable file format.

### Identifiers and metadata
- Wikidata records a freebase_id for Sieve: /m/07xvnz (reference entry with publication_date 2013-10-28).
- Wikidata description: "Programming language that can be used for email filtering."
- Wikipedia article title: "Sieve (mail filtering language)."
- Sitelink count in the provided metadata: 7.

### Documentation and coverage
- Wikipedia has articles about Sieve in at least these languages: Afrikaans (af), German (de), English (en), French (fr), Japanese (ja), Portuguese (pt), Russian (ru).
- ArchWiki contains an article titled "Sieve_filters" in English.

### Related classification
- Sieve is related to the broader class "programming language," which denotes languages for communicating instructions to machines.

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013