I wrote a console-based modal email-client, which was written in 50% C++ and 50% Lua for the user-interface and all scripting. My advice to anybody considering

I wrote a console-based modal email-client, which was written in 50% C++ and 50% Lua for the user-interface and all scripting. My advice to anybody considering writing an email client would be .. don't. The amount of broken MIME things you'll have to deal with, strong opinions on UI, and similar things will make you go crazy. I used to use mutt, then my own client. These days there are a few console-based clients that are new such as aerc, but even so writing the basics is easy, but coping with real mail is way harder than you'd expect