sub getInboxEmails
# this method returns a list of all the mails contained in the Inbox folder
# that meet the search criteria specified in the filter
{
   my %filter = @_;

   if ( my $outlook = Win32::OLE->GetActiveObject('Outlook.Application'))# connect to outlook application
   {
      
      # connect and browse Inbox
      my $namespace = $outlook->GetNameSpace("MAPI");
      my $inbox = $namespace->GetDefaultFolder(olFolderInbox); 
      # my $inbox = $namespace->GetFolderFromID("Inbox\\INSA\\amis"); 
      # returns a MAPIfolder object
      
      my $inboxEmails = undef;
      my $found = 0;
      
      for (my $i=1;$i<=$inbox->items->Count();$i++) 
      # scan each item and make sure it's an email
      # CAUTION : Outlook's item index starts at one and goes to the number of items found instead
      # of going from 0 to (n-1)...
      {
         my $item = $inbox->items->Item($i);
         my $email = undef;
      
         if ($item->{Class}==olMail)# is it an email ? olMail = 43
         {
            foreach my $key (keys %filter)
            {
               # print "key : $key \n"; # debug purpose
               if ($key ne "Body")# Body needs a special treatment as it can be text or HTML
               {
                  $email->{$key} = $item->{$key};
               }
               else
               {        
                  if (not($email->{"Body"}=$item->{HTMLBody}))
                  {
                     $email->{"Body"}=$item->{Body}
                  }
               }
               # if mail meets criterion   
               $found = ($email->{$key}	=~/$filter{$key}/is);
               
               if (not $found)
               {
                  last; # exits the foreach loop at this point
               }
            }
            if ($found) # if still true then mail meets all criteria specified
            {
               $inboxEmails->{$i}=$email;
               # print "found one ($i)...\n" # debug purpose
            }
         }
      }
      return $inboxEmails;
   }
   return (undef); # if code reaches this line then it hasn't reached the other return
}# implying either the program's not open or there's no document.