METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THE PHASED RETRIEVAL OF DATA

摘要

In a method of retrieving electronic messages the server (2) sends the header and the first N text characters of the message body to the terminal device (1), while holding back any remaining text and any attachments. The server also sends a first flag indicative of any remaining text characters and a second flag indicative of any attachments to the terminal device. The user (5) of the terminal device can then decide to retrieve more text characters and/or any attachments. This phased message retrieval avoids downloading oversized messages and thus saves bandwidth. The terminal device (1) may be a handheld device, for example a mobile telephone or a PDA.