## 12.7.1 Additional Methods of Message objects

The `Message` class defines the following methods in addition to the `rfc822.Message` methods:

`getplist` ()
  Return the parameter list of the `content-type` header. This is a list if strings. For parameters of the form "`key=value`", key is converted to lower case but value is not. For example, if the message contains the header "`Content-type: text/html; spam=1; Spam=2; Spam`" then `getplist()` will return the Python list `['spam=1', 'spam=2', 'Spam']`.

`getparam` (name)
  Return the value of the first parameter (as returned by `getplist()` of the form "`name=value`" for the given name. If value is surrounded by quotes of the form ``<`...`>`' or ``"`...`"`', these are removed.

`getencoding` ()
  Return the encoding specified in the `content-transfer-encoding`message header. If no such header exists, return `'7bit'`. The encoding is converted to lower case.

`gettype` ()
  Return the message type (of the form "`type/subtype`") as specified in the `content-type` header. If no such header exists, return `'text/plain'`. The type is converted to lower case.

`getmaintype` ()
  Return the main type as specified in the `content-type` header. If no such header exists, return `'text'`. The main type is converted to lower case.

`getsubtype` ()
  Return the subtype as specified in the `content-type` header. If no such header exists, return `'plain'`. The subtype is converted to lower case.