[Ifile-discuss] Re: Maildir format

[Jack Bertram]

* clemens fischer <address@hidden> [030515 17:53]:
> Jack Bertram <address@hidden>:
> > To do it properly, you'd use some command-line tool which knew how to
> > handle Maildir messages (by name, or something).  I have no idea whether
> > or not such a thing exists.
> 
> a good compromise might be to use simple unix-filter style tools and
> let them loop over the ./cur/* or ./new/* files with output to similar
> named files _in another maildir_!

Yes, this might work.

> example:  i used to have my email enter procmail to get ifile'd and
> dispatched to some mbox-type files.  then i changed my entire attitude
> by switching from screen(1), having a mutt(1), a playground often
> occupied with vile(1) and at least one browser window running
> elinks(1), to emacs(1).  i needed screen(1) to be able to cut&paste
> between the different windows, cursing on it not having a script
> engine.  which was the reason to switch to emacs(1).

Yikes.  I use vim and mutt.  I don't want to take the time to switch to
emacs.  Or the time to wait for it to load :)

> you read these two short paragraphs, but from there to my current
> setup with bogofilter/emacs/gnus it took months, not counting the
> emacs learning.

I can bet.

> > One of the major reasons I use mbox is so that I can directly manipulate
> > my mbox files with shell scripts etc, when I need to.
> >
> > To the OP (Brett?): sounds like you should avoid using my scripts like
> > the plague if you're using Maildir.
> 
> come on, now, that's too much.  i think you should make this special
> your objective clear: you want to manipulate messages "in situ".  if
> the OP wants this as well, he might well draw from your experience.

But if the OP wants to use Maildir, it's presumably because he wants the
extra delivery features etc (if it was just directories, he'd use MH or
something). In which case manipulating the files in situ is probably not
a good idea.  I'd overlooked this point in my original comments.

Anyway - thanks for the response.

jack