Re: Proposal: gnus-refer-article

[Dave Abrahams <dave@boostpro.com>]

on Thu Aug 01 2013, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi-AT-gnus.org> wrote:

> Dave Abrahams <dave@boostpro.com> writes:
>
>> I propose the following code for inclusion in Gnus.  It defines a new
>> function, `gnus-refer-article', which is just like
>> `gnus-summary-refer-article', but can be invoked outside the summary
>> buffer.  The article will appear in a new buffer.
>>
>> With this, I can store links to articles/messages I want to deal with in
>> my TODO list and jump to them at any time.  If I want to see the article
>> in context of its entire thread, that's just an `A T' away.
>
> That's a good idea, but there are some things I don't quite understand
> in the implementation.
>
>> ;; We'll need to create a dummy group from which we can use
>> ;; gnus-summary-refer-article.  An nndoc group almost works for that
>> ;; purpose, but nndoc is a non-virtual backend, and warping (which
>> ;; gnus-summary-refer-article needs in order to find the article) only
>> ;; works in virtual groups.  Therefore, we derive a new virtual
>> ;; backend from nndoc and use that instead.
>
> Wouldn't it make sense to make warping work in nndoc groups instead, and
> then we wouldn't need another backend?

Exactly!  Thus my questions here:
http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.gnus.general/82136

Unfortunately, my understanding from questions over the years is that:

* warping should not be allowed to work in non-virtual groups 
* nndoc is not virtual
* nndoc should not be made virtual

If you change any of these, life would be much simpler, but until you
do, I think we need a new backend.

-- 
Dave Abrahams