How to view sent mails in a threaded conversation (IMAP)?

How to view sent mails in a threaded conversation (IMAP)?

[Pankaj Jangid]

Some mail providers give control to us. But some of them keep sent
emails in a separate folder, often called ‘Sent Items’.

In the first case, we can configure the ‘Gcc’ header via gcc-self
gnus-parameter.

In the 2nd case, where sent-emails are already stored in ‘Sent Items’,
if I don’t want to store a redundant copy, what is the proper way to
keep threads intact, at least in view?

Some mail providers are even more notorious. Even if I keep a redundant
copy of a sent-email in my folder of choice (‘Inbox’), they remove it
from there after sometime; probably after matching Message-ID etc.

I want to know what do Gnus users generally do to solve this. I
understand that it is not necessary to keep it that way
i.e. threaded. And my basic problem is not threaded conversations. The
main problem is search and looking messages in context. So, if I can
view all the messages in an ephemeral group then that would also solve
my problem. In fact, that would encourage me to keep sent emails in a
different folder instead of ‘Inbox’.

All of the above is in the context of IMAP backend.

-- 
Regards,
Pankaj Jangid

Re: How to view sent mails in a threaded conversation (IMAP)?

[Eric Abrahamsen]

Pankaj Jangid <pankaj@codeisgreat.org> writes:

> Some mail providers give control to us. But some of them keep sent
> emails in a separate folder, often called ‘Sent Items’.
>
> In the first case, we can configure the ‘Gcc’ header via gcc-self
> gnus-parameter.
>
> In the 2nd case, where sent-emails are already stored in ‘Sent Items’,
> if I don’t want to store a redundant copy, what is the proper way to
> keep threads intact, at least in view?
>
> Some mail providers are even more notorious. Even if I keep a redundant
> copy of a sent-email in my folder of choice (‘Inbox’), they remove it
> from there after sometime; probably after matching Message-ID etc.
>
> I want to know what do Gnus users generally do to solve this. I
> understand that it is not necessary to keep it that way
> i.e. threaded. And my basic problem is not threaded conversations. The
> main problem is search and looking messages in context. So, if I can
> view all the messages in an ephemeral group then that would also solve
> my problem. In fact, that would encourage me to keep sent emails in a
> different folder instead of ‘Inbox’.

If you're willing to use ephemeral/search groups as a solution, the
easiest thing by far would be to use an nnselect group. You could either
mark INBOX and Sent and do a search like "since:2w", or not go the
search route and just have the group hold all messages from both source
groups -- I don't think there should be any particular performance
penalty for doing that, so long as you're displaying a subset of
articles, like usual.

Re: How to view sent mails in a threaded conversation (IMAP)?

[Pankaj Jangid]

Eric Abrahamsen <eric@ericabrahamsen.net> writes:

> If you're willing to use ephemeral/search groups as a solution, the
> easiest thing by far would be to use an nnselect group. You could either
> mark INBOX and Sent and do a search like "since:2w",

Understood the above method. But now I am curious about the below one,

> or not go the search route and just have the group hold all messages
> from both source groups

How to create a group to source articles from two or more groups? Any
pointers from the docs.

Re: How to view sent mails in a threaded conversation (IMAP)?

[Eric Abrahamsen]

Pankaj Jangid <pankaj@codeisgreat.org> writes:

> Eric Abrahamsen <eric@ericabrahamsen.net> writes:
>
>> If you're willing to use ephemeral/search groups as a solution, the
>> easiest thing by far would be to use an nnselect group. You could either
>> mark INBOX and Sent and do a search like "since:2w",
>
> Understood the above method. But now I am curious about the below one,
>
>> or not go the search route and just have the group hold all messages
>> from both source groups
>
> How to create a group to source articles from two or more groups? Any
> pointers from the docs.

As soon as I wrote that, I realized I didn't remember the syntax. There
should probably be a convenience function for creating this type of
non-search select group (what nnvirtual does); I think right now you
have to create a "blank" nnselect group, then edit its group parameters.
But I can't remember how to do it in nnselect.

Maybe just use nnvirtual for now? nnselect should have obsoleted
nnvirtual (if I could remember the syntax!), but nnvirtual still works
just fine.

Re: How to view sent mails in a threaded conversation (IMAP)?

[Pankaj Jangid]

Eric Abrahamsen <eric@ericabrahamsen.net> writes:

>> How to create a group to source articles from two or more groups? Any
>> pointers from the docs.
>
> As soon as I wrote that, I realized I didn't remember the syntax. There
> should probably be a convenience function for creating this type of
> non-search select group (what nnvirtual does); I think right now you
> have to create a "blank" nnselect group, then edit its group parameters.
> But I can't remember how to do it in nnselect.
>
> Maybe just use nnvirtual for now? nnselect should have obsoleted
> nnvirtual (if I could remember the syntax!), but nnvirtual still works
> just fine.

Thanks Eric. This should be sufficient for my requirement.

-- 
Regards,
Pankaj 

Re: How to view sent mails in a threaded conversation (IMAP)?

[dal-blazej]

Hi, after creating a group, you can edit its parameters.
Valid nnselect parameters looks like that :

((nnselect-artlist)
 (nnselect-specs
  (nnselect-function . gnus-search-run-query)
  (nnselect-args
   (search-query-spec
    (query . "since:2w"))
   (search-group-spec
    ("nnimap:your-server" "nnimap+your-server:your-folder")))))

The "nnimap+your-server:your-folder" is optional and can help you to
narrow the search to the group you want.

(nnselect-artlist) is first void, but as soon as the first research will
fill with articles data.

Notice that the server is spelled with a ':' but in the group, is
spelled with '+'.