235153 - make compact all folders begin with currently selected folder

Status: NEW

(MailNews Core :: Backend, enhancement)

Description

[Peter Janes]

Since bug 222938 was fixed, File|Compact Folders has appeared slow for any
non-Inbox folder.  The further down in the list the folder exists, the longer it
seems to take to compact it.  This behaviour was described by Calum Mackay in
bug 230672 comment 8 (it was entered after the bug was resolved invalid):

>If my inbox is the current folder, I see it compacted *immediately*, and other
>folders are compacts subsequently, in the background.
>
>If another folder is the current folder, I do not see it compacted immediately.
>
>I imagine the algorithm is to start with inbox, and then iterate over all other
>folders.
>
>As an ease of use issue, would it be better (or possible) to start with the
>*current* folder, rather than inbox [unless current *is* inbox], and then
>iterate over the others?
>
>from the view of user feedback, this might be preferable.

The workaround suggested in bug 230672 is to use the context menu item "Compact
This Folder"; for various reasons (such as fingers trained to use Alt-F-F) this
is less than intuitive.  Calum's described change matches the perceived
behaviour prior to bug 222938, when the "Compact Folders" item had an immediate
effect on the current folder.

(I'm tempted to argue that "Compact This Folder" should be in the File menu with
the accesskey F, and "Compact Folders" should take an additional Shift
qualifier... but that's a different bug.)

Comment 1

[David :Bienvenu]

changing summary, and making rfe.  This would not be trivial...

Comment 2

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

(In reply to comment #1)
> changing summary, and making rfe.  This would not be trivial...

has the basis for this request really been proved "The further down in the list the folder exists, the longer it seems to take to compact it."?

Comment 3

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

even if comment 0 sentence 1 is not true, I guess this may help people with large folders. But if compact in background becomes the norm (bug 439089), then we shouldn't need this.

Comment 4

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Also, I don't believe the performace issue mentioned in comment 0 still exists.  (But there may be other reasons to want to being with the currently selected folder.)