1901822 - Find a way to provide MailUtils.handleNewsUri() for the "open by messageId" add-on

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Thunderbird :: Add-Ons: Extensions API, task)

Description

[John Bieling]

https://addons.thunderbird.net/de/thunderbird/addon/open-by-message-id/

Comment 1

[max]

I am not trying to dispute that it may be convenient to have an API method providing behavior similar to click on a link. On the other hand the "open by Message-Id" example is not convincing. The add-on may have single context menu entry and render link variants in an action popup. Advantages:

• If the Message-Id is found in several folders then the user may select which one should be opened,
• It is apparent if the Message-Id belongs to some available message,
• The user may select NNTP servers among configured ones,
• The user may select web archive for the current Mesasge-ID.

Comment 2

[Hartmut Welpmann [:welpy-cw]]

Thank you for your suggestions. Please continue here.

Comment 3

[John Bieling]

The scope of the API addition is to search on the server, if I understood the add-on feature correctly.

I am thinking about making this possible through messages.query() by adding an "online" flag, or something like that. Would be neat if that would also work for IMAP.

Comment 4

[max]

(In reply to John Bieling (:TbSync) from comment #3)

The scope of the API addition is to search on the server, if I understood the add-on feature correctly.

I am thinking about making this possible through messages.query() by adding an "online" flag, or something like that. Would be neat if that would also work for IMAP.

To display a message specified by some URI, extension code does not need to search it first. message.query() is another feature and it may be useful as well.

There are 2 ways to display a message:

• In a new tab or window depending on mail.openMessageBehavior value as it is implemented for click on a link in a message body. I am unaware of API that allows extensions to get similar behavior. A workaround is to present a link to the user.
• In the same window as it is implemented for "References" Message-Id links (but not for mid: links, see Bug #1785790). In some cases it is more convenient than a new tab or a window. However a message may be from some news group the user is not subscribed to. I am in doubts if it is a good idea to display a message outside of subscriptions in a 3 pane window.

What feature is actually requested: lookup on the server or just display a message?

Comment 5

[John Bieling]

The feature this bug is about is the part of MailUtils.handleNewsUri() which searches a message on the server and downloads it as a file (without adding it to the local database or a mail folder).

The add-on can then do different things with that external message: display it, attach it to a message or add it to a local mail folder, or...

Comment 6

[Hartmut Welpmann [:welpy-cw]]

Attachment: Bug 1901822 - Extend the messages API with a function to download a message from a news server. r=john.bieling

Comment 7

[Hartmut Welpmann [:welpy-cw]]

Attachment: Bug 1901822 - Enable the query function of the messages API to search online. r=john.bieling

This makes it possible to search for the specified headerMessageId directly on the server(s) of all or the specified NNTP account(s) when the new online property is set.

Comment 8

[Hartmut Welpmann [:welpy-cw]]

Attachment: Open-By-Message-ID-1.1.3-test.xpi

Add-on for testing purposes.

Comment 9

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://hg.mozilla.org/comm-central/rev/62b0b1c6a84b
Enable the query function of the messages API to search online. r=john.bieling

Comment 10

[Hartmut Welpmann [:welpy-cw]]

Unfortunately this is a WONTFIX for 128 ESR, see John's comment in Phab.