323773 - Dichotomous Filtering. Decision tree with multiple sets of actions per filter

Status: NEW

(MailNews Core :: Filters, enhancement)

Description

[Robert Rapplean]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8) Gecko/20051111 Firefox/1.5
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8) Gecko/20051111 Firefox/1.5

In dichotomous filtering, a user creates a tree structure of nodes. Some nodes are decision nodes. i.e. does the email fit into this category (yes|no). Others are action nodes: Move to folder X. These nodes are built into a tree structure which the email is passed through to determine what to do with it. Although this sounds a lot like what is currently implemented, the current implementation has two major limitations.

The first is that once a piece of mail fits a specific rule, then filtering of that email stops. No further filtering can be done. While it's possible to craft a rule such that it only activates when the mail doesn't match the rule, it is not possible to have separate further conditions for both sides. A second problem is that any action taken must be at the end of a sequence. This prevents behaviors from occuring in-line.

Another advantage to DF is that it creates considerably greater modularity with what can be done, what can be checked on, and how the mail could be treated. In theory, different baysian filters could be applied at different points in the chain. Chains could be stored in a central location, and each email account could feed into them at varying points.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1.Not applicable
2.
3.

Actual Results:  
N.A.

Expected Results:  
N.A.

Comment 1

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

regarding 
> the current implementation has two major limitations. The first is that once a piece of mail fits a specific rule then filtering of that email stops.

I don't find this to be true. for example, two rules in the following order both take effect
  1. set message to junk
  2. move message to folder x

Comment 2

[Mike Cowperthwaite]

(In reply to comment #1)
> regarding 
> > the current implementation has two major limitations. The first is that
> > once a piece of mail fits a specific rule then filtering of that email
> > stops.
> 
> I don't find this to be true. for example, two rules in the following order
> both take effect
>   1. set message to junk
>   2. move message to folder x

If you reverse the order of those, it's true: once a message is moved from the Inbox, subsequent actions are not applied.

Comment 4

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

discussed at http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=368615

Comment 7

[Axel Grude [:realRaven]]

(In reply to Mike Cowperthwaite from comment #2)
> (In reply to comment #1)
> > regarding 
> > > the current implementation has two major limitations. The first is that
> > > once a piece of mail fits a specific rule then filtering of that email
> > > stops.
> > 
> > I don't find this to be true. for example, two rules in the following order
> > both take effect
> >   1. set message to junk
> >   2. move message to folder x
> 
> If you reverse the order of those, it's true: once a message is moved from
> the Inbox, subsequent actions are not applied.

Right. Which brings up the question: why is it not possible to create filters specific to other folders than the inbox? This _would_ in fact support a "tree" structure, by utilizing some folders as tree nodes.