46494 - uw imapd container quirk

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(MailNews Core :: Networking: IMAP, enhancement, P3)

Description

[timeless]

The University of Washington IMAPD doesn't allow clients to use folders for 
both mail and folders.

When checking folders and mail if mozmail realizes that the server behaves like 
a uw-imapd it should do the following behavior:
Pair folders (eg Inbox) and Directories (eg Inbox.sbd/). -- This behavior 
mimics mozmail behavior for local mail folders. [a Folder contains messages; a 
Directory contains containers, both Folders and Directories are containers.]

If a user tries to move a container (eg "Drafts") into a mail folder (egInbox):
* the paired directory (eg Inbox.sbd/) is created if it doesn't exist.
* the container (Drafts and Drafts.sbd/) is moved into the paired directory (eg 
Inbox.sbd/).

If a user tries to move a message into a folder (eg from Inbox to 
Personal.sbd/):
* the paired folder (eg Personal) is created if it doesn't exist.
* the message is moved into the paired folder (eg Personal).

When a user creates a folder we can just create the mail folder, or we can 
create the pair.
--
* I think I read that an imap agent can not assume that because we spoke w/ a 
uw-imapd server at 10.0.4.1 last time that the next time we talk to that ip ... 
will have a uw-imapd server.  This can be addressed later.

* The directory separator is server specified, for demonstration I used '/', in 
practice this would be auto detected.

Comment 1

[timeless]

*** Bug 46493 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 2

[Ben Bucksch (:BenB)]

*** Bug 46493 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 3

[Ben Bucksch (:BenB)]

Why is this an interop bug? In fact, this bug is (as already pointed out on IRC)
an interop problem. You must not assume that the users uses Mozilla only. The
point of IMAP is in part to be able to use any client any time. Yes, it would
work on other clients, but showing lots of .sdb folders is hardly a good user
experience. We would be increasing the user experience in our mailer at the cost
of otehr mailers. This is IMO (others may disagree) unnecessary, as the
limitation is inherent to the current *server*, not out client.

IMO, the right way to fix this is to implement this in the server. So, I suggest
WONTFIX.

Comment 4

[Dan Mosedale (:dmosedale, :dmose)]

I think I have to agree with BenB that this does real bad things for the user
experience from other clients, and as such doesn't seem like the way to go.

Comment 5

[John G. Myers]

This proposal is to circumvent a deliberate server policy, always a bad thing.  
These sorts of workarounds are only appropriately done on the server.

The Netscape IMAP server, for example, implements dual-use folders.  It, 
however, deliberately exposes a policy of not allowing subfolders of INBOX.  
An implementation of this proposal is likely to interact with such servers in an 
undesired way.

In the Netscape IMAP server, all created folders are selectable.  How would the 
client deal with "Inbox.sbd" or "Trash.sbd" folders that are selectable?  

How would the client deal with a folder named "Personal" that is non-selectable 
but allows subfolders?  How would the client deal with two folders, one named 
"foo/bar" the other named "foo.sbd/bar"?

Comment 6

[Scott MacGregor]

I agree this bug is invalid in the client. It's a server policy issue. marking
invalid. 

Comment 7

[timeless]

This is an enhancement request. You may NOT mark it as invalid.

Comment 8

[timeless]

This proposal is for uw servers. If netscape servers are different that's fine.
fact:
a) UW servers are common
b) They confuse the user 
c) No logical ui exists for uw

if a directory 'this/' exists and the user tries to move a message into it, 
mozmail should try to rename this/ to this.sbd/ and create the mail folder 
this.

Server policy? this is the server's laziness. If the policy was set by the 
admin "don't allow directories" then fine. However that is not what the policy 
is.

If someone creates the two directories foo/ and foo.sbd/ it's treated just as 
in local mail. [This behavior is already defined]

The user experience in another client (eg outlook) is interesting
Click on a directory eg Inbox.sbd/ and you'll get an error message.
Had the directory been named Foo/ you'd get the same error message.

I'm making pretty annotated pictures for dmose.  When they're presentable i'll 
post a url here.

Comment 9

[Ben Bucksch (:BenB)]

> c) No logical ui exists for uw

IMO, the current UI of rendering directories different is fine.

Comment 10

[Scott MacGregor]

future then.

Comment 11

[scottputterman]

reassigning jefft's bugs to naving

Comment 12

[(not reading, please use [e-mail] instead)]

mass re-assign.

Comment 13

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Unlikely to still be an issue. If someone still sees a problem, please file a new bug report