760116 - Thunderbird should keep track of FileLink files and intelligently reuse links to them

Status: NEW

(Thunderbird :: FileLink, defect)

Description

[Gervase Markham [:gerv] (not reading bugmail)]

(I can't see a component for FileLink; feel free to move this and/or create one.)

I suspect people on occasion send the same large file or set of files to multiple people at different times. (E.g. "oh no, I left Grandma off that big photo mailout", or "Fred, can you send a copy of the presentation to Bill as well?"). 

Thunderbird should keep track of all files uploaded to FileLink as a sort of history, using some combination of their filename, path on disk, last modification time and hash to notice when a file is attached which has already been uploaded. Thunderbird should then verify with the file service that the file is still present and has not been deleted and, if so, insert the data corresponding to the previously-uploaded file into the email message rather than reuploading another copy.

For the user, this has the 3 advantages of greater speed of sending, saved bandwidth and saved file server space.

Gerv

Comment 1

[David :Bienvenu]

I don't think Thunderbird should keep track of files uploaded via file link, because sometimes people have multiple machines and thus upload from different places. Rather, Thunderbird should use the providers methods for iterating over files that have been uploaded, and expose those in Thunderbird somehow. For some providers, Thunderbird uses an app-specific directory, so it's easy to know which files were shared from Thunderbird, and I think the other providers are moving in that direction.

Comment 2

[Gervase Markham [:gerv] (not reading bugmail)]

Yep, that would be another way to do it, if the providers support some sort of file list which has more info than just name and size. Name, size and preserved last modification date might do. Hash would be better.

As soon as a file is attached and it's over the threshold, Thunderbird can be going away and working this out well before the user hits Send.

Gerv

Comment 3

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

I'd be very happy with comment 0

Comment 4

[Florence]

It's a very common business scenario the one where you need to send your clients the same attachments very often. Even simple PDF for contracts and such if badly printed, as it often occurs, can result in massive attachments. Re-uploading them every time is very time-consuming and as a simple hashing would fix the problem I think we should insist on this feature.
If not hashing files and comparing them, a simple dropdown menu for "recently uploaded files" to pick from and attach could work too. From my recent attemtps with Dropbox none of these options are currently available and I have to re-upload and duplicate attachments in my Dropbox folder, filling up the space allowed to my account and taking ages.