Re: gmail importer script

Subject: Re: gmail importer script

Date: Sat, 8 Dec 2012 13:40:17 +0100

To: Jason A. Donenfeld

Cc: public-notmuch-gxuj+Tv9EO5zyzON3hdc1g@plane.gmane.org, notmuch@notmuchmail.org

From: Rainer M Krug


On 7 December 2012 16:32, Jason A. Donenfeld <Jason@zx2c4.com> wrote:

>
>
> On Fri, Dec 7, 2012 at 2:57 PM, Rainer M Krug <r.m.krug@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>  >
>> >
>> > 2) I am downloading with the patched notmuch (to add x-keywords
>> containing the labels) only
>> > the "All Mail" folder - does your script use this information (if
>> present) to tag the emails?
>> >
>> >
>> > What is the patched notmuch? What does that do?
>>
>> Sorry - should have been "patched offlineimap" (
>> https://github.com/aroig/offlineimap
>>
>> http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.mail.imap.offlineimap.general/5943/focus=5970and
>> http://article.gmane.org/gmane.mail.imap.offlineimap.general/5970 )
>>
>> It is synching the gmail labels into the x-keywords header as a comma
>> separated list. These could
>> then be used by notmuch to be added to the labels. It also does sync
>> changes from the X-Keywords
>> to gmail (see
>> http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.mail.imap.offlineimap.general/5943/focus=5970for details)
>
>
> I see.
>
> I use the All Mail folder and get the tags using the X-GM-LABELS imap
> extension. I don't muck with the mail headers in the process, fortunately.
>

I actually prefer this approach, but I think it would be more useful to
leave the syncing of the emails to a different program, and then just
managing the labels / tags with your tool (which is notmuch territory). So
the workflow would be:

Initial or download (only remote changes):

1) Download email ("All Mail" folder) with whatever you are using
(offlinemail, ...)
2) call your script to index the downloaded emails (All Mail" folder) with
notmuch and get the labels and set / remove them in notmuch accordingly.

Upload (only local changes):

1) upload emails using whatever (offlineimap, ...)
2) upload the changed tags and create the needed new labels (and possibly
delete empty ons?)

The tricky part will be the synching when changes on both sides were
observed.
The mail sync is implemented in e.g. offlineimap and works reilably. But I
don't know how one could handle tag / label changes on both sides.

So, implementing the mail sync in this script would, as I see it, kind of
reinventing the wheel. One can leave it in, but I would like to have an
option to leave the synching of the emails to a separate program.

Cheers,

Rainer



-- 
NEW GERMAN FAX NUMBER!!!

Rainer M. Krug, PhD (Conservation Ecology, SUN), MSc (Conservation Biology,
UCT), Dipl. Phys. (Germany)

Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology
Natural Sciences Building
Office Suite 2039
Stellenbosch University
Main Campus, Merriman Avenue
Stellenbosch
South Africa

Cell:           +27 - (0)83 9479 042
Fax:            +27 - (0)86 516 2782
Fax:            +49 - (0)321 2125 2244
email:          Rainer@krugs.de

Skype:          RMkrug
Google:         R.M.Krug@gmail.com

Thread: