Difference between search and filter

Difference between search and filter

[Xavier Maillard]

Hi,

GNU Emacs interface comes with 2 functions I am not sure I am
using correctly.

What's the difference between searching and filtering exactly (s
and f) ? It seems to me that they deserve the same purpose.

Regards,

Xavier

Re: Difference between search and filter

[Carl Worth]

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On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:23:01 +0200, Xavier Maillard <xma@gnu.org> wrote:
> GNU Emacs interface comes with 2 functions I am not sure I am
> using correctly.
> 
> What's the difference between searching and filtering exactly (s
> and f) ? It seems to me that they deserve the same purpose.

The search command executes a new global search. It will display all
threads from the database with messages that match the search terms.

The filter command refines the current search. It will take the current
search and filter it down to those threads with messages match the
search terms.

The filter command is a convenience function for taking the current
search terms, appending "and <new-search-terms>" and then running a new
global search.

Does that make sense?

-Carl

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Re: Difference between search and filter

[Xavier Maillard]

Hi

[I know I am really late on this one ;)]

On Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:16:53 -0700, Carl Worth <cworth@cworth.org> wrote:
> On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:23:01 +0200, Xavier Maillard <xma@gnu.org> wrote:
> > GNU Emacs interface comes with 2 functions I am not sure I am
> > using correctly.
> > 
> > What's the difference between searching and filtering exactly (s
> > and f) ? It seems to me that they deserve the same purpose.
> 
> The search command executes a new global search. It will display all
> threads from the database with messages that match the search terms.
> 
> The filter command refines the current search. It will take the current
> search and filter it down to those threads with messages match the
> search terms.
> 
> The filter command is a convenience function for taking the current
> search terms, appending "and <new-search-terms>" and then running a new
> global search.
> 
> Does that make sense?

Yes and no ;) In fact I'd rather have 'f' does a 'f'orward of current
thread/message rather than refine the current search.

Why not just have a unique function then if, in the end, there is
another global search ?

I would propose to have 's' (when in a notmuch-search buffer) to do what
pressing 'f' does today -i.e appending a 'and' and bind C-u s RET to do a whole brand new global
search.

What aout that ?

/Xavier

Re: Difference between search and filter

[Rob Browning]

Xavier Maillard <xma@gnu.org> writes:

> Yes and no ;) In fact I'd rather have 'f' does a 'f'orward of current
> thread/message rather than refine the current search.

We could also consider a prefix for less common commands.  For example,
I'm used to C-c C-f for forward, which I only use occasionally.

Though I'm also used to 'f' and 'F' for "followup" commands (as compared
to 'r' and 'R' for reply commands), so I'd have to get used to 'f' as
something else, regardless.

-- 
Rob Browning
rlb @defaultvalue.org and @debian.org
GPG as of 2002-11-03 14DD 432F AE39 534D B592 F9A0 25C8 D377 8C7E 73A4

Re: Difference between search and filter

[Rob Browning]

Rob Browning <rlb@defaultvalue.org> writes:

> Though I'm also used to 'f' and 'F' for "followup" commands (as compared
> to 'r' and 'R' for reply commands), so I'd have to get used to 'f' as
> something else, regardless.

Also, is notmuch planning to support both followup and reply?  If so,
then it might make sense to start thinking about the desired
keybindings.

For example, at least in gnus, 'F' (followup with quoted original) is
one of the commands I use most offten.

-- 
Rob Browning
rlb @defaultvalue.org and @debian.org
GPG as of 2002-11-03 14DD 432F AE39 534D B592 F9A0 25C8 D377 8C7E 73A4