Searching with prefix :folder and --output=files

Searching with prefix :folder and --output=files

[Nathan Clapham]

Hi Everyone, 

Thanks for notmuch mail, it is a great program!

I am having an issue searching with --output=files and the folder prefix.

Could you please tell me if I've misunderstood something or perhaps there is 
something wrong with my setup. Details of 2 examples below:

$ notmuch --version
notmuch 0.15.2

----
1. Archive folder

Archive message #: 1356
Directory: $HOME/Mail/Gmail/[Gmail].Archive

$ notmuch count folder:Archive
1356

$ notmuch search --output=messages folder:Archive | wc -l
1356

$ notmuch search --output=files folder:Archive | wc -l
1572

I wondered why I was getting more files listed in the last example. It turns out 
some files are included from other folders. For example:

Mail/Gmail/[Gmail].Sent Mail/cur/137075610...28e65ad90fc4f:2,S

If I then do this:

$ notmuch search --output=files folder:Archive | grep Archive | wc -l
1356

I get the correct count again.

Different folders have a similar issue:

2. INBOX folder

INBOX message #: 87
Directory: $HOME/Mail/Gmail/INBOX

$ notmuch count folder:INBOX
87

$ notmuch search --output=messages folder:INBOX | wc -l
87

$ notmuch search --output=files folder:INBOX | wc -l
97

This time some messages from Archive are included:

Mail/Gmail/[Gmail].Archive/cur/137077654...d7c877e152f72dd5ddbc11f:2,S

$ notmuch search --output=files folder:INBOX | grep INBOX | wc -l
87
----

I think this illustrates the problem I'm having. Maybe I don't understand how 
the folder: prefix works? Perhaps it is my folder structure - the inclusion of 
the imap prefix [Gmail].?? It seems the search is matching the correct messages 
though, but the output of files includes messages from another folder. 

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Nathan.

Re: Searching with prefix :folder and --output=files

[Mark Walters]

Hello

This is the "expected" but, I agree, counter-intuitive result.

First notmuch finds all the *messages* that match your query (ie
which have an associated filename matching the folder: part of your
query) and then it returns all filenames for these messages.

I think that notmuch views a message (as determined by a message-id) as
a single object in its database (it assumes that all copies are
identical) so fixing this would not be easy.

Best wishes

Mark


Nathan Clapham <nathan@claphams.info> writes:

> Hi Everyone, 
>
> Thanks for notmuch mail, it is a great program!
>
> I am having an issue searching with --output=files and the folder prefix.
>
> Could you please tell me if I've misunderstood something or perhaps there is 
> something wrong with my setup. Details of 2 examples below:
>
> $ notmuch --version
> notmuch 0.15.2
>
> ----
> 1. Archive folder
>
> Archive message #: 1356
> Directory: $HOME/Mail/Gmail/[Gmail].Archive
>
> $ notmuch count folder:Archive
> 1356
>
> $ notmuch search --output=messages folder:Archive | wc -l
> 1356
>
> $ notmuch search --output=files folder:Archive | wc -l
> 1572
>
> I wondered why I was getting more files listed in the last example. It turns out 
> some files are included from other folders. For example:
>
> Mail/Gmail/[Gmail].Sent Mail/cur/137075610...28e65ad90fc4f:2,S
>
> If I then do this:
>
> $ notmuch search --output=files folder:Archive | grep Archive | wc -l
> 1356
>
> I get the correct count again.
>
> Different folders have a similar issue:
>
> 2. INBOX folder
>
> INBOX message #: 87
> Directory: $HOME/Mail/Gmail/INBOX
>
> $ notmuch count folder:INBOX
> 87
>
> $ notmuch search --output=messages folder:INBOX | wc -l
> 87
>
> $ notmuch search --output=files folder:INBOX | wc -l
> 97
>
> This time some messages from Archive are included:
>
> Mail/Gmail/[Gmail].Archive/cur/137077654...d7c877e152f72dd5ddbc11f:2,S
>
> $ notmuch search --output=files folder:INBOX | grep INBOX | wc -l
> 87
> ----
>
> I think this illustrates the problem I'm having. Maybe I don't understand how 
> the folder: prefix works? Perhaps it is my folder structure - the inclusion of 
> the imap prefix [Gmail].?? It seems the search is matching the correct messages 
> though, but the output of files includes messages from another folder. 
>
> Any advice would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Nathan.
>
> _______________________________________________
> notmuch mailing list
> notmuch@notmuchmail.org
> http://notmuchmail.org/mailman/listinfo/notmuch

Re: Searching with prefix :folder and --output=files

[Jani Nikula]

On Wed, 12 Jun 2013, Mark Walters <markwalters1009@gmail.com> wrote:
> First notmuch finds all the *messages* that match your query (ie
> which have an associated filename matching the folder: part of your
> query) and then it returns all filenames for these messages.

I recently sent patches to clarify the man pages a bit while adding a
new feature to the cli:

http://mid.gmane.org/1370881897-3386-1-git-send-email-jani@nikula.org
http://mid.gmane.org/1370881714-3303-1-git-send-email-jani@nikula.org

> I think that notmuch views a message (as determined by a message-id) as
> a single object in its database (it assumes that all copies are
> identical) so fixing this would not be easy.

Assuming any fixing is needed, that is. One would assume any notmuch
search --output=files *without* the folder: prefix would return all
files for all matching messages. I think it would be rather confusing if
the folder: prefix modified that.

Like Mark said, the most important thing to understand is that all
notmuch searches match messages. The --output option just modifies how
those matching messages are presented; it does not affect what is
searched for at all.

BR,
Jani.