MBOX-Line: From mrc+imap at panda.com  Fri May 20 15:23:37 2011
To: imap-protocol@u.washington.edu
From: Mark Crispin <mrc+imap@panda.com>
Date: Fri Jun  8 12:34:46 2018
Subject: [Imap-protocol] Thoughts on keyword improvements/enhancements
In-Reply-To: <98F27C33-0A6C-4320-B983-C4B8EAB9D0A6@iki.fi>
References: <20110518210716.GA12636@brong.net>
	<alpine.OSX.2.00.1105181519330.24932@hsinghsing.panda.com>
	<20110519045851.GA23466@brong.net>
	<alpine.OSX.2.00.1105182203320.24932@hsinghsing.panda.com>
	<20110519220352.GA12141@brong.net>
	<alpine.OSX.2.00.1105191513210.24932@hsinghsing.panda.com>
	<20110520002607.Horde.lf1bSoF5lbhN1gl-aoNHDLA@bigworm.curecanti.org>
	<1305883385.10421.294.camel@hurina>
	<20110520121957.Horde.chpUaIF5lbhN1rDN6FN3DTA@bigworm.curecanti.org>
	<1305918054.10421.369.camel@hurina>
	<20110520214340.GA1097@brong.net>
	<98F27C33-0A6C-4320-B983-C4B8EAB9D0A6@iki.fi>
Message-ID: <alpine.OSX.2.00.1105201505320.24932@hsinghsing.panda.com>

On Sat, 21 May 2011, Timo Sirainen wrote:
> Hmm. Yeah. I've never really liked that command. Internally in Dovecot I
> have only +flags/keywords, -flags/keywords and "remove all keywords". I
> wonder what the real use cases for STORE FLAGS is?

Other than removing all flags ("tag STORE n FLAGS ()"), there isn't a use
case.  That was not the opinion of a certain individual back in the day.

Be thankful that we have +FLAGS and -FLAGS.  I had to fight a certain
individual who demanded that I remove them.  The claim was that there
should only be FLAGS, so the client would know the result rather than
getting it back after the application of +FLAGS/-FLAGS.

I never found out if the client (which rather quickly faded into oblivion)
he wrote used FLAGS.  Certainly everybody else uses +FLAGS/-FLAGS.

My c-client API doesn't even have an API call for FLAGS.  The c-client
based version of imapd implements FLAGS by doing the API equivalent of
-FLAGS for all system flags + keywords, followed by a +FLAGS of the
desired list.  I wouldn't be surprised if the back end of other IMAP
servers also lack a "set flags" operator (instead of the more useful "add
flags" and "remove flags").

I used FLAGS once, in a tool that had to clear all flags for some reason
that I have thankfully forgotten.  I just remember doing it, and thinking
"gee, finally a use for FLAGS".  Needless to say, it would have been
better if that tool was inconvenienced than what we have now with every
IMAP server having to do it.

-- Mark --

http://panda.com/mrc
Democracy is two wolves and a sheep deciding what to eat for lunch.
Liberty is a well-armed sheep contesting the vote.

