Re: Balsa 2.2.3: can't change sort order (from/subject/date) with threading enabled

[Peter Bloomfield <PeterBloomfield bellsouth net>]

On 08/27/2004 05:45:53 AM, Miquel van Smoorenburg wrote:
> On 2004.08.21 21:24, Miquel van Smoorenburg wrote:
> > I just noticed that with balsa 2.2.3, if I click on any of the
> > From/Subject/Date/etc headers in the message listbox, the
> > sorting order doesn't change as it did before.
> >
> > Turning off threading (View -> Flat Index) makes it work, and
> > in fact, those settings stick after I reenable threading.
> > So the workaround is to temporarily disable threading
> > when changing the sort order.
>
> I didn't mention that this is an IMAP mailbox, though you
> might have guessed it based on my previous messages :)
>
> Is this because IMAP uses server-side threading ?

Yes, it is: the IMAP protocol supports threading and sorting  
separately, but not together--that is, you can't request a  
threaded view other than in some default sort order.  Balsa could  
request a custom-sorted unthreaded view in addition to the  
threaded view and combine the info locally, but that would  
require another roundtrip to the server, which is time-consuming  
in some situations.

> Would there be any way to turn that off, i'm seeing some other  
> weird things that might be caused by server-side threading.
>
> For example, sometimes when a new message arrives in an open
> mailbox in an existing thread it isn't placed under the
> existing thread but at the bottom of the list as new mail.
>
> Perhaps it's my IMAP server that causes this (dovecot 0.99.x)
> but I'm not sure.

No, that too is Balsa--getting a newly arrived message into the  
proper thread requires a complete server-side rethreading...

We need discussion of some of these choices.

Best,

Peter