[RFC] : New features (search, filters, virtual folders...)

[Emmanuel <e allaud wanadoo fr>]

	Hi all,
yeah we approach 1.3.x developpement release so I can't help it, I want to 
share ideas about new features for Balsa. I began to talk with Carlos 
about it in private, and find it natural to bring it to the list.

First of all, ASA the filters patch will be incorporated in 1.3.x dev 
cycle (that will be soon, or even for the first release, please confirm 
that Carlos :). So we will have an (rather basic, and we will have to fix 
all the design flaws and weird bugs :) infrastructure that will allow us 
to implement all these new features :
	* filtering on demand or automatic filtering (eg on reception, on 
exit, that's what is planned for now, but this is extensible) : this is 
what is in place for now and work pretty well (at least for me and few 
others, though I don't use automatic filtering and this part is not really 
well tested, isn't it Carlos ;-)
	* search functions : using the "matching functions" (we'll have 
perhaps to split the current API to have more flexible funcs) we can 
implement a "classical" search func, ie search in place that is you enter 
a matching rule, click the button and you are moved to the first (or last, 
or next...) message matching this rule, but also we could have something 
different : something like an "out of place" search, I think of a popup 
window with a list of message that match the rules, you browse it and 
double-click on whatever message will let you see the message (eg it will 
select the message in the mailbox, or simply open a new window that will 
print the whole message like when you now double-click on a message in the 
list; this should certainly be choosable by prefs).
	* virtual folders (I don't know Evolution but everyone speaks 
about it, shame on me :) : as I have thought about it, it is a "fake" 
mailbox, and, when you launch it, it will be filled in by all messages 
(from one or several mailboxes) matching the rules you had set up. Also 
each message in the virtual folder will be like "symlinks" in file 
systems, that is I think like the search func when double-clicking a 
message in the v. folder you will be either moved to the actual message, 
or the message will be pop-uped in a new window, or whatever other 
possibility you can think of.

OK here it is, comment, flame war, whatever welcome :) before I try to 
code one or another.
Thanks to have read 'till here :)
Bye
Manu