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 at 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.
>
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