Maybe I need a search extension – SearchaQuilla?
November 20, 2009 – 11:13 amThe last few weeks I’ve been adding custom search terms to my FiltaQuilla extension using the new nsIMsgSearchCustomTerm interface, which can then be used in searches, virtual folders, or filters. But I keep coming up with new things that I want to do. That delays my packaging of FiltaQuilla 1.0.0 for non-experimental release. Maybe I should quit adding this stuff to FiltaQuilla (which is already pretty large with all of its filter actions) and define a new search-oriented extension, called probably SearchaQuilla?
So far, I have added the following new search terms:
BCC – locate items in the BCC field
Subject Regex – search the subject using a javascript regular expression
Header Regex – search any specific header using a javascript regular expression
Javascript – load javascript in a text field, and program your own search given an nsIMsgDBHdr object
Tag of Thread Head – match a tag in the head of a message’s thread
Tag of Thread Messages – match a tag near the message in its thread (within +/- 10 messages by default)
Address in Thread – match an address near the message in its thread (within +/- 10 messages by default)
This stuff can be useful outside of filters, in fact I am mostly using them personally to define virtual folders. So I’ll probably move them to a new extension, and try to get FiltaQuilla out the door finally.
rkent
Hi there,
A better search tool in Thunderbird 3+ would be fantastic. 3.0′s Gloda-based search is cute and all, but it is SLOW. Not to search, but to ENTER your search.
SO many TB 2.0 users crave the GmailUI addon’s expression based search. With it, I can do a complicated search in < 1sec, example:
"from: to: body:”
(though in gmailui its even shorter using f: t: and b:)
I can even say “not” (such as “-f:”)
In TB 3.0+, from the quicksearch bar, its “search all messages” for one string (can’t even specify if its from, to, etc).
Then the search tab eventually opens.
Then I have to scroll through all the ‘people’ (852 in my TB) to select who to involve / not-involve.
Then I still can’t search by subject or body contents, so I better have started this search with the text I wanted to find in the subject or body.
OR
I can right-click on a folder and pop up the Search Messages dialog,
and to make a “f: -t: s: b:” string, I have to go through 7 clicks and fill in the fields (once the pop-up is up)
Hopefully the laborious examples convey how annoying search is in TB 3.0 right now, an expression-based search from the quick-search bar (even if just for the current folder) would be phenomenal.
If the old gmailui’s expression search can be updated to TB 3 then great, if a slicker search utilizing gloda can be cranked out, fantastic, but search from the “quick” search bar really needs to be QUICK and MUCH more powerful than it currently is(n’t)
You asked “Maybe I need a search extension” – I’m sure you’ve got 100s of “to-do’s” but just search for gmailui and read all the users groans about lack of expression based search…
Thanks for your time!
JS + RegEx search extension would bring the very much demanded “variables” support to Thunderbird, which would be GREAT IMHO..
Keep up stim & good working
Best Regards