Esumsoft Forums

Using v5 for quite a while, an option to delete (all and only) open messages would be useful.

Thank you.

You probably know this already -- but just in case. You can select specific non-contiguous messages in the Inbox as a group to delete by holding down the "CTRL" key while selecting each message and then delete all the selected messages as a group. Or you can select a group of contiguous messages from one point in the Inbox to another point in the Inbox by holding down the "Shift" key while selecting the group of messages which can then all be deleted at the same time.

I do know that and I indeed frequently do just that.
And these are the extra actions I'd like to spare.

Here is a common workflow: I have 10 messages, open 3 and then want to delete those only.
Currently I have to return to the main window and use your method (i.e. detect the open messages, select them and then delete them).
"Delete Open Messages" would make it much more convenient.

Thank you.

Your suggestion would most definitely be more convenient (it would probably be a function that would need a "Are you sure" confirmation prompt). Thanks for the suggestion -- Jeff should be getting back to you on this.

Great. Thanks again.

That's a little too specific-use-case for my liking. But I have an idea that may be more generally useful and get you a little convenience -- what if there was a "show all message windows" command? You could use that and then delete-delete-delete.

On a related note: for someone that doesn't abhor grouping taskbar buttons like I do -- does Windows already provide something similar? e.g. if you right-click on a stack of grouped windows in the taskbar, is there a command that opens all the windows?

There is a right-click "Close all windows" option (in this case for POP Peepers stacked windows): What you see here is the extent of it (at least in my case using Win10) The "Close all windows" option will close the entire group of stacked PP windows.

what if there was a "show all message windows" command? You could use that and then delete-delete-delete.

This wouldn't be practical IMO. For deleting 10 open messages it should be delete-delete-delete-delete-delete-delete-delete-delete-delete-delete.

*Select* Open Messages might be better but not much.

That's a little too specific-use-case for my liking.

How about a broader approach?
There are a few commands related to hiding specific messages.
In v5 you can add some commands making it easier to manipulate messages: Delete Open, Select Open, Delete Read, Select Read and perhaps more.

Thank you Jeff and lakrsrool.

Moshe wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 6:38 am This wouldn't be practical IMO. For deleting 10 open messages it should be delete-delete-delete-delete-delete-delete-delete-delete-delete-delete.

Yes, but it would still be more convenient than what you're doing now...?

*Select* Open Messages might be better but not much.

But that, IMO, again restricts the broad use. What are you going to do once you have the messages selected? Welll... I guess there are a few actions you could do: delete, mark read/unread and set a user-flag, mark junk/legit, move, .... not to mention just locating the opened message(s) in the list... Actually, I kinda like that idea now

In v5 you can add some commands making it easier to manipulate messages: Delete Open, Select Open, Delete Read, Select Read and perhaps more.

That's not broader, that's just adding a bunch more specific use-cases However, in a strange way, adding more of these things is actually more appealing than just one.

But, *selecting* the messages is the only way this would be considered. Performing a specific action, like delete, is not justifiable. You want to delete them, someone else wants to mark them as unread, someone else wants to mark them as Junk, etc. and depending on how many "select this type" commands you have, you have 100 different commands of which only .0001% of POP Peeper users would consider using, even if they could find the one command amongst the 100 others that they wanted... But if you select the type of messages that you want, then you can do whatever else you want and it only takes another key/click or two.

OH, and along with that change, it would be essential that the status bar show the number of selected messages.

This wouldn't be practical IMO. For deleting 10 open messages it should be delete-delete-delete-delete-delete-delete-delete-delete-delete-delete.
...
Yes, but it would still be more convenient than what you're doing now...?

Possibly, but selecting would be better.

Performing a specific action, like delete, is not justifiable. You want to delete them, someone else wants to mark them as unread, someone else wants to mark them as Junk, etc.

Good point.

I guess there are a few actions you could do: delete, mark read/unread and set a user-flag, mark junk/legit, move, .... not to mention just locating the opened message(s) in the list... Actually, I kinda like that idea now
...
But, *selecting* the messages is the only way this would be considered.

If I understand you correctly, you're thinking of adding several Select commands: Select Open, Select Read, Select Unread etc.
Great.

You probably won't like the following idea but IMO it can be a useful addition.
How about adding to the new Select section a "Select+" or "Select and..." command?
- Display 2 ListBoxes: one containing the various Select options and the second containing some popular actions.
- Let the user pair a "Select (some messages)" and an "Action" and this would set the "Select+" command.

It would probably require some serious work, but suggesting it is easy.

OH, and along with that change, it would be essential that the status bar show the number of selected messages.

X open/read/unread messages selected?

Thank you. I appreciate it.

Moshe wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2020 7:54 am - Let the user pair a "Select (some messages)" and an "Action" and this would set the "Select+" command.

Yeah.... maybe. We'll see how I'm feeling when I implement the first part. And, to be clear, the first part won't be in v5.0. I'm resisting adding anything more that has GUI components. I'd like to say "I'm resisting adding anything more" but I liked the idea so much, yesterday I made an alternative method which will be in beta20. <drum roll please>

Advanced search will be able to accomplish the selections I mentioned. The special tag is "status" and a few of the ones I've added are:
new, read, unread, hidden, open, delete, important, etc. (there's currently a total of 20)

So, for example, to find the list of opened messages, you'd type this into the search box:
status: open

Or to find important:
status: important
(I'm mentioning this one specifically because there already exists a method to search for any user flag, ala "flag:important", but "important" is a special status, too).

The beauty of this is that it was relatively easy to add and the "count" already exists for search results.

Also, it should probably be said, the search results aren't dynamic -- the results represent the messages' status at the time of the search. If you open/close or mark read/unread messages, it's not going to change the search results unless you re-perform the search.


Here's the full list -- can anybody think of any others they may want? (there are 2 others that I've considered but haven't added for reasons)
new, read, unread, replied, forwarded, reported, delete, removed, hidden, important, open, junk, legit, unknown, userjunk, userlegit, userunknown, evaljunk, evallegit, evalunknown

yesterday I made an alternative method which will be in beta20.
...
Advanced search will be able to accomplish the selections I mentioned.

Drum roll.

Personally I don't use the Search functionality, but I suppose it can be useful to other users.

- Let the user pair a "Select (some messages)" and an "Action" and this would set the "Select+" command.
...
Yeah.... maybe. We'll see how I'm feeling when I implement the first part.

A standing ovation.

the first part won't be in v5.0.

I can certainly understand that.

Thank you.

Jeff -- Since you are including the User-flag "Important" (which I think is a good idea) -- how about the User-flag "Watch"?

Thinking it terms that the user intended to "watch" a message for a specific reason important enough to use the flag and it might take a long time to resolve the reason for the "watch" that could easily get lost in a busy In-box (with a lot of messages)....

A message tagged with a "watch" User-flag clearly implies returning to this message at some point for a resolution of some sort in the future depending upon when an outcome may have been reached (which as I pointed out, could potentially take some time).

(btw -- I like the decision of adding to the search to accomplish the task of producing various kinds of desired message lists -- that is, using an approach that adds user convenience that involves a function that is already present -- by simply expanding on it ... to ultimately add even more search functionality )

lakrsrool wrote: ↑Sat May 16, 2020 11:23 am how about the User-flag "Watch"?

This can already be done in b18; search for:
flag: watch


Eventually (post-v5.0), these will both probably be added to the "advanced search" window.

I'm assuming the "Important" you originally included in the "Here's the full list -- can anybody think of any others..." previously posted is the "Important" User-Flag and if so then this is why I suggested the "Watch" User-Flag.

But then your pointing out that the "Watch" search can already be done -- OK, but then I'm assuming so could "Important" be done that you had in the "full list". (as a matter of fact -- as I understand it, all the User-Flags can now be searched in the current beta if I'm not mistaken)

Allow me to reiterate what I said above:
"status: important
I'm mentioning this one specifically because there already exists a method to search for any user flag, ala "flag:important", but "important" is a special status, too"

"Watch" doesn't necessarily have a special status like "important". Important has its own keyboard shortcut, and it has a protected status when you try to delete an important message. Therefore, I feel that it deserves to be included in the "status" search, as well as the "flag" search.

Of course, this means that you could do a search like this:
status: important flag: watch
and your result count will always be precisely 0. No "or" searches yet...

Thanks for elaborating on the "special status" of the "Important" User-Flag --- I wasn't aware of this "special" status which as such impacts the "Important" User-Flag in unique ways.

A broader and more flexible alternative to "Select+":
Run simple "user-scripts" containing a sequence of commands.

- Select some messages.
- Some command.

- Delete.
- Check mail.

- View message.
- Flag.

I suppose that other users would find more useful combinations.