> > - etcpath to searchpath.
> >     I created a new routine searchpath to replace etcpath. If given
> >     a filename without leading '/' or '~' it searches the folder
> >     and all its parents before searching ~/Mail and /etc/nmh.
> >     While I was writing this into nmh the same feature was also put
> >     into exmh, but nmh would be a cleaner location?
> 
> Aren't there usability and security concerns with this?  Won't some people
> suddenly start getting different components files than the ones they expect
> if they don't change their .mh_profile to prepend '~/<`mhparam path`>' to
> all components filenames?
> 
> I think it'd be safer to check the current directory (but not its parent
> tree -- why do you need that?) *last*, with an option to force the
> components file in the current directory by using './'..., just like with
> $PATHs.

With current directory you mean current folder, or really current directory?

I agree it's probably wise to check for './' and '..' cases as well as '/'
and '~'.

I need it because I have groups of mailboxes that I treat the same.
I have a group of work-related mailboxes that need my work email address
in the from header, private mails get a different from. By using a
recursive search I only have to have one component file for work or
private (To see where I'm coming from, I have 200 mailboxes with 
27000 mails, and I like to keep things manageable).

Security concerns? The user still gets to see the mail before he sends it,
doesn't he? The routine only searches in the user's mailfolders. I can't
imagine any security concerns, but then I do have to admit I don't
understand all the uses people have for nmh like public folders.

Usability concerns? If the user has files called 'components' in a
mailfolder, I think we can assume in 99.99% of the cases that user
want to use that file for mails composed from that folder.

The recursiveness could be a little trickier. If a user has folders
a and a/b, with a components file in a, I can imagine circumstances
where he wouldn't want to use that components file from a/b. I
still think that won't happen too often.

> Frankly, though, you'd increase the chances of the patches getting applied
> if the new features were implemented across the board and if you updated the
> documentation to reflect the changes (you didn't mention whether or not
> you'd done this).

That's why I first sent my request for interest to the list. Stuff works
satisfactorily for me now. If nobody wanted it, I wouldn't have bothered
with documentation and parts that I don't use.

I'll split up the searchpath and components changes and flesh them out
a bit more, and put them on the list when they work.

Thanks for the feedback.

Tobias

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