Re: [notmuch] JSON output as default [was: Re: [PATCH] Add an --output=(json|text|) command-line option...]
I definitely want to be able to pipe single-field lists coming from notmuch to grep, xargs, shell for loops, etc. without having to decode JSON. While I would love to see JSON (even by default), I agree. If I just want to code up a notmuch-based address book with sth like: notmuch show to:Diana --output=to --sort=relevance --limit=20 just getting back a plain list of mail addresses is the easiest to handle. ___ notmuch mailing list notmuch@notmuchmail.org http://notmuchmail.org/mailman/listinfo/notmuch
Re: [notmuch] JSON output as default [was: Re: [PATCH] Add an --output=(json|text|) command-line option...]
On Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:27:18 +0100 (CET), ra...@free.fr wrote: I definitely want to be able to pipe single-field lists coming from notmuch to grep, xargs, shell for loops, etc. without having to decode JSON. While I would love to see JSON (even by default), I agree. If I just want to code up a notmuch-based address book with sth like: notmuch show to:Diana --output=to --sort=relevance --limit=20 just getting back a plain list of mail addresses is the easiest to handle. This would also be useful for the Emacs/Vim interfaces. For instance, my smart completion patch would really benefit from notmuch being capable of outputing various fields in all messages in plain text separated by newlines (this is even easier to handle in emacs code than JSON). In fact, most of the C code I had to write for this patch is better replaced by the --output option... Ok, I'm convinced. I can see how they're both useful. I had been thinking more about the fact that text output isn't so useful for multiline content (like message content), but I can see how it would be useful for single line output. I had also been thinking about the fact that the current text output, specifically for the show command, *is* structured, but just not according to any standard that I know of. If the output is going to be structured (ie. show output) then it should be in JSON format. If not, like the output of a single field that is a single line, then having text output is definitely useful. jamie. pgpB44CJbMA2H.pgp Description: PGP signature ___ notmuch mailing list notmuch@notmuchmail.org http://notmuchmail.org/mailman/listinfo/notmuch
Re: [notmuch] JSON output as default [was: Re: [PATCH] Add an --output=(json|text|) command-line option...]
On Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:00:01 -0500, Jameson Rollins
jroll...@finestructure.net wrote:
Hey, Carl. I mentioned this is an email a while back
(id:87eil4ygar@servo.finestructure.net), but I want to bring it up
again now that you're looking at the JSON output stuff. I would like to
make the case for JSON being the one and only output format. Here's the
arguments:
Oh, I'm definitely in favor of killing the %message{ format.
As soon as we get the emacs and vi frontends switched to the json
output, then that old thing can be eliminated.
* using only one output format would considerably reduce the code base
in notmuch, keeping things simpler and easier to maintain
But I actually still want text-only output. It will be even less
parseable than the current output, (no delimiters at all), but also
have some niceties like thread indentation, etc.
The idea there is to support direct, human-readable output for quick
command-line use. (It also means that notmuch provides a much gentler
introduction to people just experimenting with it). And I'm willing to
keep the code base just a little bit complicated for that.
If we move to JSON output, it would be *so* sweet to provide means to
filter the output JSON fields. The --output flag could be used to
pick the desired output fields. For instance, the current search
output could be something like:
I definitely want to enable the user to select which fields are printed.
But I don't see how that depends on JSON output. In fact, for easy shell
scripts, etc. I want to be able to do search that give me filenames,
email addresses, etc. without any delimiters at all.
I definitely want to be able to pipe single-field lists coming from
notmuch to grep, xargs, shell for loops, etc. without having to decode
JSON.
So I'm still in favor of having a plain text output going forward,
(and by default).
-Carl
pgp6Lnf2blSzq.pgp
Description: PGP signature
___
notmuch mailing list
notmuch@notmuchmail.org
http://notmuchmail.org/mailman/listinfo/notmuch
