Allow designating certain tags as "property" tags.

Those are tags like attachment, signed, sent, etc., which are set
automatically based on message properties and are typically not changed
manually.

Such designated tags are not affected by the retag operation.

3 files changed, 21 insertions, 9 deletions

diff --git a/alot/commands/common.py b/alot/commands/common.py
index 8280a5c0..4914933c 100644
--- a/alot/commands/common.py
+++ b/alot/commands/common.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ from . import Command
 
 from .globals import PromptCommand
 
+from ..settings.const import settings
 
 class RetagPromptCommand(Command):
 
@@ -18,13 +19,14 @@ class RetagPromptCommand(Command):
         item = get_selected_item()
         if not item:
             return
-        tags = []
-        for tag in item.get_tags():
-            if ' ' in tag:
-                tags.append('"%s"' % tag)
-            # skip empty tags
-            elif tag:
-                tags.append(tag)
-        initial_tagstring = ','.join(sorted(tags)) + ','
+
+        exclude_tags = frozenset(settings.get('property_tags'))
+        tags = map(lambda x: ("%s" % x) if ' ' in x else x,
+                   item.get_tags() - exclude_tags)
+
+        initial_tagstring = ','.join(sorted(tags))
+        if initial_tagstring:
+            initial_tagstring += ','
+
         r = await ui.apply_command(PromptCommand('retag ' + initial_tagstring))
         return r
diff --git a/alot/db/manager.py b/alot/db/manager.py
index 6424f32f..cf452c42 100644
--- a/alot/db/manager.py
+++ b/alot/db/manager.py
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ class DBManager:
     """constants representing sort orders"""
 
     _exclude_tags = None
+    _property_tags = None
 
     def __init__(self, path=None, ro=False):
         """
@@ -98,6 +99,7 @@ class DBManager:
         self.processes = []
 
         self._exclude_tags = frozenset(settings.get('exclude_tags'))
+        self._property_tags = frozenset(settings.get('property_tags'))
 
     def _db_ro(self):
         return Database(path = self.path, mode = Database.MODE.READ_ONLY)
@@ -159,8 +161,9 @@ class DBManager:
                                 if cmd == 'tag':
                                     msg_tags |= op_tags
                                 if cmd == 'set':
+                                    property_tags = msg_tags & self._property_tags
                                     msg_tags.clear()
-                                    msg_tags |= op_tags
+                                    msg_tags |= op_tags | property_tags
                                 elif cmd == 'untag':
                                     msg_tags -= op_tags
 
diff --git a/alot/defaults/alot.rc.spec b/alot/defaults/alot.rc.spec
index 943bfe16..46572758 100644
--- a/alot/defaults/alot.rc.spec
+++ b/alot/defaults/alot.rc.spec
@@ -14,6 +14,13 @@ input_timeout = float(default=1.0)
 # .. note:: this config setting is equivalent to, but independent of, the 'search.exclude_tags' in the notmuch config.
 exclude_tags = force_list(default=list())
 
+# A list of tags that are considered message "properties", and will not be
+# normally touched. Specifically, these tags will not be removed by the retag
+# operation, and will excluded from completion.
+# Using a property-tag in an explicit add or remove operation will still work
+# normally.
+property_tags = force_list(default=list(attachment,encrypted,signed,sent,replied))
+
 # confirm exit
 bug_on_exit = boolean(default=False)