diff options
author | Patrick Totzke <patricktotzke@gmail.com> | 2012-03-17 17:20:33 +0000 |
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committer | Patrick Totzke <patricktotzke@gmail.com> | 2012-03-17 17:20:33 +0000 |
commit | caf9b1c6f29840dacdb39db7aea7290f0a553833 (patch) | |
tree | 386fcf44defd9b61a7fdc591fa334516cddabcfc | |
parent | 0a3f35d2da7026699659bb50181829e3d7184633 (diff) |
docs: moved FAQ to user manual
-rw-r--r-- | FAQ.md | 76 | ||||
-rw-r--r-- | docs/source/faq.rst | 66 | ||||
-rw-r--r-- | docs/source/index.rst | 1 |
3 files changed, 67 insertions, 76 deletions
diff --git a/FAQ.md b/FAQ.md deleted file mode 100644 index 2f299fec..00000000 --- a/FAQ.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,76 +0,0 @@ -FAQ -=== -What is all this about? ------------------------ -[*notmuch*][notmuch] is an email indexer that allows you to search through you mails, -making traditional folder based access to emails obsolete. -It is (email)thread based and makes extensive use of the tagging metaphor. -notmuch provides a C-library and bindings for several other languages and a CLI tool. -Additionally, there are several interfaces that let you interact with your index -and provide additional MUA functionality. - -*alot* is such an interface. It lives in your terminal and tries hard to look -and feel like a MUA. It is intended as a notmuch based MUA for people -unwilling to use their editor as a mailclient. - -Why reinvent the wheel? Why not extend an existing MUA to work nicely with notmuch? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -*alot* makes use of existing solutions where possible: -It does not fetch, send or edit mails; it lets *notmuch* handle your mailindex and uses -a [toolkit][toolkit] to render its display. You are responsible for [automatic initial tagging][inittag]. - -This said, there are few CLI MUAs that could be easily and naturally adapted to using notmuch. -Rebuilding an interface from scratch using [friendly and extensible tools][python] seemed easier -and more promising. - -What's with the snotty name? ----------------------------- -It's not meant to be presumptuous. I like the dichotomy; -I like to picture the look on someone's face who reads the X-MAILER flag -"notmuch/alot"; I like cookies; I like this comic strip: -http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html - -I want feature X! ------------------ -Me too! Feel free to file a new (or comment on an existing) [issue][issue] if you don't -want/have the time/know how to implement it yourself. Be verbose as to -how it should look or work when it's finished and give it some thought how you -think we should implement it. We'll discuss it from there. - -Why are the default key bindings so counter-intuitive? ------------------------------------------------------- -Be aware that the bindings for all modes are fully configurable (see the CUSTOMIZE.md). -That said, I choose the bindings to be natural for me. I use vim and [pentadactyl][pd] a lot. -However, I'd be interested in discussing the defaults. If you think -your bindings are more intuitive or better suited as defaults for some reason, -don't hesitate to send me your config. The same holds for the theme settings you use. -Tell me. Let's improve the defaults. - -Why are you $this not $that way? --------------------------------- -Lazyness and Ignorance: In most cases I simply did not or still don't know a better solution. -I try to outsource as much as I can to well established libraries and be it only to avoid -having to read rfc's. But there are lots -of tasks I implemented myself, possibly overlooking a ready made and available solution. -Twisted is such a feature-rich but gray area in my mind for example. -If you think you know how to improve the current implementation let me know! - -The few exceptions to above stated rule are the following: - -* CLI option parsing is done using twisted.usage.Options, and not (as e.g. in-app command parsing) - via argparse. The reason is that argparse does not yet offer optional subcommands. -* The modules cmd and cmd2, that handle all sorts of convenience around command objects - hate urwid: They are painfully strongly coupled to user in/output via stdin and out. -* `notmuch reply` is not used to format reply messages because 1. it is not offered by - notmuch's library but is a feature of the CLI. This means we would have to call the notmuch - binary, something that is avoided where possible. 2. As there is no `notmuch forward` equivalent, - this (very similar) functionality would have to be re-implemented anyway. - - - -[issue]: https://github.com/pazz/alot/issues -[inittag]: http://notmuchmail.org/initial_tagging/ -[notmuch]: http://notmuchmail.org -[toolkit]: http://excess.org/urwid/ -[python]: http://www.python.org/ -[pd]: http://dactyl.sourceforge.net/pentadactyl/ diff --git a/docs/source/faq.rst b/docs/source/faq.rst new file mode 100644 index 00000000..23dc82c2 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/source/faq.rst @@ -0,0 +1,66 @@ +FAQ +*** + +1. Why reinvent the wheel? Why not extend an existing MUA to work nicely with notmuch? + + alot makes use of existing solutions where possible: It does not fetch, send or edit + mails; it lets `notmuch <http://notmuchmail.org>`_ handle your mailindex and uses a + `toolkit <http://excess.org/urwid/>`_ to render its display. You are responsible for + `automatic initial tagging <http://notmuchmail.org/initial_tagging/>`_. + + This said, there are few CLI MUAs that could be easily and naturally adapted to using notmuch. + Rebuilding an interface from scratch using `friendly and extensible tools <http://www.python.org/>`_ + seemed easier and more promising. + +2. What's with the snotty name? + + It's not meant to be presumptuous. I like the dichotomy; I like to picture the look on + someone's face who reads the :mailheader:`X-MAILER` flag "notmuch/alot"; I like cookies; I like + `this comic strip <http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html>`_. + +3. I want feature X! + + Me too! Feel free to file a new or comment on existing + `issues <https://github.com/pazz/alot/issue>`_ if you don't want/have the time/know how to + implement it yourself. Be verbose as to how it should look or work when it's finished and + give it some thought how you think we should implement it. We'll discuss it from there. + +4. Why are the default key bindings so counter-intuitive? + + Be aware that the bindings for all modes are :doc:`fully configurable <configuration`. + That said, I choose the bindings to be natural for me. I use `vim <http://vim.org>`_ and + `pentadactyl <http://dactyl.sourceforge.net/pentadactyl/>`_ a lot. However, I'd be + interested in discussing the defaults. If you think your bindings are more intuitive or + better suited as defaults for some reason, don't hesitate to send me your config. The same + holds for the theme settings you use. Tell me. Let's improve the defaults. + +5. Help! I don't see `text/html` content! + + better: How do I properly set up an inline renderer for `text/html`? + Try `w3m <http://w3m.sourceforge.net/>`_ and put the following into your + :file:`~/.mailcap`:: + + text/html; w3m -dump -o document_charset=%{charset} '%s'; nametemplate=%s.html; copiousoutput + + Most `text based browsers <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Text-based_web_browser>`_ have + a dump mode that can be used here. + +6. Why are you $THIS not $THAT way? + + Lazyness and Ignorance: In most cases I simply did not or still don't know a better solution. + I try to outsource as much as I can to well established libraries and be it only to avoid + having to read rfc's. But there are lots + of tasks I implemented myself, possibly overlooking a ready made and available solution. + Twisted is such a feature-rich but gray area in my mind for example. + If you think you know how to improve the current implementation let me know! + + The few exceptions to above stated rule are the following: + + * CLI option parsing is done using twisted.usage.Options, and not (as e.g. in-app command parsing) + via argparse. The reason is that argparse does not yet offer optional subcommands. + * The modules cmd and cmd2, that handle all sorts of convenience around command objects + hate urwid: They are painfully strongly coupled to user in/output via stdin and out. + * `notmuch reply` is not used to format reply messages because 1. it is not offered by + notmuch's library but is a feature of the CLI. This means we would have to call the notmuch + binary, something that is avoided where possible. 2. As there is no `notmuch forward` equivalent, + this (very similar) functionality would have to be re-implemented anyway. diff --git a/docs/source/index.rst b/docs/source/index.rst index 47dacf3e..7b9203e3 100644 --- a/docs/source/index.rst +++ b/docs/source/index.rst @@ -15,3 +15,4 @@ User Manual usage/index configuration/index api/index + faq |