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authorPatrick Totzke <patricktotzke@gmail.com>2012-03-17 17:20:33 +0000
committerPatrick Totzke <patricktotzke@gmail.com>2012-03-17 17:20:33 +0000
commitcaf9b1c6f29840dacdb39db7aea7290f0a553833 (patch)
tree386fcf44defd9b61a7fdc591fa334516cddabcfc
parent0a3f35d2da7026699659bb50181829e3d7184633 (diff)
docs: moved FAQ to user manual
-rw-r--r--FAQ.md76
-rw-r--r--docs/source/faq.rst66
-rw-r--r--docs/source/index.rst1
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