From: Dmitry Kurochkin <dmitry.kurochkin@gmail.com>
To: Austin Clements <amdragon@MIT.EDU>, Jani Nikula <jani@nikula.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] emacs: support "notmuch new" as a notmuch-poll-script
In-Reply-To: <20111212003103.GI2760@mit.edu>
References: <1323640100-18326-1-git-send-email-jani@nikula.org>
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	<CAB+hUn-ADRtZRCq5Ad6H6R2L246EBR8hOSsk4B2yeRsH4kN16w@mail.gmail.com>
	<20111212003103.GI2760@mit.edu>
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Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:39:03 +0400
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Cc: notmuch@notmuchmail.org
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On Sun, 11 Dec 2011 19:31:03 -0500, Austin Clements <amdragon@MIT.EDU> wrot=
e:
> Quoth Jani Nikula on Dec 12 at  1:10 am:
> >    On Dec 12, 2011 12:56 AM, "Austin Clements" <[1]amdragon@mit.edu> wr=
ote:
> >    >
> >    > Quoth Dmitry Kurochkin on Dec 12 at =C2=A02:00 am:
> >    > > Hi Jani.
> >    > >
> >    > > On Sun, 11 Dec 2011 23:48:20 +0200, Jani Nikula <[2]jani@nikula.=
org>
> >    wrote:
> >    > > > Let notmuch-poll-script be a function as well as a string. Make
> >    default
> >    > > > value nil instead of an empty string, but allow "" for backwar=
ds
> >    > > > compatibility. Add a notmuch poll function to call "notmuch ne=
w"
> >    using the
> >    > > > configured notmuch-command.
> >    > > >
> >    > > > This allows taking better advantage of the "notmuch new" hooks=
 from
> >    emacs
> >    > > > without intermediate scripts.
> >    > > >
> >    > >
> >    > > I was just thinking about working on this myself :)
> >    > >
> >    > > I think a better solution would be to allow running a command wi=
th
> >    > > arguments. =C2=A0Creating a elisp function just to run a command=
 with some
> >    > > parameters feels wrong. =C2=A0This way we would have to add anot=
her
> >    function
> >    > > each time we want to add another argument.
> >    >
> >    > This seems a little awkward to me, too, though perhaps it's the be=
st
> >    > way. =C2=A0Other approaches to consider include accepting a list f=
or
> >    > notmuch-poll-script (e.g., ("notmuch" "new")) or leaving it as a
> >    > string but treating it as a shell command so "notmuch new" would J=
ust
> >    > Work. =C2=A0Personally, I think the latter is the most intuitive, =
but it
> >    > would be worth looking at how other customizable external commands=
 are
> >    > done in Emacs.
> >    >
> >    > A function seems powerful, but also like overkill. =C2=A0Can you g=
ive a use
> >    > case for a function that wouldn't be more easily solved by one of =
the
> >    > above approaches?
> >=20
> >    The only reason I had for using a function was running notmuch using
> >    notmuch-command. Any ideas how to do that with the Just Works approa=
ch?
>=20
> Oh, I see.  I'd missed that.
>=20
> So here's another idea, prefaced with a rant.
>=20
> It's bothered me for a long time that notmuch-emacs didn't just know
> by default how to check for new mail.  What MUA doesn't know how to
> check for new mail?  Why does a new user of notmuch have to tell it
> how to check for new mail?  Of course, this *had* to be configured
> before because everyone had their own way of checking for new mail.
> Hooks eliminate this unnecessary flexibility and make "notmuch new"
> the one true way to check for new mail---as it ought to be---and in
> turn make the notmuch-poll-script variable obsolete.
>=20
> So, what about changing the default "" setting of notmuch-poll-script
> from meaning "do nothing and be useless" to meaning "run notmuch new
> (using notmuch-command)"?  It will then automatically do the right
> thing for new users, while still being backward-compatible and
> allowing an escape hatch for bizarre situations.

Fine with me.  AFAIK no one has asked for using custom functions for
notmuch-poll-script, so adding a sane default may be the simplest and
the best option.

Regards,
  Dmitry