Use Threads 🔥#
Since: NeoMutt 2021-08-01
Introduction#
The “Use Threads” feature adds a new config option to allow more precise control of how threads are displayed in the index. Whether threads are in use is now orthogonal from how messages are sorted.
Functions#
The “Use Threads” feature adds no new functions to NeoMutt. The existing
functions <sort-mailbox> and <sort-reverse> are updated to toggle the
state of $use_threads once it has been set, while preserving
backwards-compatible behavior on $sort if this feature is not used.
Variables#
The “Use Threads” feature adds one new config option,
$use_threads, which is an enumeration of possible thread
views. The variable defaults to unset for the original behavior of overloading
$sort=threads to enable sorting. It can be set to flat (or
no) for an unthreaded view based on $sort, to threads (or yes) for a
threaded view where roots appear above children, or to reverse for a threaded
view where children appear above roots.
When sorting by threads, the value of $sort determines which
thread floats to the top. If $sort does not contain reverse-, the latest
thread goes to the bottom for use_threads=threads and to the top for
use_threads=reverse; the direction of float is swapped if $sort also uses
reverse-. If $sort includes last-, the overall thread is sorted by its
descendant at any depth which would sort last in a flat view; otherwise, the
overall thread is sorted solely by the thread root. The last- prefix is
ignored when use_threads=flat.
Within a single thread, the value of $sort_aux determines
how siblings are sorted. The same prefixes apply as for $sort, although it is
less common to use the last- prefix.
The “Use Threads” feature also modifies the existing config option
$status_format, adding the %T expando which shows the
current threading method.
Use Threads Variable#
Flat View
12:01 cover letter for thread 1 12:02 part 1 of thread 1 12:03 part 2 of thread 1 12:04 part 3 of thread 1 12:05 thread 2 12:06 thread 3 12:07 re: part 2 of thread 1 12:08 re: thread 2
# Default configuration: flat view sorted by date
# selecting threads with <sort-mailbox> changes $sort
# set use_threads=unset sort=date sort_aux=date
# Modern configuration: explicit flat view sorted by date
# selecting threads with <sort-mailbox> changes $use_threads
set use_threads=no sort=date sort_aux=date
Threaded View
12:01 cover letter for thread 1 12:02 ├─>part 1 of thread 1 12:03 ├─>part 2 of thread 1 12:07 │ └─> 12:04 └─>part 3 of thread 1 12:05 thread 2 12:08 └─> 12:06 thread 3
# Legacy configuration: sorting threads by date started
# set sort=threads sort_aux=date
# Modern configuration for the same
# Latest root message sorts last
set use_threads=yes sort=date sort_aux=date
Reverse Threaded View
12:06 thread 3 12:08 ┌─> 12:05 thread 2 12:04 ┌─>part 3 of thread 1 12:07 │ ┌─> 12:03 ├─>part 2 of thread 1 12:02 ├─>part 1 of thread 1 12:01 cover letter for thread 1
# Legacy configuration: display threads upside-down
# set sort=reverse-threads sort_aux=date
# Modern configuration for the same
# Latest root message sorts first
set use_threads=reverse sort=date sort_aux=date
Recently Active First
12:05 thread 2 12:08 └─> 12:01 cover letter for thread 1 12:03 ├─>part 2 of thread 1 12:07 │ └─> 12:04 ├─>part 3 of thread 1 12:02 └─>part 1 of thread 1 12:06 thread 3
# Legacy configuration: recently active thread/subthread first
# set sort=threads sort_aux=reverse-last-date
# Modern configuration for the same
# Note that subthreads are also rearranged
set use_threads=threads sort=reverse-last-date sort_aux=reverse-last-date
Recently Active Last
12:06 thread 3 12:01 cover letter for thread 1 12:02 ├─>part 1 of thread 1 12:03 ├─>part 2 of thread 1 12:07 │ └─> 12:04 └─>part 3 of thread 1 12:05 thread 2 12:08 └─>
# Modern configuration: threads keep date order, recently active thread last
# (not possible with legacy configuration)
set use_threads=threads sort=last-date sort_aux=date
📷 Screenshot Needed
Subject: Flat vs threaded vs reverse threading modes
Description: Three NeoMutt index views of the same mailbox: (1) use_threads=no showing flat chronological order, (2) use_threads=yes showing threaded view with tree characters and roots above children, (3) use_threads=reverse showing inverted threads with children above roots.
Highlights: The difference in message ordering and the tree-drawing characters (|->, `->, ,->) — particularly how the same messages appear in completely different positions depending on the threading mode.
Known Bugs#
Even though use_threads accepts the values yes and no, it does not behave like a boolean or quad-option variable.
A bare set use_threads performs a query rather than setting it to yes, and the variable is not usable with toggle.
Credits#
Eric Blake