[Design] RFC:IMAP as a storage backend plugin?

[Tim O'Callaghan]

Hi,

I thought I'd get this (possibly mad) idea out there before you go
into your email discussions. I checked to see if this idea had come up
already, but could not find any reference to it.

I was wondering about the viability of allowing a user to choose an
IMAP server as a chandler storage back end instead of WebDAV.

The basic idea is that you have some chandler IMAP folders, and the
data is stored in email messages. It could use attachments, X-Headers
and easily parsed formatted human readable messages to store
information. By using X-Headers & parsable text/attachments you can
tell if the data has been modified by a different client at load/sync
time.

It would also give the added benefit of a plain-text storage mechanism
that could be manipulated automatically by other tools. For example I
might create a procmail rule that checks a chandler IMAP folder for
home appointments/ticklers in my personal IMAP collection and
generates SMS messages to my phone.

It would also let me use my web/mobile mail client to interrogate and
possibly update my data store while on the move. Here is a quick and
dirty example using a mock up generated from my squirrel-mail web
interface:-

Mailbox Chandler.COLLECTIONS - General Collection information
| From        | Date         |   | Subject          | Size  |
|-------------+--------------+---+------------------+-------|
| Chandler    | Mar 29, 2006 | + | Chandler Project | 18 k  |
| CollectionA | Mar 29, 2006 |   | Work Project     | 2.7 k |
| Finance     | Mar 14, 2006 |   | Manage Finances  | 2.5 k |

Mailbox Chandler.TASKS - tasks with collection name as to/from for easy sorting.
| From        | Date         |   | Subject                                            | Size  |
|-------------+--------------+---+----------------------------------------------------+-------|
| Finance     | Mar 29, 2006 | + | Fillout tax return                                 | 18 k  |
| CollectionA | Mar 2,  2006 |   | Find project information                           | 2.7 k |
| Chandler    | Mar 28, 2006 | + | [by 12:00 24-04-2006] Read chandler design summary | 13 k  |

Mailbox Chandler.PEOPLE - chandler address book/collection actors with VCard attachments.
| From                     | Date         |   | Subject              | Size  |
|--------------------------+--------------+---+----------------------+-------|
| design at osafoundation.org | Mar 29, 2006 | A | Chandler Design List | 18 k  |
| bossman at work.com         | Mar 29, 2006 | A | Mr Bossman at work   | 2.7 k |
| flunkie at work.com         | Mar 28, 2006 | A | Flunkie at work      | 13 k  |

Mailbox Chandler.CALENDAR - Dated tasks/hard calendar information with iCal attachments?
| From         | Date         |   | Subject                                                | Size  |
|--------------+--------------+---+--------------------------------------------------------+-------|
| Anniversary  | Mar 29, 2006 |   | [01-04-1970] Mr Bossmans birthday                      | 2.7 k |
| Finance      | Mar 29, 2006 |   | [at 16:00 01-04-2006] Meet Accountant about tax return | 2.7 k |
| Collection A | Mar 28, 2006 |   | [at 19:00 01-04-2006] Flunkie's leaving do             | 13 k  |

The email storage format would be based around the idea that you can
use a simple list interface to query the stored collection
information. Every email interface has sort-by and search options. In
the case of updating the collection, all of them allow you to respond
to a message to yourself and generate a new item in your INBOX. Some
may even allow you to edit the message in place, though there may be
integrity issues.

It also gives other email web clients, such as outlook, the
opportunity to parse and manipulate chandler information in interesting
ways, for example using filters to populate certain collection folders.

Tim.