Why folder archives in .eml files??

m46ah_30 · 25 Jul 2011, 03:32 AM

I've been meaning to ask for a long time...

I have created archives of each of my Fastmail.fm folders regularly but am very puzzled about why Fastmail formats them into .eml files which Fastmail itself can't open?

It seems odd to have to use Thunderbird to open my Fastmail archives!

n5bb · 25 Jul 2011, 09:20 AM

Many programs (and web systems) have output export features which are one-way. I can print to a printer from my PC, but can't take a file in that same format and read it into Notepad. In the case of .eml archives, I can read them by opening up the zip file in my computer and see each message displayed in the preview feature of Windows Explorer. It's handy as a way to get messages exported from Fastmail to be read offline with Thunderbird.

I guess this lack of symmetry doesn't bother me in this case.

hadaso · 1 Aug 2011, 06:00 AM

Though the lack of symmetry doesn't really bother me, I think a tool to upload messages in either eml, zip archive of eml files (like those that the archive feature creates) and mbox format to a FastMail folder can be useful, and I probably would have uploaded my old mail to FastMail if there was such a feature (as it is, despite knowing that it's not at all difficult to do it with a mail client, and despite planning to do it sometime, I haven't got to doing it since 2002).

n5bb · 1 Aug 2011, 11:09 AM

I agree to some extent with your sentiments, hadaso. But I can also see that it's so easy to upload using an email client (such as Thunderbird) that it's hard for Fastmail to justify the effort. My guess is that exporting a copy in .eml format is reasonably easy, but importing might require significant modifications to the Cyrus IMAP server.

Bill

25 Jul 2011, 03:32 AM	#1
m46ah_30 Essential Contributor Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 315	Why folder archives in .eml files?? I've been meaning to ask for a long time... I have created archives of each of my Fastmail.fm folders regularly but am very puzzled about why Fastmail formats them into .eml files which Fastmail itself can't open? It seems odd to have to use Thunderbird to open my Fastmail archives!

25 Jul 2011, 09:20 AM	#2
n5bb Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: May 2004 Location: Irving, Texas Posts: 8,930	Many programs (and web systems) have output export features which are one-way. I can print to a printer from my PC, but can't take a file in that same format and read it into Notepad. In the case of .eml archives, I can read them by opening up the zip file in my computer and see each message displayed in the preview feature of Windows Explorer. It's handy as a way to get messages exported from Fastmail to be read offline with Thunderbird. I guess this lack of symmetry doesn't bother me in this case.

1 Aug 2011, 06:00 AM	#3
hadaso The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Holon, Israel. Posts: 4,863	Though the lack of symmetry doesn't really bother me, I think a tool to upload messages in either eml, zip archive of eml files (like those that the archive feature creates) and mbox format to a FastMail folder can be useful, and I probably would have uploaded my old mail to FastMail if there was such a feature (as it is, despite knowing that it's not at all difficult to do it with a mail client, and despite planning to do it sometime, I haven't got to doing it since 2002).

1 Aug 2011, 11:09 AM	#4
n5bb Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: May 2004 Location: Irving, Texas Posts: 8,930	I agree to some extent with your sentiments, hadaso. But I can also see that it's so easy to upload using an email client (such as Thunderbird) that it's hard for Fastmail to justify the effort. My guess is that exporting a copy in .eml format is reasonably easy, but importing might require significant modifications to the Cyrus IMAP server. Bill