New filter rules

camner · 23 May 2020, 04:11 AM

Over the years I have built up a fairly lengthy and complex custom SIeve script, because the old FM filters were just not capable enough to do what I want.

The process of converting the manual Sieve rules to the new Filter rules would be a bit time-consuming. I wonder what folks' experience with the new Filter rules is and whether it seems worth it to convert?

xyzzy · 23 May 2020, 06:00 AM

The "old" rules settings are still there and your sieve code is unaffected if your additions are at the very beginning or end.

If you are running with the "new" rules UI then you can create rules like you did with the "old" UI by clicking "Switch to no preview rules", creating a condition (or conditions) in the "old" way and then clicking continue. All the "old" options are still there.

"Old" sieve code you may have added to the beginning or end edit blocks is preserved and should still work as before. Stuff in the middle two edit blocks of the "old" sieve code isn't preserved (not sure why the one before section 4 isn't since there's also an edit block before the "new" section 4, different context I guess). I suspect if all you are doing is adding additional filters you probably only added them to the end block in which case all those should still work there unchanged.

FWIW I don't think I will ever be using the "new" default way of creating rules through the UI (always using the "no preview" mode). The default rule creation is too restrictive, takes too many clicks to navigate it, I believe uses "stemming" (useful possibly for searches) to match so the matches are not necessarily exact, and once you create a rule using it you can never switch that rule to using "no preview" mode. Indeed, since my account is old enough that I have the choice of "new" UI and "old" UI (I've read here new accounts don't have that choice) I haven't even switched to the new UI except for the times I wanted to see what changed in the sieve code and if those changes would affect my sieve code additions. I'll stick with the "old" rules UI until the choice is taken out of my hands.

camner · 23 May 2020, 09:40 AM

Thanks much for your helpful response, @xyzzy. I think I'll just keep with my (very) old sieve rule system.

xyzzy · 23 May 2020, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camner

Thanks much for your helpful response, @xyzzy. I think I'll just keep with my (very) old sieve rule system.

You're welcome and good move!

SideshowBob · 23 May 2020, 11:38 PM

IIWY I'd keep the sieve rules, but switch to the new interface.

xyzzy · 24 May 2020, 07:15 AM

The problem with doing that is that if you happen to be making changes to your sieve script or creating new rules in the UI while in the "new" rules mode and for some reason want to revert back to the "old" you will lose those changes. In other words FM saves your rules state (both sieve script and UI rules) at the time you switched from "old" to "new" and reverts back to that saved state if you switch back to the "old".

For those of us with such accounts I don't know what FM will do when the "new" becomes the only choice. Will they preserve what you currently have if you are already using the "new" or will the simply revert you back to the saved state and go from there?

Logically I would think they would just use what you currently have in the "new" if you are already using "new". But being a bit paranoid I don't want to take any chances. Hence I'm sticking to the "old" and occasionally verifying in the "new" or to see what other changes have been made in the "new" sieve code out of curiosity. I'm in no hurry to switch since the "new" doesn't offer me anything I really need.

SideshowBob · 24 May 2020, 09:39 AM

The old interface isn't going to be available indefinitely. If you only use sieve, switching either "just works" or requires a little work. Either way it's better to get it over with rather than wait to be forced.

xyzzy · 24 May 2020, 12:32 PM

Thanks for your opinion. As I said I am only going to switch when the choice is taken out of my hands.

End of discussion.

SideshowBob · 25 May 2020, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xyzzy

Thanks for your opinion. As I said I am only going to switch when the choice is taken out of my hands.

End of discussion.

I was offering my opinion to the OP, not to you.

rbeltz48 · 3 Jun 2020, 09:22 PM

Fastmail used to be simple and easy to use. No more. I have well over 1,000 rules set up. Used to be able to set up to delete from server as soon as it arrives. No more. I have been back and forth with Fastmail about this. After 13 years with Fastmail I may well be moving on when my current subscription is up in November. Really sad when a good technology product goes downhill!

odedp · 3 Jun 2020, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbeltz48

I may well be moving on when my current subscription is up in November. Really sad when a good technology product goes downhill!

moving where?

camner · 5 Jun 2020, 01:20 AM

Well, I just got upgraded to the new filter setup, and I didn’t ask for it. So I guess it’s now time for the involuntary “upgrade.”

xyzzy · 9 Jun 2020, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camner

Well, I just got upgraded to the new filter setup, and I didn’t ask for it. So I guess it’s now time for the involuntary “upgrade.”

I just got an email from FastMail saying all accounts will be updated the week of June 15, 2020.

JamesHenderson · 18 Jun 2020, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xyzzy

I just got an email from FastMail saying all accounts will be updated the week of June 15, 2020.

I just pasted my original scripts back in after the upgrade and there were no issues.

Admittedly, I was only using slots 1 (for whitelisting) and 3 (for organisation) in the old system which transposed to slots 1 and 2 in the new system.

xyzzy · 18 Jun 2020, 06:12 PM

I already knew the "new" FM generated sieve code wouldn't affect my sieve code additions. So I switched over to the "new" rules a few days ago because of the warning. As of 6/17 the choice of being able to switch back to the "old" rules no longer exists (for me anyway). So I guess "new" is finally "official" as they warned.

23 May 2020, 04:11 AM	#1
camner Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 642	New filter rules Over the years I have built up a fairly lengthy and complex custom SIeve script, because the old FM filters were just not capable enough to do what I want. The process of converting the manual Sieve rules to the new Filter rules would be a bit time-consuming. I wonder what folks' experience with the new Filter rules is and whether it seems worth it to convert?

23 May 2020, 06:00 AM	#2
xyzzy Essential Contributor Join Date: May 2018 Posts: 474	The "old" rules settings are still there and your sieve code is unaffected if your additions are at the very beginning or end. If you are running with the "new" rules UI then you can create rules like you did with the "old" UI by clicking "Switch to no preview rules", creating a condition (or conditions) in the "old" way and then clicking continue. All the "old" options are still there. "Old" sieve code you may have added to the beginning or end edit blocks is preserved and should still work as before. Stuff in the middle two edit blocks of the "old" sieve code isn't preserved (not sure why the one before section 4 isn't since there's also an edit block before the "new" section 4, different context I guess). I suspect if all you are doing is adding additional filters you probably only added them to the end block in which case all those should still work there unchanged. FWIW I don't think I will ever be using the "new" default way of creating rules through the UI (always using the "no preview" mode). The default rule creation is too restrictive, takes too many clicks to navigate it, I believe uses "stemming" (useful possibly for searches) to match so the matches are not necessarily exact, and once you create a rule using it you can never switch that rule to using "no preview" mode. Indeed, since my account is old enough that I have the choice of "new" UI and "old" UI (I've read here new accounts don't have that choice) I haven't even switched to the new UI except for the times I wanted to see what changed in the sieve code and if those changes would affect my sieve code additions. I'll stick with the "old" rules UI until the choice is taken out of my hands. Last edited by xyzzy : 23 May 2020 at 07:50 AM.

23 May 2020, 11:38 PM	#5
SideshowBob Essential Contributor Join Date: Jan 2017 Posts: 278	IIWY I'd keep the sieve rules, but switch to the new interface. Last edited by SideshowBob : 23 May 2020 at 11:47 PM.

3 Jun 2020, 09:22 PM	#10
rbeltz48 Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 6	New Rules Stink - Doesn't Work the Same Fastmail used to be simple and easy to use. No more. I have well over 1,000 rules set up. Used to be able to set up to delete from server as soon as it arrives. No more. I have been back and forth with Fastmail about this. After 13 years with Fastmail I may well be moving on when my current subscription is up in November. Really sad when a good technology product goes downhill!

23 May 2020, 09:40 AM	#3
camner Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 642	Thanks much for your helpful response, @xyzzy. I think I'll just keep with my (very) old sieve rule system.

24 May 2020, 07:15 AM	#6
xyzzy Essential Contributor Join Date: May 2018 Posts: 474	The problem with doing that is that if you happen to be making changes to your sieve script or creating new rules in the UI while in the "new" rules mode and for some reason want to revert back to the "old" you will lose those changes. In other words FM saves your rules state (both sieve script and UI rules) at the time you switched from "old" to "new" and reverts back to that saved state if you switch back to the "old". For those of us with such accounts I don't know what FM will do when the "new" becomes the only choice. Will they preserve what you currently have if you are already using the "new" or will the simply revert you back to the saved state and go from there? Logically I would think they would just use what you currently have in the "new" if you are already using "new". But being a bit paranoid I don't want to take any chances. Hence I'm sticking to the "old" and occasionally verifying in the "new" or to see what other changes have been made in the "new" sieve code out of curiosity. I'm in no hurry to switch since the "new" doesn't offer me anything I really need.

24 May 2020, 09:39 AM	#7
SideshowBob Essential Contributor Join Date: Jan 2017 Posts: 278	The old interface isn't going to be available indefinitely. If you only use sieve, switching either "just works" or requires a little work. Either way it's better to get it over with rather than wait to be forced.

24 May 2020, 12:32 PM	#8
xyzzy Essential Contributor Join Date: May 2018 Posts: 474	Thanks for your opinion. As I said I am only going to switch when the choice is taken out of my hands. End of discussion.

5 Jun 2020, 01:20 AM	#12
camner Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 642	Well, I just got upgraded to the new filter setup, and I didn’t ask for it. So I guess it’s now time for the involuntary “upgrade.”

18 Jun 2020, 06:12 PM	#15
xyzzy Essential Contributor Join Date: May 2018 Posts: 474	I already knew the "new" FM generated sieve code wouldn't affect my sieve code additions. So I switched over to the "new" rules a few days ago because of the warning. As of 6/17 the choice of being able to switch back to the "old" rules no longer exists (for me anyway). So I guess "new" is finally "official" as they warned.