Python script to convert incoming Apple Mail mbox exports

[obar]

This script allows users to import from Apple Mail, maintaining folder
names and structure.

Closes #28

[obar]

I suspect it would be worthwhile to link to the README from somewhere within the plugin interface, so users know that Apple Mail exports need an additional processing step. I don't know if you'd want that and I'm not sure where, so I'll leave that to you—what do you think @cleidigh?

[cleidigh]

@obar
Excellent! I will add some notes to the readme and to internal help when I have another version.
I also have to determine where to put it in the repository. Probably something like helper scripts.
Thanks, I'm sure there are other users that will find this useful!
@cleidigh

[obar]

Great! Thanks again for helping me understand this issue, and for the fantastic plugin.

[sippsolutions]

@obar Thank you so much, you just gave a bit relief to the headache that I had the last days! I wanted to switch from Apple Mail 14.0 (on Big Sur 11.1) to Thunderbird 78.6.0.
I could not believe that this is not supported by Thunderbird out of the box, and after 10 plugins and 100 workarounds I finally came across your comment in #28 and found this script.

Maybe there is a way to implement a check for Apple Mail mbox files within the import functionality, that executes the script pre-import internally.
It took me days to find out the correct way to get it working with 100s of folders in a 10-level-down nested directory structure!

[obar]

Glad to hear this helped you!

I don't think this should be strictly automatic as the transformation I've got happens in-place (transforming the file structure, though in theory it would be reversible), and it would add python dependency. However, I do think something could be done about the visibility of this solution. Right now as you mentioned, it's a little difficult to find. @cleidigh how do you feel about merging this pull request so the script is in the repo and mentioned in the readme? And perhaps there could be a note about the existence of this process on the import screen, for the vanishingly rare case of users who don't scour the readme before using a program?

[obar]

Should I change the path to the script in the pull request before it gets merged? helper-scripts/ was floated as an idea.

[cleidigh]

@obar
sorry for being AWOL
I think what I should to finally start a wiki section as well as a folder for Scripts
I will do that and merging your script
thanks and happy new year !
Christopher

[cleidigh]

@obar
I finally finished it,sorry it took so long
I manually added the script to utility-scripts
the notes I've started brand-new wiki
if everything looks good I will close this

[obar]

Absolutely nothing to apologize for, very OK for this to be a low priority! It's open source, no big deadlines here.

I think the only other documentation to add would be to point people to this in the import dialog window. Could there be a link there to the wiki page added from that dialog? Text could read something like "Note: to import from an Apple Mail export, a format conversion needs to happen first. See <a href=…>the instructions on the wiki</a> for details."

Thanks for merging this :)

[jobisoft]

Wiki is online, so time to close this PR. Thanks for your contribution!