Bill Jonas on Mon, 29 Apr 2002 14:11:31 -0400


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Message IDs and threading (was: Re: [PLUG] kernel patching)


On Mon, Apr 29, 2002 at 12:46:17PM -0400, Paul wrote:
> Sorry, I thought threads were based on subject lines.

No problem, just mentioning it.

Threading is actually based on the References: header.  For example, in
your message, to which I'm replying, it looks something like the
following:

References: <BAEJKEOANCHFJHHNFMFOAEMACEAA.brad@student.usyd.edu.au>
  <3CCD5946.47B98187@dpagin.net> <20020429121353.B271@billjonas.com>

Those are the message IDs, from the Message-ID: header.  The mail I'm
composing now will probably include the above, plus
<3CCD78D9.DA44D547@dpagin.net>, which is the message ID of your message.
An MUA might also use the In-Reply-To: header, if available.  (I know
that Mutt supports it, but others might not.)

Now, you were partially right.  Some (at least one (Mutt))) mail clients
use the subject line to perform a kind of "pseudo-threading"; if
References: or In-Reply-To: is not available, it will group together
messages that differ only by an initial "Re: ", on the grounds that this
is probably a thread.  (This behavior can be turned off.)  Other
mailreaders might improperly base threading only on the subject, though.

-- 
Bill Jonas    *    bill@billjonas.com    *    http://www.billjonas.com/
"They that can give up  essential  liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."        -- Benjamin Franklin

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