This is the official release of MailFolder, a replacement for MsgFiler, which Apple broke when it removed support for plug-ins for Apple Mail on Sonoma. Since I used MsgFiler on a daily basis for many years, I wrote my own. I hope one day MsgFiler will rise from the dead. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
I developed two implementations: One which is based on menus, one which is based on AppleScripts. The menu version is somewhat buggy due to Apple's changes in the menu code, but the AppleScript version seems quite solid. If anyone wants the menu version, let me know.
This version works with Gmail, OnMyMac, and imap accounts. Except for Gmail, it attempts to select the next message in a list after filing a message.
If you encounter any bugs or suggestions, let me know.
2024-03-15 The Macintosh app MsgFiler 4 has been released. My recommendation for those people using MailFolder, is this. Download MsgFiler 4. It's available in the App Store. I am using this now, and do not plan providing support for MailFolder any longer. Thanks to Adam Tow for putting in the work to resurrect MsgFiler.
This warms my heart so much! I was thinking theoretically along these lines a bit; glad to see someone (someone super capable! I mean @ikenassi ) has already taken the ball & gotten it rolling. And glad to see you here too @atow , reading your blog post is what led me here. Bravo! so far, and keeping my fingers crossed for even better stuff to come!
Question: I'm staying on Ventura for the moment; is there any benefit to you (Ike & Adam) for me using / testing / reporting feedback on MailFolder on Ventura (if it even runs on Ventura)? Or are there enough differences between Ventura & Sonoma Mail, that it's not useful (i.e. is MailFolder even targeted & intended to run on Ventura)? Thx
It runs fine (if not better) on Ventura than Sonoma. However, it runs fine on Sonoma now as well, even though Apple hasn't fixed the bugs I tripped over in Sonoma. For the record, I have 5 Macs that now all run Sonoma.
One suggestion for Sonoma users: Let's say you have a mail folder entitled "News", and you want to use it as a mailbox also. On Ventura, you can file messages in the folder "News". On Sonoma you cannot. So what I do, is create a mailbox named "News" in the mail folder named "News". Once you do that, there is no problem in filing a messages in "News.News". In that sense, it works just like Ventura, just as it should. When Apple fixes the bug, I plan to move all messages in "News.News" back into "News".
One more suggestion: If you haven't already customized the Apple Mail toolbar with this, there is a button named "Move" and a field named "Move". Add both. Often, Mail guess the name of the folder you want to move a message into, and it guesses correctly. It's even easier to click on the suggestion (if correct) than to use ⌘-9.
One more question - there'd been mention previously in the thread, about the state of the folder tree in left sidebar - must it always be all collapsed, for these macros to work properly? I ask, because I usually have some expanded & some collapsed. I find it helpful to just keep an eye on my current organizational structure while using Mail, and thus occasionally I'll notice something I want to change - some mailboxes I want to move into a different enclosing folder, rename something, consolidate something, break something up into multiple mailboxes - etc. So: I like to have some expanded, some collapsed.
I can imagine that on first run MailFolder will want the mailbox hierarchy in a certain known state. And then also, on any subequent "update state of folder hierarchy". But in between, while it just... runs, normally - can folders be arbitrarily collapsed or expanded? Thanks.
I just tested it again, and at least on my system, the hierarchy needs to be collapsed, else nothing happens. I’m running Sonoma 14.1.1. Your mileage may vary.
Wow - thank you Ike! I've just started using your KM macros and so far they're working wonderfully. I've really been at a loss in Sonoma - not having MsgFiler effectively kills my productivity, so your solution is a revelation. Coding my own solution has been on my list for a while, but I haven't had time to dig in - now you've taken care of it
I just sent you an email with an additional macro and a possibly simpler way of doing the message filing - assuming that the email I have from our previous correspondence is still valid. If it doesn't reach you, shoot me a message at support@stclairsoft.com.
Thank You for this! I am coming from the SmallCubed Mail Act-On plugin, which is now dead in Sonoma as well.
I also used Mail Act-On to "Go to a Mailbox" and not just for moving messages. I added this to your Macro and then realized that when I used it to "Go To" a mailbox, the mailbox would 'expand' and then MailFolder File would not work - as you have noted yourself.
I was looking for an alternate way that does not rely on the account folders being collapsed, and found that AppleScript can read the mailbox paths that you get when you build the database - so you don't have to worry about the number of folders / nesting.
Anyhow, here are the Macros. The only changes were done to the "MailFolder File" macro. The "MailFolder Go To" is a new / additional macro for allowing the user to pick a separate Hot Key to run a Go To vs a File. Note that I have changed the Hot Keys to F12 (just my preference on my laptop).
I have only done a small amount of testing (and only in Ventura), but feel free to use!
The AppleScript version is now working on my Ventura system. I actually didn’t realize (or had forgotten) that you could target a mailbox using its path.
I have seen instances where it double files messages. I would check out what might be causing this (filing to Gmail), as I have seen this too with non-Engine MsgFiler.
No, I'm selecting a single message in the Message Viewer, invoking Mail Folder, and watching that message plus the one immediately below it (completely unrelated) get filed. It doesn't happen every time, but enough that I don't trust the AppleScript method to do the right thing.
Gmail. I was able to reproduce this with a thread. Select a collapsed thread and another single message and file them. See what happens to either the message above or below the selected messages.
I have trouble with Gmail even not using my software. For example, I can't get Apple Mail's Gmail account inbox to agree with my Gmail inbox accessed from www.gmail.com. And yes, it's the same account. My apple mail gmail account uses imap, and when I access the same account on the web, the contacts of the inbox are (somewhat) different on both.
