Supporting property modification in message body

Hi all:

I am planning on implementing this and was looking for some feedback.

We all know that you can set properties by adding something like:

   [nosy=-richard;priority=bug]

to the end of the subject line to remove richard from the nosy list
and set the priority to bug.

However this isn't always convenient, and some longer string fields
can't be set this way. Plus creating new objects to be added to the
item (e.g. a timelog) are an issue.  Also some mailers (e.g. outlook)
break the subject line in new and interesting ways that makes this
mechanism difficult to use.

What I am proposing is having in body property manipulation.  The
format I am looking at is a block form of the subject line syntax.  If
the message between the = lines looks like:

=================
[ 
nosy=-richard
priority=bug
title=This is a replacement title for this message as displayed in the issue
timelog-1:duration= 3:20
timelog-2= 0:03
]

here is the body of a new message

================

the following things will happen when processed:

  1) any properties set in the subject line are processed
  2) the nosy, priority and title properties are set/modified
     according to the values in the message
  3) two new timelog objects with durations of 3 hours and 2 minutes
     and 3 minutes will be created and linked to the issue.

To be recognized, the [ must be the first character on the line with
possible trailing whitespace. The line with the [ must not have only
empty lines before it. There can not be any blank lines between the [
and ].  The ] must be the first character on the line with possible
trailing whitespace.

I think this can all be done in an auditor which would parse the [ ]
block and remove it from the message (although putting it in the email
gateway would probably be better), but what do people think of this
format/usability?

--
				-- rouilj
John Rouillard
===========================================================================
My employers don't acknowledge my existence much less my opinions.



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