mailbox format(s)

Iljitsch van Beijnum wrote:

> And as long as we're doing this, it would be a good idea to define a
> solid mailbox format that can be used to share access to messages by
> different applications.

I don't think that's practical:
1. platform differences affecting file sizes, ability to control access,
   ability to lock portions of a file for update, etc., not to mention
   record-oriented systems (e.g. Bitnet), differences in line endings,
   bit- and byte-ordering, etc. ad infinitum
2. metadata used by different applications (e.g. IMAP requires, and POP
   supports a UID per message)

IETF doesn't generally define storage formats, rather formats used for
network transfer.  One might devise a format for sending a collection
of messages, and it might look like multipart/digest...

Applications running on a specific machine need to handle limitations
imposed by that machine's platform (item #1 above), and need to make
arrangements to manage any unique metadata required by that application
(#2).  Applications running across a network can access mailboxes via
established network protocols for accessing or transferring messages
and mailboxes, such as POP and IMAP.

#################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
#####
#####
#####
#################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################