[Extra] IMAP4rev2 , \recent and search new

[Arnt Gulbrandsen <[e-mail]>]

I had a look at the draft recently and will be sending a number of 
messages, each pointing out a single issue, mostly simple. I'll space them 
out and send one every few days. First up: search new and \recent.

I suggest that deprecating \recent be given a rationale. I suggest the 
following additional paragraph in 2.3.2:

"Many modern IMAP clients automatically reconnect. For example, mobile 
email clients may dis- and reconnect whenever they enter or leave an area 
with WLAN coverage. Because of this, messages can lose their \recent status 
apparently at random, and using \recent (e.g. via the NEW search key) has 
become unreliable. For this reason (among others), \recent is now 
deprecated."

The NEW search key needs to be changed, either to deprecate it or to make 
it an alias for UNSEEN. I think the best course of action is the one that 
permits the smallest client diff. Suggested wording for section 6.4.4:

"Since \recent is now deprecated, the NEW search key may now be an alias 
for the UNSEEN. Servers that also advertise IMAP4rev1 may implement NEW 
either as an alias for UNSEEN or as specified in IMAP4rev1. Clients that 
implement IMAP4rev2 should not rely on either NEW being equal to UNSEEN or 
NEW returning a subset of UNSEEN."

Section 6.3.2 contains an example that doesn't include RECENT. I suggest an 
additional paragraph:

"Note that IMAP4rev1 compliant servers also send e.g. "* 0 RECENT", which 
IMAP4rev2 clients are advised to ignore."

Arnt