[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: Kmail slow
From:       Don Sanders <don () sanders ! org>
Date:       2000-06-09 5:18:51
[Download RAW message or body]

> Well, this is not exclusively for kmail. I will develop it anyway, since I
> want to improve it for KRN, but of course the more programs use it, the
> better :-)

I don't think idea of using a database was ruled out, just no one volunteered 
to do it.

I'm all for the database idea, I said it would be a cool area for someone to 
research.

The main reason I'm interested in it is increased speed for changing folders. 
As I said in my previous mail on this list there are two problems. A database 
can solve the second problem, which is the need to incrementally index 
messages by all fields that messages can be sorted by.

The first problem is that it takes quite some time (a few seconds) to create 
and insert thousands of items into a QListView (try editing the QT listviews 
example to see what I mean). To overcome this probelm you need to use a list 
view that only inserts items as they are made visible (this requires a new 
list view class to be coded), actually this could be a bit tricky for 
threaded messages view (its a lot of work anyway). 

In the win32 world these list views are called 'virtual list boxes' (maybe 
they don't handle trees of itmes).

The amount time used in KMail to display a folder is pretty evenly split 
between these two things, loading the index and populating the list view (at 
least once a folder file is cached from disk into ram).


I'm even potentially interested in storing message bodies in the 'database'. 
As this could speed up other operations (eg moving messages from one folder to 
another, and eliminate the need for compacting folders perhaps)

But if all that is done is porting the index files over to a database then we 
still  retain the advantage of storing the messages in normal text format 
(obviously).


Aah, while I remember I also need the database to keep a tree structure and 
incrementally update it for threaded message views.

Anyway I think it's a good idea, and definitely worth researching.

BFN,
Don.
 
>> Visit http://master.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-devel#unsub to unsubscribe <<

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]