How to use `open` to handle `message:*` links on macOS

How to use `open` to handle `message:*` links on macOS

[Tim Visher]

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Hi Everyone,

I'd like to be able to whack `C-c C-o` on `message:*` links on macOS and
have it call `open` on the contents. Is there a way to make that happen?

My intent is to be able to save a deep link to a Mail.app message in an org
document.

Thanks in advance!

--

In Christ,

Timmy V.

https://blog.twonegatives.com
http://five.sentenc.es

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Re: How to use `open` to handle `message:*` links on macOS

[Diego Zamboni]

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Hi Tim,

Look at the org-mac-link package from org-contrib, it allows doing this for
Mail.app and other Msc apps.

--Diego

On Mon, 11 Jan 2021 at 20:47, Tim Visher <tim.visher@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Everyone,
>
> I'd like to be able to whack `C-c C-o` on `message:*` links on macOS and
> have it call `open` on the contents. Is there a way to make that happen?
>
> My intent is to be able to save a deep link to a Mail.app message in an
> org document.
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> --
>
> In Christ,
>
> Timmy V.
>
> https://blog.twonegatives.com
> http://five.sentenc.es
>

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Re: How to use `open` to handle `message:*` links on macOS

[Alexander Adolf]

Hello Tim,

Tim Visher <tim.visher@gmail.com> writes:

> [...]
> I'd like to be able to whack `C-c C-o` on `message:*` links on macOS and
> have it call `open` on the contents. Is there a way to make that happen?
>
> My intent is to be able to save a deep link to a Mail.app message in an org
> document.
> [...]

In my setup, I'm using this:
---------------------------- Begin Quote -----------------------------
(org-add-link-type "mac-mail" 'org-mac-mail-link-open)

(defun org-mac-mail-link-open (mid)
  "Visit the email message with message id MID."
  (start-process "open-mail" nil "open" (format "message:%%3C%s%%3E" mid)))
----------------------------- End Quote ------------------------------

It gives me a new link type "mac-mail" for org-insert-link. Copy the
message ID (without the angle brackets) from Mail.app, and insert it as
the link location. This is a manual process, of course, but then I'm not
using it often, and I don't need it for anything else but Mail.app.

org-mac-link as suggested by Diego offers much more convenience by
automating the entire process, and by giving you access to many other
apps, too. So you might prefer that if you are going to use it often.


Hoping to have helped,

  --alex

Re: How to use `open` to handle `message:*` links on macOS

[Tim Visher]

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Hi Diego and Alexander,

Thanks for the tips here. I finally got around to trying them out. Here's
what I ended up with and it's working perfectly.

(defun timvisher-org-link-mac-mail-open-link
    (mid _)
  (start-process "open-link" nil "open" (format "message://%%3C%s%%3E"
                                                mid)))

(defun timvisher-org-link-mac-mail-add-message-links
    ()
  (org-link-set-parameters
   "message" :follow #'timvisher-org-link-mac-mail-open-link))

(eval-after-load 'org
  '(timvisher-org-link-mac-mail-add-message-links))

Pairing that with my org-capture TODO Current Mail Template is a dream come
true. :)

(defun timvisher-org-current-mail-get-selected-message-subject
    ()
  (with-temp-buffer
    (call-process
     "osascript" nil t nil
     "-e" "tell application \"Mail\" to get subject of item 1 of
(selection as list)")
    (buffer-substring-no-properties (point-min) (- (point-max) 1))))

(defun timvisher-org-current-mail-get-selected-message-id
    ()
  (with-temp-buffer
    (call-process
     "osascript" nil t nil
     "-e" "tell application \"Mail\" to get message id of item 1 of
(selection as list)")
    (browse-url-url-encode-chars
     (buffer-substring-no-properties (point-min) (- (point-max) 1))
     "[/]")))

(defun timvisher-org-current-mail-get-link-string
    ()
  (let ((subject (timvisher-org-current-mail-get-selected-message-subject))
        (message-id (timvisher-org-current-mail-get-selected-message-id)))
    (org-link-make-string (format "message:%s" message-id)
                          subject)))

(defun timvisher-org-current-mail-get-body-quote-template-element
    ()
  (let ((body (setq body (with-temp-buffer
                 (call-process
                  "osascript" nil t nil
                  "-e" "tell application \"Mail\" to get content of
item 1 of (selection as list)")
                 (buffer-substring-no-properties (point-min) (-
(point-max) 1))))))
    (format "
  #+begin_quote%s  #+end_quote"
            (string-join
             (seq-reduce
              (lambda (acc next)
                (if (string= next (or (car (last acc)) ""))
                    acc
                  (append acc (list next))))
              (mapcar (lambda (string)
                        (let ((string (string-trim string)))
                          (if (string= "" string)
                              string
                            (format "  %s" string))))
                      (split-string body "\n"))
              '())
             "\n"))))

(setq org-capture-templates
      '(…
        ("twcm" "TODO Work Current Mail" entry
         (file+headline "~/Dropbox/todo/work.org" "Inbox")
         "* TODO %(timvisher-org-current-mail-get-link-string)
  %U%(timvisher-org-current-mail-get-body-quote-template-element)"
:prepend t :immediate-finish t)
        …))

Thanks so much! :)

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Re: How to use `open` to handle `message:*` links on macOS

[Diego Zamboni]

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Hi Tim,

Cool - thanks for the code! I may use it to improve my email capture
workflow :)

--Diego


On Thu, Apr 29, 2021 at 6:23 PM Tim Visher <tim.visher@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Diego and Alexander,
>
> Thanks for the tips here. I finally got around to trying them out. Here's
> what I ended up with and it's working perfectly.
>
> (defun timvisher-org-link-mac-mail-open-link
>     (mid _)
>   (start-process "open-link" nil "open" (format "message://%%3C%s%%3E"
>                                                 mid)))
>
> (defun timvisher-org-link-mac-mail-add-message-links
>     ()
>   (org-link-set-parameters
>    "message" :follow #'timvisher-org-link-mac-mail-open-link))
>
> (eval-after-load 'org
>   '(timvisher-org-link-mac-mail-add-message-links))
>
> Pairing that with my org-capture TODO Current Mail Template is a dream
> come true. :)
>
> (defun timvisher-org-current-mail-get-selected-message-subject
>     ()
>   (with-temp-buffer
>     (call-process
>      "osascript" nil t nil
>      "-e" "tell application \"Mail\" to get subject of item 1 of (selection as list)")
>     (buffer-substring-no-properties (point-min) (- (point-max) 1))))
>
> (defun timvisher-org-current-mail-get-selected-message-id
>     ()
>   (with-temp-buffer
>     (call-process
>      "osascript" nil t nil
>      "-e" "tell application \"Mail\" to get message id of item 1 of (selection as list)")
>     (browse-url-url-encode-chars
>      (buffer-substring-no-properties (point-min) (- (point-max) 1))
>      "[/]")))
>
> (defun timvisher-org-current-mail-get-link-string
>     ()
>   (let ((subject (timvisher-org-current-mail-get-selected-message-subject))
>         (message-id (timvisher-org-current-mail-get-selected-message-id)))
>     (org-link-make-string (format "message:%s" message-id)
>                           subject)))
>
> (defun timvisher-org-current-mail-get-body-quote-template-element
>     ()
>   (let ((body (setq body (with-temp-buffer
>                  (call-process
>                   "osascript" nil t nil
>                   "-e" "tell application \"Mail\" to get content of item 1 of (selection as list)")
>                  (buffer-substring-no-properties (point-min) (- (point-max) 1))))))
>     (format "
>   #+begin_quote%s  #+end_quote"
>             (string-join
>              (seq-reduce
>               (lambda (acc next)
>                 (if (string= next (or (car (last acc)) ""))
>                     acc
>                   (append acc (list next))))
>               (mapcar (lambda (string)
>                         (let ((string (string-trim string)))
>                           (if (string= "" string)
>                               string
>                             (format "  %s" string))))
>                       (split-string body "\n"))
>               '())
>              "\n"))))
>
> (setq org-capture-templates
>       '(…
>         ("twcm" "TODO Work Current Mail" entry
>          (file+headline "~/Dropbox/todo/work.org" "Inbox")
>          "* TODO %(timvisher-org-current-mail-get-link-string)
>   %U%(timvisher-org-current-mail-get-body-quote-template-element)" :prepend t :immediate-finish t)
>         …))
>
> Thanks so much! :)
>

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Re: How to use `open` to handle `message:*` links on macOS

[Tim Cross]

Tim Visher <tim.visher@gmail.com> writes:

> Hi Diego and Alexander,
>
> Thanks for the tips here. I finally got around to trying them out. Here's what I ended up with and it's working perfectly.
>
> (defun timvisher-org-link-mac-mail-open-link
>     (mid _)
>   (start-process "open-link" nil "open" (format "message://%%3C%s%%3E"
>                                                 mid)))
>
> (defun timvisher-org-link-mac-mail-add-message-links
>     ()
>   (org-link-set-parameters
>    "message" :follow #'timvisher-org-link-mac-mail-open-link))
>
> (eval-after-load 'org
>   '(timvisher-org-link-mac-mail-add-message-links))
>
> Pairing that with my org-capture TODO Current Mail Template is a dream come true. :)
>
> (defun timvisher-org-current-mail-get-selected-message-subject
>     ()
>   (with-temp-buffer
>     (call-process
>      "osascript" nil t nil
>      "-e" "tell application \"Mail\" to get subject of item 1 of (selection as list)")
>     (buffer-substring-no-properties (point-min) (- (point-max) 1))))
>
> (defun timvisher-org-current-mail-get-selected-message-id
>     ()
>   (with-temp-buffer
>     (call-process
>      "osascript" nil t nil
>      "-e" "tell application \"Mail\" to get message id of item 1 of (selection as list)")
>     (browse-url-url-encode-chars
>      (buffer-substring-no-properties (point-min) (- (point-max) 1))
>      "[/]")))
>
> (defun timvisher-org-current-mail-get-link-string
>     ()
>   (let ((subject (timvisher-org-current-mail-get-selected-message-subject))
>         (message-id (timvisher-org-current-mail-get-selected-message-id)))
>     (org-link-make-string (format "message:%s" message-id)
>                           subject)))
>
> (defun timvisher-org-current-mail-get-body-quote-template-element
>     ()
>   (let ((body (setq body (with-temp-buffer
>                  (call-process
>                   "osascript" nil t nil
>                   "-e" "tell application \"Mail\" to get content of item 1 of (selection as list)")
>                  (buffer-substring-no-properties (point-min) (- (point-max) 1))))))
>     (format "
>
>   #+begin_quote
> %s
>   #+end_quote"
>             (string-join
>              (seq-reduce
>               (lambda (acc next)
>                 (if (string= next (or (car (last acc)) ""))
>                     acc
>                   (append acc (list next))))
>               (mapcar (lambda (string)
>                         (let ((string (string-trim string)))
>                           (if (string= "" string)
>                               string
>                             (format "  %s" string))))
>                       (split-string body "\n"))
>               '())
>              "\n"))))
>
> (setq org-capture-templates
>       '(…
>         ("twcm" "TODO Work Current Mail" entry
>          (file+headline "~/Dropbox/todo/work.org" "Inbox")
>          "* TODO %(timvisher-org-current-mail-get-link-string)
>
>   %U%(timvisher-org-current-mail-get-body-quote-template-element)" :prepend t :immediate-finish t)
>         …))
>
> Thanks so much! :)

I think this would be great content to add to the worg site. Would you
be willing to add this, plus a short outline of the issue you needed to
resolve so that others might benefit from your experience?


-- 
Tim Cross

Re: How to use `open` to handle `message:*` links on macOS

[Tim Visher]

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On Thu, Apr 29, 2021 at 3:40 PM Tim Cross <theophilusx@gmail.com> wrote:

>
> Tim Visher <tim.visher@gmail.com> writes:
>
> > Thanks for the tips here. I finally got around to trying them out.
> Here's what I ended up with and it's working perfectly.
> >
> > …
> >
> > Pairing that with my org-capture TODO Current Mail Template is a dream
> come true. :)
> >
> > …
>
> I think this would be great content to add to the worg site. Would you
> be willing to add this, plus a short outline of the issue you needed to
> resolve so that others might benefit from your experience?
>

I'd be happy to if you wouldn't mind shepherding me through the process a
bit. How does one go about "add[ing] to the worg site"? :)

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Re: How to use `open` to handle `message:*` links on macOS

[Alexander Adolf]

Hello Tim,

Tim Visher <tim.visher@gmail.com> writes:

> [...]
> Thanks for the tips here. I finally got around to trying them out. Here's
> what I ended up with and it's working perfectly.
> [...]

Glad I could be of assistance!

> Pairing that with my org-capture TODO Current Mail Template is a dream come
> true. :)
> [...]

That's interesting how you pull the information from Mail app.

How do you trigger the capture? Do you have to select the message in
Mail app, then move over to Emacs and trigger the capture there? or do
you have a way to trigger the Emacs capture from within Mail app?

The next level of productivity could perhaps be to switch to notmuch[1],
and do all you email from within Emacs. Use yasnippet[2] for composing
mails. And have snippets be presented to you by company[3]. Just
saying... ;-)

[1] https://notmuchmail.org/
[2] http://joaotavora.github.io/yasnippet/
[3] https://company-mode.github.io/

Cheers,

  --alexander

Re: How to use `open` to handle `message:*` links on macOS

[Tim Visher]

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Hi Alexander,

On Thu, Apr 29, 2021 at 7:38 PM Alexander Adolf <
alexander.adolf@condition-alpha.com> wrote:

> Tim Visher <tim.visher@gmail.com> writes:
>
> > Pairing that with my org-capture TODO Current Mail Template is a dream
> come
> > true. :)
> > [...]
>
> That's interesting how you pull the information from Mail app.
>
> How do you trigger the capture? Do you have to select the message in
> Mail app, then move over to Emacs and trigger the capture there? or do
> you have a way to trigger the Emacs capture from within Mail app?
>
> The next level of productivity could perhaps be to switch to notmuch[1],
> and do all you email from within Emacs. Use yasnippet[2] for composing
> mails. And have snippets be presented to you by company[3]. Just
> saying... ;-)
>
> [1] https://notmuchmail.org/
> [2] http://joaotavora.github.io/yasnippet/
> [3] https://company-mode.github.io/


I do indeed trigger the capture by switching over to Emacs and whacking my
org-capture keybinding (`C-c C`). I have a todo item that's been sitting in
my list for a very long time to figure out how to move my email habits into
emacs but I've never gotten around to it. In this case it's even worse
because the only reason I'm using Mail.app in the first place is because my
work email got moved to an Exchange server so I now don't have a good web
based interface to read mail anymore like my beloved Gmail.

One of these days though I'm going to break the habit and move email
directly into Emacs. :)

Thanks for the tips again!

--

In Christ,

Timmy V.

https://blog.twonegatives.com
http://five.sentenc.es

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Re: How to use `open` to handle `message:*` links on macOS

[Alexander Adolf]

Hello Tim,

Tim Visher <tim.visher@gmail.com> writes:

> [...]
> I do indeed trigger the capture by switching over to Emacs and whacking my
> org-capture keybinding (`C-c C`). I have a todo item that's been sitting in
> my list for a very long time to figure out how to move my email habits into
> emacs but I've never gotten around to it. In this case it's even worse
> because the only reason I'm using Mail.app in the first place is because my
> work email got moved to an Exchange server so I now don't have a good web
> based interface to read mail anymore like my beloved Gmail.
>
> One of these days though I'm going to break the habit and move email
> directly into Emacs. :)

I was in the exact same situation as you until about half a year ago,
which was when I decided to (finally) act on my "move email to emacs"
task.

Coincidentally I have recently released a blog post covering some of the
basic aspects of planning the switch:

                https://condition-alpha.com/blog/?p=1792

IMO, a decent amount up-front planning is crucial. With notmuch, emacs's
mail message handling infrastructure, and elisp, anything is possible;
the sky is the limit. Email is too central to our daily work to start
with the defaults and see where it takes you (IMO). So think well what
your dream email workflow is, and then work towards that.

The smallest, and most isolated task is perhaps configuring msmtp for
sending mail; so why not start with that?

Importing existing mailboxes (from Apple's mail app in my case), is
another important issue (which I'll cover in a future blog post).

Once you've imported some mail, you can toy around with notmuch in
emacs, and the settings, until you get a gist of how things work, and
how far you are from your goal. Your everyday real work is still in
Apple's mail app.

Once you're confident that you'll be able to survive with your emacs
setup, then you can make the move, and stop using Apple's mail app.

If you start a big all-in-one migration, and it fails, you're left with
a big mess. Thus, doing things step-by-step with an option to revert
each step if it doesn't work, is crucial, too.


Hoping to have helped,

  --alexander

Re: How to use `open` to handle `message:*` links on macOS

[Tim Visher]

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On Thu, May 6, 2021 at 1:04 PM Alexander Adolf <
alexander.adolf@condition-alpha.com> wrote:

>
> Tim Visher <tim.visher@gmail.com> writes:
>
> > [...]
> >
> > One of these days though I'm going to break the habit and move email
> > directly into Emacs. :)
>
> I was in the exact same situation as you until about half a year ago,
> which was when I decided to (finally) act on my "move email to emacs"
> task.
>
> Coincidentally I have recently released a blog post covering some of the
> basic aspects of planning the switch:
>
>                 https://condition-alpha.com/blog/?p=1792
>
> …
>
> The smallest, and most isolated task is perhaps configuring msmtp for
> sending mail; so why not start with that?
>
> …
>
> If you start a big all-in-one migration, and it fails, you're left with
> a big mess. Thus, doing things step-by-step with an option to revert
> each step if it doesn't work, is crucial, too.
>

Great advice and info all around! Thanks so much. :)

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