[pmmail-list] A better explaination of the bug with PMMAIL attachments

[David Azarewicz]

On Fri, 14 Sep 2001 22:44:08 -0700 (PDT), Kris Sorem Sr wrote:

>My reply to message from David Azarewicz sent on
>Fri, 14 Sep 2001 16:10:16 -0700 (PDT). You wrote:
>
>>On Fri, 14 Sep 2001 16:51:31 -0400, Jimmy S. McCorquodale, Jr. wrote:
>>
>>>In all bug reports I have recieved from users, over the past two years (including 
>>>compiled lists from the mailing lists)  I haven't seen anythign about this prior to 
>>today.  
>>>I have added it to the bug list.
>>
>>Here is the reply from Ike to the bug report I made in 1998....

<snip>

>Ike's response reveals why this report was not placed in a bug list. I
>agree with him. PMMail uses the o/s file system. TMK, your o/s does not
>permit two different files with the same file name to coexist in the same
>directory. Why then do you expect this from PMMail? How is this a bug?
>Should PMMail arbitrarily change the name of the attachment? I don't think
>so.
>
>BTW, I suggest reviewing your account settings. Do you have account
>settings=> prompts=>Verify Attachment Decode When Duplicate Filename
>Exists 'checked'?
>
>The designers of PMMail chose to detach and reattach an attachment as part
>of forwarding a message. I don't see the need to do this but I haven't
>studied the problem in depth. I haven't encountered your 'bug?'.
>--
>JMO, 
>/s/~Kris

Ok, Joe Average user receives 2 email messages, Message1 with AttachmentA, 
and Message2 with AttachmentB.  Joe Average user then forwards Message1 with 
AttachmentA to SomePerson1, and forwards Message2 with AttachmentB to 
SomePerson2.  Unfortunately SomePerson1 gets Message1 with AttachmentA, and 
SomePerson2 gets Message2 with AttachmentA.  Joe Average user scratches his 
head wondering what happened to AttachmentB!  Who's fault is that?  Is it Joe 
Average user's responsibility to know, or even *care* how PMMAIL handles 
attachments internally?  Why should Joe Average user even care how his file 
system even relates to PMMAIL and forwarding messages?  To Joe Average user, 
the attachment is part of the message.  How does a piece of one message (the 
attachment) get pieced into another message?  As a programmer, I understand 
exactly the bug (yes, bug) that causes this. Joe Average user shouldn't have to care.  
His messages should be forwarded properly, as he would intuitively expect them to.

David
-----
David Azarewicz  david@deltasys.org
http://www.deltasys.org/david

"You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if
you don't try."  --Beverly Sills