Bug?: Filter does not stop

[Matthias529]

I have a filter that moves notifications to a separate folder, and a special filter beforehand with the same conditions plus some subject text to delete certain notifications instead of moving them. Both filters have the "filter stop" action included.

However, when I look into the "deleted items" folder of the same postbox, Quickfilters goes into an endless loop, moving the items in question out then realizing it has to delete them, then moving them out again and so on and so on.

Is there a bug in the filter stop action?

[RealRaven2000]

From what I can see - the second filter should not be applied if the first one worked in the Inbox. I assume these filters are located on an account (not i Local folders)

The way you describe it the first filter is executed again when you open the deleted items folder - automatically? Or does it happen if you click "run filters on folder" while in the deleted items folder?

Bear in mind that quickFilters is not involved in running the filters - this is all Thunderbird core functionality. quickFIlters is only for managing / creating / duplicating etc. of filters. It doesn't play any active role during the filtering process itself.

[Matthias529]

From what I can see - the second filter should not be applied if the first one worked in the Inbox. I assume these filters are located on an account (not i Local folders)

Yes they are on an IMAP account.

The way you describe it the first filter is executed again when you open the deleted items folder - automatically? Or does it happen if you click "run filters on folder" while in the deleted items folder?

It is activated automatically just by looking into the folder.

Bear in mind that quickFilters is not involved in running the filters - this is all Thunderbird core functionality. quickFIlters is only for managing / creating / duplicating etc. of filters. It doesn't play any active role during the filtering process itself.

I didn't know that (specifically), so is there any place else I would have to check and analyze this behaviour further?

[RealRaven2000]

Bear in mind that quickFilters is not involved in running the filters - this is all Thunderbird core functionality. quickFIlters is only for managing / creating / duplicating etc. of filters. It doesn't play any active role during the filtering process itself.

I didn't know that (specifically), so is there any place else I would have to check and analyze this behaviour further?

Here is a starting point:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=537501

You can also check the order / timing of things in the filter log

It is possible to create much more detailed log of all filter actions in an external file using an environment variable, unfortunately I forgot what it was. I used this for a while when I did Postbox code conversion way back...

[ThiloteE]

see also filter loop issue

[RealRaven2000]

see also filter loop issue

from the bug:

My preexisting and working filters stopped working. Rules of the form "move to folder X, stop filter execution" and "Move to folder Y, stop filter execution" would constantly move emails back and forth between X and Y folders. They were set correctly, and previously worked. I had to disable one of them to get it to stop oscillating

That's kind of serious. because the assumption is that filters are running serial and synchronously. That means only one filter runs at a time, and carries out its actions one after the other. The filter mechanism is blocked until the filter either has ran or failed. I think it may be a problem with GLODA (the database not being updated fast enough from changes on the remote server - IMAP is evil). Thunderbird is discussing replacing GLODA for a long while - it may have been only written by an intern and definitely wasn't planned to stay.