Mail Rules vs Smart Mailbox

What is the difference between say making a rule in email that puts all your emails from a person in a mailbox called "Friend" vs creating a smart mailbox which puts all emails from that friend into a smart mailbox called "Friend"...
Thank you

Just as Barney said... A Smart Mailbox is just like having a permanent search going on. Say if you type in Johnny Appleseed in the search box of the Mail app in the upper right corner. Then all mail from JA will be visible. Make a Smart Mailbox to show all mails from JA, then that Smart Mailbox is doing that same search for you.
As for deleting, yes. If you delete a message from the Smart Mailbox, then you are deleting it from wherever it was. If it was in the Inbox, then it will be deleted. Again, simply because it's just a "Search box".
KOT

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How can I convert Mail rules into smart mailboxes

I recently posted a report about faults in mail rules that move messages to mailboxes automatically. In light of this, I thought about converting my rules into smart mailboxes. I started, but looked at the number of rules that I have and thought 'there must be an easier way!'
What I'm after is a script, or hints as to how to write a script, that will iterate over all my mailbox rules and add new smart mailboxes. I expect that the Mail program might provide some programatic interface for this, but don't know where to start looking.
Hoping that someone can help me.
Regards, Andy

Well, if coding help is what you want then this isn't the place to ask. The Applescript and Unix forums are here. These are better places to ask about programming.
If you do a Google search on "applescript" you should find the two or three major sites for finding prepared Applescripts or Automator actions, although I don't recall ever seeing one for your intended use. But it can't hurt to look. You'll also find the link to the Applescript language documentation site, but you will also need to examine Mail's provided Applescript programming facilities.
Bash programming manuals abound although nothing necessarily specific to the Mac. OS X implements a reasonably standard Unix implementation of the various supported shell environments. Google searching for "bash tutorial" or programming guides will yield lots of resources.

Upgraded from 10.4.11 to 10.5.8 and lost mail in several Smart Mailboxes

I upgraded from 10.4.11 to 10.5.8. Several of my Smart Mail Boxes lost all email content but others remained in tact. Now the ones that lost content don't accept emails that meet the criteria for the Smart Box.
Anyone have that experience? Any ideas on recapturing? I didn't back up my mail prior to upgrade.

Welcome to the Discussion,
Smart Mailboxes are only virtual mailboxes, and contain nothing -- they are the product of a search list, and messages must stay in their original mailboxes. All the messages will still in the originating mailboxes, unless something else you did impacted those actual mailboxes, so you should be able to rewrite the definitions for these Smart Mailboxes.
Ernie

How to use Flagged mailbox in rules for smart mailbox?

Since I installted ML I have a new mailbox called Flagged. In Lion I had a smart mailbox called Flagged which did the same.
I used this smart mailbox in Lion in rules of other smart mailboxes. The new mailbox Flagged in ML however can't be selected in a rule for a smart mailbox. It is in fact the only one I can't select.
Am I the only one facing this problem? If so, is there a solution for it?

The only use I've found so far for the Flagged messages is to be able to set different colours for different things and then use the preset mailbox to isolate and concentrate on them:
And, as I'm using iCloud, I also get to see them on my laptop.

ICloud Mail replacement for smart mailboxes?

Anyone guide me here on how to have the Mail that is forwarded from my work show in separate organization like I could do in Smart Mail Boxes. Folders/New Folder and mail rule did not work correctly for me in iCloud mail. Or is Apple not there yet with something new losing something old? OS7.2 and iOS5.
thanks

aside from the rules settings there is nothing to manage. Only "archieve", but that's more of a "to keep" folder .

Mail: search and smart mailboxes stopped working

Hi folks,
In mail the search and smart mailboxes have stopped working. I have a hunch it's something to do with iCloud as my partner is now logged onto iCloud using iTunes etc. Can you help?

My accounts are POP. But I have managed to fix the problem. When you mentioned Spotlight, I went into System Preferences thinking I may had accidentally turn off emails as a search option in Spotlight. It was on, but I turned it OFF and then ON again, and now search works in mail as usual. And my Smart Mailboxes too.
It's one of those things
Thanks for your help

Mail folders and smart mailbox

Can someone tell me what the difference is between a regular mail folder and a smart mailbox?
I made a lot of mail folders under "on my mac" and I just found that I can make a smart mailbox. How are they different?
When do you use one and not the other?
Thanks, Susan

a smart mailbox is not a regular folder. it's a saved search. you do a search and save the search parameters so you can repeat the search quickly. that's what a smart mailbox is. no actual messages are moved anywhere when you make a smart mailbox.

Find mail sent today smart mailbox

How do I make a smart mailbox for emails sent today? I see the find parameter of received today, but nothing for sent today.

This worked for me. You may have to set up something to empty the box daily.

How to show mail count in smart mailbox?

I have a smart mailbox that displays messages from a specific local folder/mailbox for the current day. The counter next to this smart mailbox is only for unread messages. Is there a way to change the counter so it displays for all messages in the current day (read and unread)?

It works on a new install on a new computer... so its obviously from the upgrade... it happens on mine as you have described... but setup a new computer for a client and they got message counts on their smart folders...

Moving mail rules

Hello, can I move mail rules (actually smart mailboxes) from one computer to another? via copying a plist, or icloud, etc?
I had little luck getting an answer on this. One person replied in the icloud forum saying he didn't think so.
I have way too many smart mailboxes to create them again manually in my new computer.
Currently they are in an old MacBook Pro running Lion. I want to move them to my new iMac running Mt Lion.
Thx,
Alberto

The only reliable way to do what you want is to transfer the folder
~/Library/Mail
in your home folder, which contains the whole Mail database.

Rules - Smart Mailboxes?

I currently don't have any smart mailboxes, but I have rules to classify all of my in-coming Email into normal mailboxes. Since MobileMe is IMAP-based, I think I ought to create a set of remapping to smart mailboxes equivalent with what I currently have for regular mailboxes.
The trick is that I have a lot of rules involving a lot of addresses.
Is there any semi-automated way to change these rules into smart-mailbox definitions?

Hi Gary
Sorry that I did not reply earlier, I have been busy.
First of all, you are correct that I have set up the email rules on my Mac, using the Apple Mail program (Version 3.4); I used Mail, Preferences, then Rules on the dialog box that comes up. I am fairly new to using rules within that software and it took me a while to work-around the limitations that they have with that software, but I got there in the end and now it is all working great.
Before I talk about the limitations with my current method, let me explain a little more.
1. I connected to MobileMe using Safari, which after logging in ("keep me logged in for 2 weeks") takes you to the web Mail. Well I then clicked the + sign at the bottom of the left frame where the Inbox is at the top to get the "New Mail Folder" dialog box with Location: MobileMe, Name: <blank entry field>.
2. I then created a folder (e.g. Family).
3. Going back to Mail on the Mac, on the left I have an item named "[email protected]" with the names of folders I have previously created on MobileMe below it. A new folder I have just created may not appear immediately, so if that is the case, I select Sync Now from my menu bar MobileMe item (there is an option to show it under the System Preferences, MobileMe, Sync).
4. Once the new folder (e.g. Family) appears under Mail, then I can do a Rule to copy stuff from my Inbox matching certain parameters to that folder on MoblieMe.
As far as getting the folders to appear under the Mail App on my iPhone3G, it seems to happen automatically, as soon as it syncs via wireless with MobileMe.
Once thing to check though is that you have everything right in iTunes when the phone is plugged in to sync with it. In partticular, with iTunes, DEVICES, <phone name> selected on the left, then going to the Info tab, under Mail Accounts, I have "Sync selected Mail accounts" set to only sync with one of my accounts "[email protected]". I have other accounts on my Mac, but only wanted the one that could be pushed on my iPhone.
As far as the "limitation" of my method goes, the main problem is that for mail to be copied to the relevant MobileMe folder, my MacBook Pro needs to be up and running and connected to the Internet. If a new Family email arrives when my MacBook is switched off (e.g. in my backpack while I am walking down the street), then I will still get the email pushed to my iPhone and I will be notified that it has arrived, but I will have to read it in the Inbox. When I next power up my MacBook, with Mail running (I have it set to Open at Login), then (provided that I am on the Internet) it should pick up the email and immediately copy it to the MobileMe Family folder.
Yes, it would be nice if you could make Rules in the MobileMe web application, so that they always work regardless of what you have switched on or connected. We can hope for that later... but I am not holding my breath
Hope that helps...
Richard.

Lost Mail in Smart Mailbox

I tried to edit a Smart Mailbox and lost all my mail in the smart mailbox when I hit the "-" to remove a double entry. The original entry remained and I added another entry and also I reentered the one I had removed. However, nothing now appears in that Smart Mailbox although there are message in the Inbox that meet the criteria.
Is there any way to recover my lost mail in the Smart Mailbox and how do I get the messages into it that are in Inbox?
Thanks.

You didn't lose the mail by doing this, you understand. A Smart Mailbox is like Smart Folder in Finder. It just shows you all mail that matches a set of requirements.
At this point you just need to think it through and re-enter the Smart Mailbox requirements (being careful about the "that match ALL" and "that match ANY").
Fred

New smart mailbox is missing after Mail restart

Mail Version 7.1 (1827)
Create new smart mailbox. Quit Mail. Restart Mail. New smart mailbox is missing.

Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:
~/Library/Mail/V2/MailData
Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select
Services ▹ Open
from the contextual menu.* A folder window should open. From that folder, move the following files to the Desktop:
SmartMailboxesLocalProperties.plist
SyncedSmartMailboxes.plist
Test. If Mail now works, delete the files you moved and recreate your smart mailboxes, if necessary. Otherwise put the files back where they were, overwriting any that may have created in their place.
*If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard (command-C). In the Finder, select
Go ▹ Go to Folder...
from the menu bar, paste into the box that opens (command-V). You won't see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.

New Smart Mailboxes Disappear (again & again)

There are two smart mailboxes setup in the "Mail" application on my desktop Mac ("All Mail" & "Newspaper"). These mailboxes also exist on my laptop. On my desktop, I deleted the "Newspaper" mail box and created several new smart mailboxes. The next time I looked, the new mailboxes "self-deleted" and restored the "Newspaper" mailbox. I tried this several times with the same result. I then created a new smart mailbox on the laptop and deleted the "newspaper" mail box. Same thing happed; the new mailbox disappears and ther "newspaper" mailbox returns.
I use use IMAP with my Gmail account and forward my "iCloud" mail to my Gmail account. The "Mail" setting is "checked" in my iCloud system settings (but not sure what impact that has on my setup).   I thought this setting may allow the smart mailboxes to synchronize between the Mac and possibly my iPhone. I am using OS X 10.9.3. I recently returned to mac "Mail" after several years of simply using the Gmail web interface on the Mac (plus iOS Mail) and am a bit unclear how the iCloud sync should work. I am pretty happy with the newer IMAP capabilities after using POP in the past.
Any suggestions on how I can create (and keep) my smart mailboxes?
Thanks,
Dave

WHAT DIDNT WORK for me:
I have the problem, but I never had Docs & Data switched on, so Sheppard's solution does not apply for my case (there are no such files as mentioned there). Neither did Beda's move work for me. Causing fresh copies of the two files he mentioned to be created does bring back the Smart Mailbox category and a default Today smart mailbox, but putting the original files back in position, puts the problem back to square one -- no smartmailboxes appear.
WHAT DID WORK for me:
What I found worked was moving smartmailbox specifications from SmartMailboxes.plist into a clean SyncedSmartMailboxes.plist file.
Steps: (This procedure requires something that enables you to open and edit plist files (e.g. Xcode). As always, keep safeties of everything before you mess around.)
0) Before starting, check this file and confirm your smart mailbox specifications are actually still in there. If not, this won't work.
    ~/Library/Mail/V2/SmartMailboxes.plist
1) Taking a tip from Beda, move the following files out and then launch Mail and quit it, to force creation of new copies of these files.
    ~/Library/Mail/V2/SmartMailboxesLocalProperties.plist
    ~/Library/Mail/V2/SyncedSmartMailboxes.plist
2 ) Open the new SyncedMailboxes.plist. It contains a single item (a default Today smartmailbox specification). Delete that.
3) Open your SmartMailboxes.plist. It contains a sublist called 'mailboxes' where all your smart mailbox specifications reside. Copy each of these items over to (the top level of) SyncedMailboxes.plist. You have to do this one at a time if you are using Xcode, because there is no multiple selection available.
4) Save and close SyncedMailboxes.plist (and close any other plists for good measure).
5) Launch Mail and your smart mailboxes should be back.
Hope it works for you as it did for me.

Can't Delete/Rename Smart Mailbox

I don't seem to be able to rename or delete smart mailboxes in mail. I control-click to choose Rename or Delete, I can temporarily change the name or remove the mailbox, but after quitting and relaunching mail the old smart mailbox with the old name is still there. Happens on both my laptop and desktop, both running 10.9.2.

Lisa,
Open the Inbox of only the main account, click on Mailbox in the menubar, and choose Rebuild. During Rebuild all messages will disappear from the list of messages, but then will reappear when Rebuild finishes.
You may want to make a backup copy of the Mail folder, for peace of mind before doing this. In the Finder, open Home/Library and find the Mail folder (Home is the folder that opens when you click on the Icon of a House in the Sidebar to the Finder window, btw), Control-click over the Mail folder, choose Duplicate, and then drag the resulting copy to the Desktop strictly for temporary backup.
Have you ever used the command to Erase Deleted Message, btw?
Ernie

Mail Rules vs Smart Mailbox

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