diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'src/mailman/pipeline/docs/reply-to.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | src/mailman/pipeline/docs/reply-to.txt | 127 |
1 files changed, 127 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/src/mailman/pipeline/docs/reply-to.txt b/src/mailman/pipeline/docs/reply-to.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000..e57b97e5d --- /dev/null +++ b/src/mailman/pipeline/docs/reply-to.txt @@ -0,0 +1,127 @@ +Reply-to munging +================ + +Messages that flow through the global pipeline get their headers 'cooked', +which basically means that their headers go through several mostly unrelated +transformations. Some headers get added, others get changed. Some of these +changes depend on mailing list settings and others depend on how the message +is getting sent through the system. We'll take things one-by-one. + + >>> from mailman.pipeline.cook_headers import process + >>> mlist = config.db.list_manager.create(u'_xtest@example.com') + >>> mlist.subject_prefix = u'' + +Reply-to munging refers to the behavior where a mailing list can be configured +to change or augment an existing Reply-To header in a message posted to the +list. Reply-to munging is fairly controversial, with arguments made either +for or against munging. + +The Mailman developers, and I believe the majority consensus is to do no +Reply-to munging, under several principles. Primarily, most reply-to munging +is requested by people who do not have both a Reply and Reply All button on +their mail reader. If you do not munge Reply-To, then these buttons will work +properly, but if you munge the header, it is impossible for these buttons to +work right, because both will reply to the list. This leads to unfortunate +accidents where a private message is accidentally posted to the entire list. + +However, Mailman gives list owners the option to do Reply-To munging anyway, +mostly as a way to shut up the really vocal minority who seem to insist on +this mis-feature. + + +Reply to list +------------- + +A list can be configured to add a Reply-To header pointing back to the mailing +list's posting address. If there's no Reply-To header in the original +message, the list's posting address simply gets inserted. + + >>> from mailman.interfaces.mailinglist import ReplyToMunging + >>> mlist.reply_goes_to_list = ReplyToMunging.point_to_list + >>> mlist.preferred_language = u'en' + >>> mlist.description = u'' + >>> msg = message_from_string("""\ + ... From: aperson@example.com + ... + ... """) + >>> process(mlist, msg, {}) + >>> len(msg.get_all('reply-to')) + 1 + >>> msg['reply-to'] + u'_xtest@example.com' + +It's also possible to strip any existing Reply-To header first, before adding +the list's posting address. + + >>> mlist.first_strip_reply_to = True + >>> msg = message_from_string("""\ + ... From: aperson@example.com + ... Reply-To: bperson@example.com + ... + ... """) + >>> process(mlist, msg, {}) + >>> len(msg.get_all('reply-to')) + 1 + >>> msg['reply-to'] + u'_xtest@example.com' + +If you don't first strip the header, then the list's posting address will just +get appended to whatever the original version was. + + >>> mlist.first_strip_reply_to = False + >>> msg = message_from_string("""\ + ... From: aperson@example.com + ... Reply-To: bperson@example.com + ... + ... """) + >>> process(mlist, msg, {}) + >>> len(msg.get_all('reply-to')) + 1 + >>> msg['reply-to'] + u'bperson@example.com, _xtest@example.com' + + +Explicit Reply-To +----------------- + +The list can also be configured to have an explicit Reply-To header. + + >>> mlist.reply_goes_to_list = ReplyToMunging.explicit_header + >>> mlist.reply_to_address = u'my-list@example.com' + >>> msg = message_from_string("""\ + ... From: aperson@example.com + ... + ... """) + >>> process(mlist, msg, {}) + >>> len(msg.get_all('reply-to')) + 1 + >>> msg['reply-to'] + u'my-list@example.com' + +And as before, it's possible to either strip any existing Reply-To header... + + >>> mlist.first_strip_reply_to = True + >>> msg = message_from_string("""\ + ... From: aperson@example.com + ... Reply-To: bperson@example.com + ... + ... """) + >>> process(mlist, msg, {}) + >>> len(msg.get_all('reply-to')) + 1 + >>> msg['reply-to'] + u'my-list@example.com' + +...or not. + + >>> mlist.first_strip_reply_to = False + >>> msg = message_from_string("""\ + ... From: aperson@example.com + ... Reply-To: bperson@example.com + ... + ... """) + >>> process(mlist, msg, {}) + >>> len(msg.get_all('reply-to')) + 1 + >>> msg['reply-to'] + u'my-list@example.com, bperson@example.com' |