How-to configure email sorting in Thunderbird 3.x
Modified on 2010-11-12 by Surabhi Thorayintavida
Created on 2010-11-12 by Yannick Vaucher
How-to configure email sorting in Thunderbird 3.x
2.1. Set descending order by date
2.2. Set grouped by thread view
1. Introduction
This document will help you to configure Thunderbird default settings so that it can be used without having to make the configurations changes each time you open a new folder.
All folders in all the mailboxes must be viewed in thread view mode. Thread view mode is MANDATORY. Moreover you must also configure the threads to be sorted by Date and in Descending order.
It is important to understand the difference between sorting by [Date] and by [Order Received] .
When you are in [Order Received], the threads remain where they are irrespective of the new emails joining to the Thread.
When you are in [Date] mode, the threads are moved to the top whenever a fresh email joins the thread.
(However, when the folder is opened, and a fresh email joins to the thread, the thread does not move until after you switch to a different folder and returns. In other words the re-sorting of threads occurs only at the moment of visiting/opening of the IMAP folder).
All these modification need to be set so that the volume of e-mail can be processed with better efficiency and with ease. The modification need to be set in each folder.
Thunderbird comes with some default behavior that doesn't fit to our use. Also, for each of the folders, Thunderbird saves specific settings which force us to change the sort settings each time we open a new folder.
Below section will help you to change Thunderbird's default behavior.
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Note, that those changes will only affect new folders and folders that you haven't visited yet. If you misconfigured an old folder when you visited it, you will have to configure it by hand. |
1.1. Thunderbird version
In this how-to document the setting changes are done considering Thunderbird 3.1.6. It works on all Thunderbird versions (2.x and 3.x).
2. Thunderbird settings
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In this how-to we will dig deep into the configurations of Thunderbird with its internal editor. So, don't touch anything else that isn't required. |
Let's open this editor. Tools -> Options…
-à Advanced Tab à General à Click on Config Editor …
As said previously, we are entering deep into the configurations, so you can pass this message.
2.1. Set descending order by date
In the filter textbox seize: mailnews.default_sort
Check that mailnews.default_sort_type is 18. It is the value by default and it specifies sorting order by date.
Change the sort order to descending.
Double click on the line mailnews.default_sort_order.
Set 2.
Click OK.
2.2. Set grouped by thread view
Now let's enable the thread view. In the filter, enter: mailnews.default_view
Edit the value by clicking on the line mailnews.default_view_flags
Enter the value 1 and accept by clicking OK.
2.3. Apply changes
Thunderbird is now configured, but to apply those changes, we need to close it. Next time we open thunderbird, the changes will take into effect.
3. Preferences values
Here are the lists of values we can set in the preferences.
mailnews.default_sort_order
1 = Ascending
2 = Descending
mailnews.default_sort_type
17 = None
18 = Date
19 = Subject
20 = Author
21 = ID (Order Received)
22 = Thread
23 = Priority
24 = Status
25 = Size
26 = Flagged
27 = Unread
28 = Recipient
29 = Location
30 = Label
31 = Junk Status
32 = Attachments
33 = Account
mailnews.default_view_flags
0 = Unthreaded
1 = Threaded
4. References
Discussion on how-to set thread view:
Discussion on how-to change default sorting :
http://superuser.com/questions/13518/change-the-default-sorting-order-in-thunderbird
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