Intelligent Gmail Filters
I like Gmail, but I also like apple mail.app One of the things I like about apple Mail is the tight integration with address book and smart folders.
Even in a simple mail reader you can create a rule to tag/flag/archive messages as they come in depending on the users address - for example all messages that come from my “mates” are archived in my “mates” folder. Simple stuff really. Now I could do this in GMail - but its a pain in the rear because you have to manually go through your friends and create filters such as “Work Contacts” with all of the various email address’. So I wrote a applescript to help me write the gmail filter. I dare say Google/GMail won’t appreciate this as it will create some pretty hefty processing…
Anyway here goes:
1. make sure your apple address book is all up-to-date - try and have the address’ organised into groups. Apart from being useful for this little script it will make your life easier in a whole load of ways than you (or me at this time of writing) can ever imagine (!)
2. download the script
3. run it!
It’s pretty straightforward. It will ask you to select a group from your addressbook (or all of them - which I don’t recommend since a) its slow and b) the more groups you have the better organised your inbox will be). Select a group and wait a moment.
When your done go to the filter creation page at your gmail account and type apple+v into the “From:” box
Test the filter if you like and make a nice label for your selected email address’
Hopefully this tip will be relegated to the trash as soon as google make some cleverer filters (and some smart folder like functionality too which would be nice!) - but anyway hope it might be useful to you out there :)
