as discussed during camp and otherwise ... add dc_perform_{mvbox,sentbox}_jobs hooks which, however, for now have an empty implementation. They can already be called from UIs, though. Next step is refactoring imap-job handling to only execute jobs belonging to the respective imap folder.

deltachat-ffi/deltachat.h

@@ -610,12 +610,8 @@ void            dc_interrupt_imap_idle       (dc_context_t* context);
 
 
 /**
- * Fetch new messages from the MVBOX, if any.
- * The MVBOX is a folder on the account where chat messages are moved to.
- * The moving is done to not disturb shared accounts that are used by both,
- * Delta Chat and a classical MUA.
- *
- * This function and dc_perform_mvbox_idle()
+ * Execute pending mvbox-jobs.
+ * This function and dc_perform_mvbox_fetch() and dc_perform_mvbox_idle()
  * must be called from the same thread, typically in a loop.
  *
  * Example:
@@ -623,6 +619,7 @@ void            dc_interrupt_imap_idle       (dc_context_t* context);
  *     void* mvbox_thread_func(void* context)
  *     {
  *         while (true) {
+ *             dc_perform_mvbox_jobs(context);
  *             dc_perform_mvbox_fetch(context);
  *             dc_perform_mvbox_idle(context);
  *         }
@@ -636,13 +633,26 @@ void            dc_interrupt_imap_idle       (dc_context_t* context);
  *
  *     // network becomes available again -
  *     // the interrupt causes dc_perform_mvbox_idle() in the thread above
- *     // to return so that and messages are fetched.
+ *     // to return so that jobs are executed and messages are fetched.
  *     dc_maybe_network(context);
  *
  * @memberof dc_context_t
  * @param context The context as created by dc_context_new().
  * @return None.
  */
+void            dc_perform_mvbox_jobs         (dc_context_t* context);
+
+
+/**
+ * Fetch new messages from the MVBOX, if any.
+ * The MVBOX is a folder on the account where chat messages are moved to.
+ * The moving is done to not disturb shared accounts that are used by both,
+ * Delta Chat and a classical MUA.
+ *
+ * @memberof dc_context_t
+ * @param context The context as created by dc_context_new().
+ * @return None.
+ */
 void            dc_perform_mvbox_fetch       (dc_context_t* context);
 
 
@@ -679,6 +689,39 @@ void            dc_perform_mvbox_idle        (dc_context_t* context);
  */
 void            dc_interrupt_mvbox_idle      (dc_context_t* context);
 
+/**
+ * Execute pending sentbox-jobs.
+ * This function and dc_perform_sentbox_fetch() and dc_perform_sentbox_idle()
+ * must be called from the same thread, typically in a loop.
+ *
+ * Example:
+ *
+ *     void* sentbox_thread_func(void* context)
+ *     {
+ *         while (true) {
+ *             dc_perform_sentbox_jobs(context);
+ *             dc_perform_sentbox_fetch(context);
+ *             dc_perform_sentbox_idle(context);
+ *         }
+ *     }
+ *
+ *     // start sentbox-thread that runs forever
+ *     pthread_t sentbox_thread;
+ *     pthread_create(&sentbox_thread, NULL, sentbox_thread_func, context);
+ *
+ *     ... program runs ...
+ *
+ *     // network becomes available again -
+ *     // the interrupt causes dc_perform_sentbox_idle() in the thread above
+ *     // to return so that jobs are executed and messages are fetched.
+ *     dc_maybe_network(context);
+ *
+ * @memberof dc_context_t
+ * @param context The context as created by dc_context_new().
+ * @return None.
+ */
+void            dc_perform_sentbox_jobs         (dc_context_t* context);
+
 
 /**
  * Fetch new messages from the Sent folder, if any.

deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs

@@ -471,6 +471,18 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_perform_mvbox_fetch(context: *mut dc_context_t) {
         .unwrap_or(())
 }
 
+#[no_mangle]
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_perform_mvbox_jobs(context: *mut dc_context_t) {
+    if context.is_null() {
+        eprintln!("ignoring careless call to dc_perform_mvbox_jobs()");
+        return;
+    }
+    let ffi_context = &*context;
+    ffi_context
+        .with_inner(|ctx| job::perform_mvbox_jobs(ctx))
+        .unwrap_or(())
+}
+
 #[no_mangle]
 pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_perform_mvbox_idle(context: *mut dc_context_t) {
     if context.is_null() {
@@ -507,6 +519,18 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_perform_sentbox_fetch(context: *mut dc_context_t) {
         .unwrap_or(())
 }
 
+#[no_mangle]
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_perform_sentbox_jobs(context: *mut dc_context_t) {
+    if context.is_null() {
+        eprintln!("ignoring careless call to dc_perform_sentbox_jobs()");
+        return;
+    }
+    let ffi_context = &*context;
+    ffi_context
+        .with_inner(|ctx| job::perform_sentbox_jobs(ctx))
+        .unwrap_or(())
+}
+
 #[no_mangle]
 pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_perform_sentbox_idle(context: *mut dc_context_t) {
     if context.is_null() {

python/src/deltachat/account.py

@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ class Account(object):
         ev = self._evlogger.get_matching("DC_EVENT_INCOMING_MSG")
         return self.get_message_by_id(ev[2])
 
-    def start_threads(self):
+    def start_threads(self, mvbox=False, sentbox=False):
         """ start IMAP/SMTP threads (and configure account if it hasn't happened).
 
         :raises: ValueError if 'addr' or 'mail_pw' are not configured.
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ class Account(object):
         """
         if not self.is_configured():
             self.configure()
-        self._threads.start()
+        self._threads.start(mvbox=mvbox, sentbox=sentbox)
 
     def stop_threads(self, wait=True):
         """ stop IMAP/SMTP threads. """
@@ -436,10 +436,14 @@ class IOThreads:
     def is_started(self):
         return len(self._name2thread) > 0
 
-    def start(self, imap=True, smtp=True):
+    def start(self, imap=True, smtp=True, mvbox=False, sentbox=False):
         assert not self.is_started()
         if imap:
-            self._start_one_thread("imap", self.imap_thread_run)
+            self._start_one_thread("inbox", self.imap_thread_run)
+        if mvbox:
+            self._start_one_thread("mvbox", self.mvbox_thread_run)
+        if sentbox:
+            self._start_one_thread("sentbox", self.sentbox_thread_run)
         if smtp:
             self._start_one_thread("smtp", self.smtp_thread_run)
 
@@ -452,17 +456,35 @@ class IOThreads:
         self._thread_quitflag = True
         lib.dc_interrupt_imap_idle(self._dc_context)
         lib.dc_interrupt_smtp_idle(self._dc_context)
+        lib.dc_interrupt_mvbox_idle(self._dc_context)
+        lib.dc_interrupt_sentbox_idle(self._dc_context)
         if wait:
             for name, thread in self._name2thread.items():
                 thread.join()
 
     def imap_thread_run(self):
-        self._log_event("py-bindings-info", 0, "IMAP THREAD START")
+        self._log_event("py-bindings-info", 0, "INBOX THREAD START")
         while not self._thread_quitflag:
             lib.dc_perform_imap_jobs(self._dc_context)
             lib.dc_perform_imap_fetch(self._dc_context)
             lib.dc_perform_imap_idle(self._dc_context)
-        self._log_event("py-bindings-info", 0, "IMAP THREAD FINISHED")
+        self._log_event("py-bindings-info", 0, "INBOX THREAD FINISHED")
+
+    def mvbox_thread_run(self):
+        self._log_event("py-bindings-info", 0, "MVBOX THREAD START")
+        while not self._thread_quitflag:
+            lib.dc_perform_mvbox_jobs(self._dc_context)
+            lib.dc_perform_mvbox_fetch(self._dc_context)
+            lib.dc_perform_mvbox_idle(self._dc_context)
+        self._log_event("py-bindings-info", 0, "MVBOX THREAD FINISHED")
+
+    def sentbox_thread_run(self):
+        self._log_event("py-bindings-info", 0, "SENTBOX THREAD START")
+        while not self._thread_quitflag:
+            lib.dc_perform_sentbox_jobs(self._dc_context)
+            lib.dc_perform_sentbox_fetch(self._dc_context)
+            lib.dc_perform_sentbox_idle(self._dc_context)
+        self._log_event("py-bindings-info", 0, "SENTBOX THREAD FINISHED")
 
     def smtp_thread_run(self):
         self._log_event("py-bindings-info", 0, "SMTP THREAD START")

python/tests/conftest.py

@@ -163,10 +163,10 @@ def acfactory(pytestconfig, tmpdir, request, session_liveconfig):
             ac._evlogger.set_timeout(30)
             return ac, dict(configdict)
 
-        def get_online_configuring_account(self):
+        def get_online_configuring_account(self, mvbox=False, sentbox=False):
             ac, configdict = self.get_online_config()
             ac.configure(**configdict)
-            ac.start_threads()
+            ac.start_threads(mvbox=mvbox, sentbox=sentbox)
             return ac
 
         def get_two_online_accounts(self):

python/tests/test_account.py

@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ class TestOfflineChat:
     def chat1(self, ac1):
         contact1 = ac1.create_contact("some1@hello.com", name="some1")
         chat = ac1.create_chat_by_contact(contact1)
-        assert chat.id >= const.DC_CHAT_ID_LAST_SPECIAL, chat.id
+        assert chat.id > const.DC_CHAT_ID_LAST_SPECIAL, chat.id
         return chat
 
     def test_display(self, chat1):
@@ -337,14 +337,14 @@ class TestOnlineAccount:
     def get_chat(self, ac1, ac2):
         c2 = ac1.create_contact(email=ac2.get_config("addr"))
         chat = ac1.create_chat_by_contact(c2)
-        assert chat.id >= const.DC_CHAT_ID_LAST_SPECIAL
+        assert chat.id > const.DC_CHAT_ID_LAST_SPECIAL
         return chat
 
     def test_one_account_send(self, acfactory):
         ac1 = acfactory.get_online_configuring_account()
         c2 = ac1.create_contact(email=ac1.get_config("addr"))
         chat = ac1.create_chat_by_contact(c2)
-        assert chat.id >= const.DC_CHAT_ID_LAST_SPECIAL
+        assert chat.id > const.DC_CHAT_ID_LAST_SPECIAL
         wait_successful_IMAP_SMTP_connection(ac1)
         wait_configuration_progress(ac1, 1000)
 
@@ -365,6 +365,16 @@ class TestOnlineAccount:
         msg_in = ac2.get_message_by_id(msg_out.id)
         assert msg_in.text == "message1"
 
+    def test_mvbox_sentbox_threads(self, acfactory):
+        ac1 = acfactory.get_online_configuring_account(mvbox=True, sentbox=True)
+        ac2 = acfactory.get_online_configuring_account()
+        wait_configuration_progress(ac2, 1000)
+        wait_configuration_progress(ac1, 1000)
+        chat = self.get_chat(ac1, ac2)
+        chat.send_text("message1")
+        ev = ac2._evlogger.get_matching("DC_EVENT_INCOMING_MSG|DC_EVENT_MSGS_CHANGED")
+        assert ev[2] > const.DC_CHAT_ID_LAST_SPECIAL
+
     def test_forward_messages(self, acfactory):
         ac1, ac2 = acfactory.get_two_online_accounts()
         chat = self.get_chat(ac1, ac2)
@@ -430,8 +440,8 @@ class TestOnlineAccount:
         ac2.mark_seen_messages([msg_in])
         lp.step("1")
         ev = ac1._evlogger.get_matching("DC_EVENT_MSG_READ")
-        assert ev[1] >= const.DC_CHAT_ID_LAST_SPECIAL
-        assert ev[2] >= const.DC_MSG_ID_LAST_SPECIAL
+        assert ev[1] > const.DC_CHAT_ID_LAST_SPECIAL
+        assert ev[2] > const.DC_MSG_ID_LAST_SPECIAL
         lp.step("2")
         assert msg_out.is_out_mdn_received()
 

src/job.rs

@@ -761,6 +761,14 @@ pub fn perform_imap_jobs(context: &Context) {
     info!(context, "dc_perform_imap_jobs ended.",);
 }
 
+pub fn perform_mvbox_jobs(context: &Context) {
+    info!(context, "dc_perform_mbox_jobs EMPTY (for now).",);
+}
+
+pub fn perform_sentbox_jobs(context: &Context) {
+    info!(context, "dc_perform_sentbox_jobs EMPTY (for now).",);
+}
+
 fn job_perform(context: &Context, thread: Thread, probe_network: bool) {
     let query = if !probe_network {
         // processing for first-try and after backoff-timeouts: