Idata's simple text format makes it rather simple to automate archiving through simple Applescripts. Rather than use the built-in Mbox format, I just constructed a field-based data form that contained everything I wanted to know about a message, and then wrote a simple AS that takes a message and constructs a text item corresponding to the form and appends it to the iData data file (the record separator for iData files is just ASCII character "06"). The last rule in processing my messages archives every incoming message which hasn't been shunted off to a special folder and has a sender in my address book. Similarly every message I send is automatically archived. I have an script in the script menu to archive selected messages that are not automatically archived by rule. The "Message status" icon indicates whether or not a message has been archived.
The archiving is very quick even when it is done manually. For 30,000 messages a FM solution is probably better, but I just set up a new iData file every 6-12 months to keep files manageable and searches quick. HogBay looks quite interesting if the upcoming 3.0 version will let you append records individually by Applescript. -- To unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> archives: <http://www.mail-archive.com/entourage-talk%40lists.letterrip.com/> old-archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/entourage-talk%40lists.boingo.com/>
