Answers

1. New Mail folder never closes. Email messages are delivered from your POP3 server to it. Then messages are distributed to various folders according to the rules you set up. Any messages not handled, are processed by the default rule and moved into the Pegasus Mail Default folder, see Menu: Tools/Options/General Settings/Basic settings --> Default folder

2. To create and use a subroutine:

  In rules processing, 

• If you haven't already, add a rule "Always trigger "Action "Exit ruleset" to end main ruleset coding
  
• Add a Label (with parameter set to a meaningful name to mark the start of subroutine)
  
• Add multiple rules as required
• Add rule Always Trigger action "Return from Call"

In your main rule add a rule "Always trigger" which has an Action of "Call" with the parameter set to the Label created above.  You will need to use the big arrow (on the side) to move this Call statement above the "Exit ruleset" rule.
The Pegasus Mail help system can explain in more detail how to do all this.

HTH

Hi, I just want messages to be sorted into various folders as they're downloaded, according to properties of the header lines.  Does anyone know how to do that?

Check out "Filters" in the Pegasus Mail Help system on how to create rules.

Okay, let me rephrase my question:  Why do "General-purpose rule-based mail filtering" and "Choose when the rule should be applied" say the program waits until the new mail folder is opened?  Why can't it just deal with messages as they come in?

Messages are dealt with as they come in.   Don't use General-Purpose rules. Look at New Mail filtering rules

Holy Mother of All Mudballs.  This message-filtering language is like 1960s BASIC.  Isn't there someone in the mail-client world who knows how design a DSL?

LOL    Take a look at what Outlook Express or Eudora offer, and then you will appreciate the simplicity and power of Pegasus Mail filtering. As for language, no its not any kind of language unless you consider commandline. If you want more elegance, try writing your own extensions to Pegasus Mail.

Martin

You mean there is some sort of scripting language that can be used for filters?  All I have ever found is the GUI interface filters.  I would like a scripting language so I coul do stuff like:

(A OR B) AND C  which can be done in scripting with a simple line.

With the GUI you have to do:

 (A AND C) OR (B AND C) which requires using multiple rules.

Two more questions:

1.  Is there a way to tell Pegasus to also use the folder-open set of new-mail rules when the New Mail folder is closed?

2.  Is there a way to make compound actions, for instance mark a message read and move it to another folder?