Suggested core feature: Save (Export) Private Messages
What: Users select some (or all) of their Private Messages, and save them to another file that they could keep on their computer for posterity.
Benefit: By cleaning out their PM inbox on the forum, users can avoid the problem of reaching their PM limit and having messages bounce.
At the same time it allows users to ensure that important information is retained.
Required functions:
- user can select some or all PMs (or conversations) easily.
- 'save marked PMs to file' button. (Asks for destination and does so).
- file format needs to be one readily accessible, and searchable. eg .doc
(and ideally include any photos in those PMs)
- option to bulk delete the selected PM's from forum, once saved to file.
A useful additional feature would for a choice of alternate formats (PDF, Word, CSV, html, RTF, txt)
I note that in the SMF1.0.x days this was available as a mod. This was later 'unofficially' extended to earlier 2.0.x versions. however this no longer works with recent SMF 2.0.x iterations.
Just bumping this.
I know numerous 2.0.x people that'd love this, bit it occurs to me that an opportunity to get in on the ground floor with 2.1 is a good one.
I wish I knew what I was doing, but I don't. Hoping someone else out there does though.
The closest thing to that would be this mod that exports PM's to XML- https://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=845
From there you could covert the xml file to pdf, word, html, etc.
I haven't looked at the mod really, but I doubt it does the other things in your required functions list. It is a good start though.
Personally, I don't see this being a feature added into the core any time soon, but someone may be able to build on the idea and create a mod for it.
It'd be good as a core feature in the longer term.
A mod for 2.0.x and 2.1 would be fantastic though.
A version of this feature is already planned for 2.1. It won't include all the bells and whistles you are asking for, but it will get the job done.
Awesome ;D