An HTTP-based IMAP replacement makes me want to put a bullet in my brain.
IMAP is actually really good for the most part. It just has a few legacy warts (like EXPUNGE notifications being index based instead of UID-based), but a lot of the newer extensions fix these problems.
The CONDSTORE and QRESYNC extensions drastically simplify re-synchronizing the client and server and have been around for quite a few years at this point.
Honestly, if I was to design a brand new protocol for mail, it would be very close to what IMAP is today and just make a number of the newer extensions mandatory (UIDPLUS, LITERAL+ with Google's caveat for APPEND, NAMESPACE, SPECIAL-USE, SASL-IR, CONDSTORE, QRESYNC, perhaps a few others). I'd also include IDLE, but not as a distinct command - rather just have it always-on (at least as long as a folder is selected).
The #1 issue most developers have with IMAP is that every server implements a different subset of extensions. This isn't an IMAP-specific problem, however, it's just what happens to any protocol that gets as much adoption as IMAP and lives as long as IMAP has lived. There will always be new extensions for any protocol to improve upon it in various ways just like no framework API is ever complete.
Forcing all mail clients to go through HTTP for mail access is just retarded. It's depressing that so many people love the idea of using HTTP for everything. Honestly, wtf?
IMAP is actually really good for the most part. It just has a few legacy warts (like EXPUNGE notifications being index based instead of UID-based), but a lot of the newer extensions fix these problems.
The CONDSTORE and QRESYNC extensions drastically simplify re-synchronizing the client and server and have been around for quite a few years at this point.
Honestly, if I was to design a brand new protocol for mail, it would be very close to what IMAP is today and just make a number of the newer extensions mandatory (UIDPLUS, LITERAL+ with Google's caveat for APPEND, NAMESPACE, SPECIAL-USE, SASL-IR, CONDSTORE, QRESYNC, perhaps a few others). I'd also include IDLE, but not as a distinct command - rather just have it always-on (at least as long as a folder is selected).
The #1 issue most developers have with IMAP is that every server implements a different subset of extensions. This isn't an IMAP-specific problem, however, it's just what happens to any protocol that gets as much adoption as IMAP and lives as long as IMAP has lived. There will always be new extensions for any protocol to improve upon it in various ways just like no framework API is ever complete.
Forcing all mail clients to go through HTTP for mail access is just retarded. It's depressing that so many people love the idea of using HTTP for everything. Honestly, wtf?