Advanced Message Management Features

The following sections describe advanced features that you can use to help manage your messages.

Viewing Messages by Thread

You can display your messages by thread. A message thread is a set of emails, composed of an initial email message about a subject and all responses to that message. A message thread is created when you send a message, and you receive a number of replies to the message. When you display your messages by thread, you can view the messages on a particular subject in chronological order. In this way, you can follow an email conversation from one message to the next message.

To display your messages by thread, choose View -> Threaded Message List.

Marking Messages as Read or Unread

When you receive a message, the message is marked as unread. In your message list, the message header information is displayed in bold, and the message icon shows a closed envelope. After you open the message, or display the message in the preview pane, the message is automatically marked as read. The message header information is displayed in normal text, and the message icon shows an open envelope.

You can mark messages that you have read as unread, and you can mark messages that you have not read as read.

To mark a message as unread, select the message in the message list. Choose Edit -> Mark as Unread.

To mark a message as read, select the message in the message list. Choose Edit -> Mark as Read.

To mark all messages in a folder as read, select the folder in the folder pane. Choose Edit -> Mark All as Read.

Marking Messages as Important

You can mark messages that you receive as important, to visually mark the message in your message list. When you mark a message as important, the message header information changes color, and an exclamation-point icon is displayed in the Important column.

To mark a message as important, select the message in the message list. Choose Edit -> Mark as Important.

To mark a message as normal, select the message in the message list. Choose Edit -> Mark as Unimportant.

Flagging Messages for Follow Up

You can add a follow-up flag to a message in your Inbox. A flag can specify a follow-up action for the message, and a due date and due time for the action. Use flags to remind yourself to follow up on issues that arise from your messages.

Flags are displayed at the top of messages. The following figure shows a Follow-Up flag in a message:

When the action associated with a flag is completed, you can set the status of the flag to completed. You can also clear a flag from a message.

You can display the following flag-related fields in your message list:

• Flag Status

• Follow Up Flag

• Due By

For more information, see To Customize a View.

To Flag a Message

Perform the following steps:

1. Select the message or messages that you want to flag in the message list.

2. Choose Actions -> Follow Up.

3. Enter the details for the flag in the Flag to Follow Up dialog. The following table describes the elements on the Flag to Follow Up dialog:

   Element	Description
   Flag	Select the flag that you want to add to the message or messages from the drop-down combination box. For example, if you want to remind yourself to reply to a message, select the Reply flag. Alternatively, you can type a new flag name in the text box.
   Clear	Click on this button to remove the flag from the message.
   Due by	Use the drop-down combination boxes to specify the date and time by which the task associated with the flag is due to be completed.
   Completed	Select this option to indicate that the action specified by the flag is completed.

4. Click OK.

To Set a Flag to Completed

Right-click on the message in the message list, then choose Flag Completed from the popup menu. The flag is removed from the top of the message.

Alternatively, select the message in the message list, then choose Actions -> Follow Up. On the Flag to Follow Up dialog, select the Completed option.

To Clear a Flag

To remove a flag from a message, right-click on the message in the message list. Choose Clear Flag from the popup menu.

Alternatively, you can select the message, then choose Actions -> Follow Up. In the Flag to Follow Up dialog, click on the Clear button.

Labelling Messages

You can add a color label to messages in the message list. The label changes the color of the message header information in the message list to visually mark the message. For example, to mark a message as personal, you can add a Personal label to the message.

To label a message, right-click on the message in the message list. Choose Label from the popup menu, then select the label that you require from the submenu.

You can customize labels and the color associated with labels. For more information, see Setting Mail Preferences.

Hiding Messages

You can hide messages in a message list. To hide messages, select the messages that you want to hide, then choose View -> Hide Selected Messages.

To hide messages that you have read, choose View -> Hide Read Messages.

To show hidden messages, choose View -> Show Hidden Messages. When you show hidden messages, Email and Calendar does not show deleted messages.

To show deleted messages, choose View -> Hide Deleted Messages. The deleted messages appear in strikethrough format in the folder from which you deleted the messages.