Re^3: recommended storage format for email messages?

[jhourcle]

Sounds like you just need to generate an index, then, with the starting line of each of the messages. If you kept it separate, then normal mbox-reading programs could use it, and you'd have your alternate way of skipping to messages.

[DStaal]

I think many mail clients already do this in fact. If there is one that is likely to be used in your install, see if you can use/duplicate it's index file. (I think every client has it's own system, if they have one at all.)