Webmail Module Requirements

by Erik Bielefeldt

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I. Introduction

This document describes the requirements for the ACS Webmail module. The Webmail module provides a web-based email service.

II. Vision Statement

Web-based email is a convenient and highly accesible way of communicating over the internet. Because web-based email only requires a browser, it is accesible from almost any connected computer, and because all the messages are stored on a server, it is easy for the user to check his or her mail from a number of different machines. The Webmail module aims to achieve the following goals:

• Provide a reliable web-based email service
• Provide a simple, but powerful user-interface
• Provide a service competitive with other commercial web-based email services
• Provide a scalable data-module and efficient implementation

III. System/Application Overview

The Webmail module consists of:

• An interface for the user including:
  • Browsing available messages
  • Reading specific messages
  • Composing outgoing messages
  • Customizing the user interface and functionality of the module
• An interface for the administrator which includes:
  • Choosing domains handled by Webmail
  • Adding and deleting users in those domains
  • Viewing a list of recent Webmail errors

IV. Use-cases and User-scenarios

The Webmail module is intended to provide arsDigita employees and community members a web-based email service. Users would be community members who are looking for a convenient mail-service which would seamlessly integrate with other ACS tools, or people looking to escape highly commercialized mail-systems like Hotmail or Yahoo! Mail.

Competitive Analysis:

Eventually, Webmail will surpass Hotmail in usability and flexibility. It should also, in the future, at least match, if not surpass Yahoo! Mail in usability, flexibility, and features.

V. Related Links

• Design Document
• Installation document

VI.A. Requirements: Data Model

• 10.0 Domains
  
  10.1 Domains have a full domain name
  
  10.2 Domains have a short name for internal use
  
  
• 20.0 Users
  
  20.1 Users have an email user name
  
  20.2 Users are associated with a domain
  
  20.3 Users have a referenced column in the users table
  
  
• 30.0 Mailboxes
  
  30.1 Mailboxes are associated with users
  
  30.2 Mailboxes are uniquely identified by name and associated user
  
  
• 40.0 Incoming Messages
  
  40.1 Messages are associated with mailboxes (and hence to users)
  
  40.2 Messages have various flags to record their states (deleted, answered, read, draft, etc.)
  
  40.3 Messages have headers associated with them which keep track of their header information
  
  40.4 Messages have attachments associated with them which stores any data received as an attachment
  
  
• 50.0 Outgoing Messages
  
  50.1 Messages are associated with the composing user
  
  50.2 Messages have headers associated with them which keep track of their header information
  
  50.3 Messages have attachments associated with them which stores any data received as an attachment
  
  

VI.B. Requirements: Webmail Administration

• 60. 0 Creating Domains
  
  60.1 The administrator may create or delete domains which Webmail will accept mail for
  
  
• 70.0 Creating Webmail Accounts
  
  70.1 The administrator may create or delete user Webmail accounts
  
  

VI.C. Requirements: Webmail User Interface

• 80.0 Browsing Messages
  
  80.1 The user may browse any of his or her existing mailboxes
  
  80.2 Messages are listed by address, subject, size, and time
  
  80.3 The user may sort the messages by any of the above columns
  
  80.4 The user may filter messages by sender and subject
  
  
• 90.0 Reading Messages
  
  90.1 The user can view the body and certain headers of the message
  
  90.2 The user can move, delete, forward, or reply to the message
  
  90.3 The user may skip to the next message, previous message, or to the browsing view (index)
  
  
• 100.0 Composing Messages
  
  100.1 The user may enter the following fields: recipient, cc, bcc, subject, body
  
  100.2 Only the recipient is required
  
  100.3 The user may upload and attach files to the message
  
  100.4 The user may attach a signature
  
  100.5 The user may select whether to allow html tags in the message
  
  

VII. Revision History

Document Revision #	Action Taken, Notes	When?	By Whom?
0.1	Creation	09/04/2000	Erik Bielefeldt

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erik@arsdigita.com

Last modified: $Date: 2001/01/19 21:36:47 $