Understaning syncing: Gmai labels with eM categories

Mail
1

– Gmail Labels –

  1. Gmail label syncs to eM as a category.
  2. If you edit the label name in Gmail, the sync correctly updates the category name in eM.
  3. If you edit the category name in eM, the sync correctly updates the label name in gmail.
  4. A label created in gmail is cannot be searched upon in eM. eg: In eM, you cannot create a search folder that queries for the respective category. You can only query for eM’s native categories.

– eM Categories –

  1. eM category syncs to gmail as a label.
  2. If you update the category name in eM, it syncs the change to the gmail label and leaves a gmail label with the original name that is attached to no messages.
  3. If you edit the label name in gmail:
    3a. It syncs to eM as a new category.
    3b. The message in eM has the orginal category.
    3c. The message in gmail has the updated label.
    3d. The original category name does not show up in gmail as a label. (it may show up again in gmail after additional use of it in eM–I did not test)

Assuming I have detailed this correctly:

  1. I hope this is helpful to others
    …and my big question…
    2) Is this expected behavior?
2

Right from the start.

– Gmail Labels –

  1. GMail labels are not synced to eM Client as categories.
  2. See 1.
  3. See 1.
  4. Correct, because the label is not synced to eM Client as a category, you cannot use it in a search. You can instead use the folder as search criteria.

When you categorize an email in a GMail folder, you will be given options including local categories and GMail labels. You will see that the two sections are separated by a horizontal line. If you categorize an email in a non-GMail folder, you will not be given the GMail labels as an option.

– eM Categories –

  1. The only time a category in eM Client will behave as a label in GMail, is if you assign the category to an email in a GMail folder. GMail then creates a label from that, and therefore it exists in both places unless it is renamed.
  2. Correct but only if that category is already assigned to an email in a GMail folder
    3a. Incorrect. See GMail labels 1.
    3b. Correct
    3c. Correct
    3d. Correct. Because it is a category, not a label…

I would consider it expected behaviour except for 3b. You would expect the email to have the new label in eM Client, and be in the new label folder. It is shown with the old category and does not appear in the new folder.

Hope I didn’t get lost there.