## list method in inbox controller
def list

    @page_title = 'Inbox'
    @message = Array.new

    if params[:id] then @page = params[:id].to_i else @page = 1 end
    #let's just set num_to_display manually for now
    @emails_per_page = 2
    @emails_per_page = (session[:total_messages] - 1) if(@emails_per_page > session[:total_messages])
    @first = @emails_per_page * (@page - 1)
    @last = @first   @emails_per_page - 1
    @last = session[:total_messages] - 1 if (@last >= session[:total_messages])
    @counter = 0
    @first.upto(@last) do |number|
      @message[@counter] = session[:inbox].get_header(session[:inbox].emails[number])
      @counter  = 1
    end
    render :partial => 'list', :locals => {:first => @first,
                                           :message => @message,
                                           :last => @last} if request.xhr?
end

## list.rhtml
  <table width="100%">
    <tr><td colspan="3" align="right"><%= button_to 'logout', :action => 'logout' %></td></tr>
    <tr>
      <td width="88%"></td>
      <td align="right" width="6%">
        <% if @first > 0 then %>
          <% previous_text = '<<== Newer' %>
          <%= link_to_remote(previous_text, :update => "message_list",
                       :url => { :action => 'list', :id => @page-1})%>
        <% else %>
          <%= ''  %>
        <% end %>
      </td>
      <td align="left" width="6%">
        <% if @last != (session[:total_messages] - 1) then %>
          <% next_text = 'Older ==>>' %>
          <%= link_to_remote(next_text, :update => "message_list",
                       :url => { :action => 'list', :id => @page 1},
                       :position => "top")%>
        <% else %>
          <%= ''  %>
        <% end %>
      </td>
     </tr>
  </table>
    <div id="message_list">
      <%= render :partial => 'list', :locals => {:first => @first,
                                                 :message => @message,
                                                 :last => @last} %>

## _list.rhtml

    <table>
      <%counter = 0%>
      <% @first.upto(@last) do |number|%>
      <tr>
        <td><%= message[counter][:from] %></td>
        <td><%= message[counter][:subject] %></td>
        <td><%= message[counter][:date] %></td>
        <%counter  = 1%>
      </tr>
      <% end %>
    </table>

## Output in browser after clicking "Older" three times, only the top 2 need to be displayed
   	  	 Older ==>>
b@gmail.com 	Testing from b 	Tue Nov 21 12:34:42 -0500 2006
s@gmail.com 	Testing from s 	Tue Nov 21 12:35:29 -0500 2006
b@gmail.com 	Testing from b 	Tue Nov 21 12:34:42 -0500 2006
s@gmail.com 	Testing from s 	Tue Nov 21 12:35:29 -0500 2006
a@gmail.com 	Test 1 	        Sun Nov 19 01:45:13 -0500 2006
a@gmail.com 	Test 2 	        Tue Nov 21 12:34:07 -0500 2006