NOT PART OF THE BUILD. more hacking with bienvenu.

mailnews/base/resources/content/dbviewtest.js

@@ -1,6 +1,30 @@
+var dbview;
+var nsMsgViewSortType = Components.interfaces.nsMsgViewSortType;
+var nsMsgViewSortOrder = Components.interfaces.nsMsgViewSortOrder;
 
-function doit()
+function createView()
 {
-    var dbview = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/messenger/msgdbview;1?type=threaded"].createInstance(Components.interfaces.nsIMsgDBView);
+    dbview = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/messenger/msgdbview;1?type=threaded"].createInstance(Components.interfaces.nsIMsgDBView);
     dump("dbview = " + dbview + "\n");
 }
+
+
+function sortDateAscending()
+{
+    dbview.sort(nsMsgViewSortType.byDate,nsMsgViewSortOrder.ascending);
+}
+
+function sortDateDescending()
+{
+    dbview.sort(nsMsgViewSortType.byDate,nsMsgViewSortOrder.descending);
+}
+
+function sortThreadedAscending()
+{
+    dbview.sort(nsMsgViewSortType.byThread,nsMsgViewSortOrder.ascending);
+}
+
+function sortThreadedDescending()
+{
+    dbview.sort(nsMsgViewSortType.byThread,nsMsgViewSortOrder.descending);
+}

mailnews/base/resources/content/dbviewtest.xul

@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@
         
 <script language="JavaScript" src="chrome://messenger/content/dbviewtest.js"/>
 
-<button value="Hit Me" onclick="doit()"/>
+<box orient="vertical">
+  <button class="dialog" value="create view" onclick="createView()"/>
+  <button class="dialog" value="sort date ascending" onclick="sortDateAscending()"/>
+  <button class="dialog" value="sort date decending" onclick="sortDateDescending()"/>
+  <button class="dialog" value="sort thread ascending" onclick="sortThreadedAscending()"/>
+  <button class="dialog" value="sort thread descending" onclick="sortThreadedDescending()"/>
+</box>
 
 </window>