63251 - [Feature]Need to display something in Thread pane when Account is selected

Status: VERIFIED FIXED

(SeaMonkey :: MailNews: Message Display, defect, P1)

Description

[esther]

Using builds 2000-11-18 on win98, mac and linux, we need to display some kind of
information in the Blank thread pane when a Mail account or News Server is
selected.  There have been feedback reports that users 1st experience with mail
is confusing because the thread pane is blank when the mail window comes up.
Also, the blank screen is still a little confusing when user selects another
account server.  We should add information to the thread window to clear up the
confusion.

Comment 1

[esther]

*** Bug 45386 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 2

[esther]

*** Bug 49753 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 3

[Azrael AOD]

adding self to cc.

Comment 4

[jglick]

Some screenshot ideas can be seen at:
http://www.mozilla.org/mailnews/specs/proposals/AccountLevel.html

Comment 5

[jglick]

Ideas 7 and 9 are currently the most favored.

Comment 6

[Matthew T (active 1999-2002)]

Showing any sort of complicated UI in the thread/message area is highly 
problematic for sseveral reasons. Firstly, we don't know how large that area is 
going to be -- unlike Outlook and Outlook Express, we shouldn't assume that 
everyone is using a maximized window in an 800*600 (or larger) display. So if 
we put a lot of stuff in there (such as options 7 or 9), users who typically 
have a small three-pane window will only ever see part of it. Secondly, using 
links for `do stuff/change stuff' is bad hypertext, since the entrenched 
meaning of links is `go somewhere without changing anything'. And thirdly, we 
run the risk of making some users think that this place (the thread/message 
pane with an account selected) is the *only* place where they can read 
mail/compose mail/view account settings, when in fact other omnipresent menu 
items and buttons exist for these purposes.

Option 9 in particular has its own problems: the help text shown for each topic 
is much too long to display on a mouseover; the mouseovers could get very 
tedious for people who already know how to use Messenger; and the help text as 
shown in the mockup effectively says `to compose a new message, do anything 
*except* click this link!'.

I vote for a modified version of option 2, something like
------
<h1>Name of Account</h1>
<p>There are no messages at the top level.</p>
------
Adding `Please select a folder' would be offensive to those people who had 
actually selected the account level for a good reason, such as changing account 
settings or deleting the account.

Comment 7

[kmurray1115]

We've discussed the problems around screen/window defaults, and agree that there 
is too much info in mock up #9. Regarding the notion that the account level 
might become a sort of "launch pad" for novice users, I don't beleve this is a 
bad thing. We are trying to provide a level of info that gets novice users 
started, and quickly familiar with the most common tasks in using Mail. 
Understandably, folks who are already familiar with the functions of the app 
won't need the acct level info presented, as menu commands and buttons are there 
for them to use, and probably won't use it after the first time they see it, as 
the app will remember their last position, most likely the inbox. In usability 
testing for the "first hour of usage," we uncovered that this was the highest 
ranked item that needed user feedback.

Comment 8

[scottputterman]

marking nsbeta1+ and reassigning to racham.

My favorite choice is #7 and I think that's a good start.  Screen size could be 
a problem, but let's try it out.  It wouldn't just be in the thread pane. It 
would replace the thread and message panes. One thing we haven't taken account 
of in the screenshots is what the alternative three pane will look like. Perhaps 
just in the message pane area?

I disagree with the idea that we shouldn't have a place with all of these 
options because users might get trained to come here. We're finding that users 
don't know how to get things done.  If they stay with this page and this is 
comfortable, I see no reason to stop them from doing so.  As they explore the 
product more, they will find easier ways of doing things and can use them if 
they want.

Comment 9

[scottputterman]

cc'ing myself

Comment 10

[[e-mail] (gone - use [e-mail] instead)]

I like #7, also, but feel it could be expanded.  I think it might be wise to
include News in here, as well.  Right underneath E-mail, we could have:

Newsgroups

Read News
Subscribe to Newsgroups...

It's good to note how our competition does this for News.  Read News brings up
in the message pane a window showing the default NNTP account with all
subscribed groups beneath it.  Obviously we don't have this implemented yet, but
it could be something to shoot for.  And Subscribe to Newsgroups brings up of
course, the default News account's subscribe dialog. 

Comment 11

[jglick]

This view is actually context sensitive, so what is displayed depends on what is 
 currently selected. As the default the Default Mail account is selected. the 
options available are all context specific to the default account. So "Read my 
Email messages" causes focus to switch to the Inbox for the default account so 
users can read their new mail for the default account.  If the account level of 
a different account is selected, the choices become specific to that selected 
account.  If a news server is selected, then this view would change slightly to 
show options available, such as "Subscribe to newsgroups", etc.

Comment 12

[racham]

Finally we have an AccountCentral page to display when the account is selected.
I will post screen shots for both mail and news. News screen has to polished
more and need to have more option than it shows. But we need to land these
initial efforts to get more feedback from people.

AccountCentral is a single place where user can perform various account realted
activities. It will serve as single-stop for various activities like compose,
search and read messages. Also, it serves novice users to find perform some
common tasks easily without having to search through menus..

Comment 13

[racham]

Attachment: ScreenShot for mail AccountCentral page

Comment 14

[racham]

Attachment: ScreenShot for news AccountCentral page

Comment 15

[racham]

Attachment: mailnews patch for AccountCentral page

Comment 16

[racham]

Attachment: themes Diffs

Comment 17

[racham]

Attachment: prefs diffs

Comment 18

[racham]

Attachment: AccountCentral xul file - msgAccountCentral.xul

Comment 19

[racham]

Attachment: AccountCentral js file - msgAccountCentral.js

Comment 20

[racham]

Attachment: AccountCentral dtd file - msgAccountCentral.dtd

Comment 21

[racham]

Adding Joe Hewitt for themes review..

Seth and Scott, will you please review/sr these patches..?
A bit about patches realted to mail and prefs. Some of these files contain fixes
related to bug 60668. I tried to remove as many independent code segments as
possible and left the rest like that..

Here are the things you need not look in this bug's context...

In mail diffs
-------------
1.Index: base/resources/content/mailWindowOverlay.js
  a. function GetMessagesForInboxOnServer(server)
  b. function MsgGetMessagesForAllServers(defaultServer)

In prefs diffs
--------------
1. Index: src/init/mailnews.js
  a. -pref("mail.server.default.login_at_startup", true);
     +pref("mail.server.default.login_at_startup", false);

Let me know, if you want me to repost diffs just realted to this bug..

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks to all of you for reviews..

Comment 22

[(not reading, please use [e-mail] instead)]

racham, those screen shots look great.  this fix will really help usability.

some comments:

you set gAccountCentralLoaded to true or false in some places after calling
HideAccountCentral() or ShowAccountCentral().  you should set
gAccountCentralLoaded to true or false from within those functions.

I noticed in OpenInboxForServer() you call HideAccountCentral() buy you don't
set gAccountCentralLoaded to false.  is that a problem?

should ClearMessagePane() set gAccountCentralLoaded to false?  Should anything
else set gAccountCentralLoaded to false, (like when you load a message?)

also, you have chrome://messenger/locale/messenger.properties defined in
messenger.properties and in prefs.js.  Are both needed?

Comment 23

[racham]

Seth,

Thanks for your comments.

As you mentioned, I shall move the gAccountCentralLoaded into those
(Show/Hide)AccountCentral functions, that should take care of all situations.
This boolean is primarily used to ensure that if what user clicks on the
folderpane is not an account but a msgFolder, we shall hide accountcentral page.
ClearMessagePane() in FolderPaneClick is based on this boolean as the
messagepane exists only in the absence of accountcentral page. So, trying to
clear messagepane when the accountcentral page is on, will throw js errors.

Regarding the prefs issue, I thought, for localization purposes, we have been
following the standard of providing the properties file name in prefs and then
get the pref value from the properties file based on pref's name. Let me know if
there is a shortcut here..

Comment 24

[racham]

Here are the diffs (next post) related to commandglue.js and mailWindow.js.
Variable gAccountCentralLoaded is moved from the former to the later. That
variable is set in Show/Hide AccountCentral functions of mailWindow.js. 

Comment 25

[racham]

Attachment: moved gAccountCentral var to the right place..

Comment 26

[racham]

moved gAccountCentralLoaded var...i mean

Comment 27

[(not reading, please use [e-mail] instead)]

r=sspitzer

Comment 28

[racham]

Adding bienvenu to the cc listfor sr= incase mscott couldn't get to this early..

Comment 29

[Joe Hewitt (gone)]

For the themes, could we move the account central stuff to a separate css file?
 And don't import that css file from messenger.css, only load it from the xul
file(s) for account central.

Comment 30

[racham]

I can do that..but is there is a problem with current approach..?

Comment 31

[Joe Hewitt (gone)]

The problem with putting that stuff in messenger.css is that this file is loaded
in many different windows that don't need the account central rules.  Those
rules should only be loaded where they are needed.

In the past, people have tended to throw rules with a narrow purpose into a
widely-used file, but that's a habit I'm trying to change, and I will soon be
breaking up the themes files to fix these situations.

Comment 32

[timeless]

the news picture mentions "email". This word doesn't belong in that context.
Maybe 'Newsgroup Posting', similarly i think it should be newsgroup post 
instead of message.

Search my messages? shouldn't we offer search this news server?

Comment 33

[scottputterman]

With respect to changing wording, I think these are things we should definitely
think about, but I think it would be good to land this as soon as possible to
get as much of this type of feedback as early as possible.

Comment 34

[racham]

As mentioned by Putterman, We need to land this first and ammend these pages for
better based on feedback. I will open a new bug with unimplmeneted suggestions
and for all future feedback.

Hewitt, I have made changes you have asked for. A new file,
msgAccountCentral.css, is introduced to carry all the style rules for these
pages. Will post themes diffs next..thanks

Comment 35

[racham]

Attachment: themes diffs - style rules for AccountCentral pages put in new file

Comment 36

[racham]

Attachment: css file for AccountCentral page - msgAccountCentral.css

Comment 37

[racham]

Attachment: AccountCentral xul file with reference to the new css file

Comment 38

[Joe Hewitt (gone)]

themes stuff looks good, r=hewitt

Comment 39

[David :Bienvenu]

sr=bienvenu

Comment 40

[racham]

Thanks a lot David.....OK all these are going in as soon as tree opens.

Comment 41

[racham]

AccountCentral page finally landed. Thanks for all the help.

I opened a new bug 66376 to improve this feature further. Please follow that bug
for future work.

Thanks for reviews and suggestions. Marking Fixed.

Comment 42

[Jason Kersey]

This is not working in my mail view, with is the 3 pane vertical layout.  Are
there plans to support this at all in this view?

Comment 43

[Ninoschka Baca]

Build 2001-01-2404: NT4
Build 2001-01-2408: Linux 6.2
- Default 3pane layout: OK
- Alternate 3pane layout: Nothing appears in the thread pane. Logged as a
separate bug (Bug# 66442)

Will check the Mac build when it's available.

Comment 44

[racham]

Ninoschka just filed a bug for AccountCentral to be implemented on alternate
layout (I was just opening a new bug on this and just noticed this bug :
courtesy - biff), bug 66442. Thanks Ninoschka.

We need to discuss layout arrangements for this new bug. Please add all your
comments to the new bug 66442.

Comment 45

[Ninoschka Baca]

Build 2001-01-29-08: Mac 9.04, Fixed.
Verified Fixed.

Comment 46

[kmurray1115]

I'm seeing a problem with this in the Mozillium theme. Before I reopen, is
anyone else seeing this?
Build:2001012504

Comment 47

[[e-mail] (gone - use [e-mail] instead)]

I'll attach an awful screenshot ;-(.

Comment 48

[[e-mail] (gone - use [e-mail] instead)]

Attachment: Ignored styles and links.

Comment 49

[kmurray1115]

Internal folks can see screen shot here: http://client/mojo/mail/accountlevel.htm

Comment 50

[racham]

Currently, We support only Modern and Classic themes (blue theme will be
obsolete, however accountcentral is supported on blue theme too) and no other.
So, you will see accountcentral pages as posted in the screenshots (as part of
patches) only in those themes. For all other themes, theme developers have to
sync with the changes we made. I have already posted an article in the newsgroup
(netscape.public.dev.skins) informing the developers about the change and things
they need to do to make accountcentral page look the way it is on Modern/Classic.

Comment 51

[[e-mail] (gone - use [e-mail] instead)]

Mozillium is still a Netscape created and branded skin though, we should support
it. :-)

Comment 52

[racham]

Hewitt,

Theme park says, Netscape owns Modern-Mozillium. Do you know where the files for
this skin exists..? Are you the owner for this skin ?

bhuvan

Comment 53

[[e-mail] (gone - use [e-mail] instead)]

This is FIXED....the new bug for Mozillium is
http://bugscape.netscape.com/show_bug.cgi?id=3778.

Comment 54

[[e-mail] (gone - use [e-mail] instead)]

VERIFIED.

Comment 55

[kmurray1115]

One more thing - when Local Folders level is selected, if you click on "Read
Messages," nothing happens. I know that nothing should, since there is no inbox,
but what do we tell the user?

Comment 56

[(not reading, please use [e-mail] instead)]

kevin, open a new bug on that.  this bug is dead and gone.

Comment 57

[kmurray1115]

Okie Dokie - filed bug 67868. thx