Bugzilla

(In reply to BOB from comment #41)

Hey BOB, in case you've missed it, I've tried to ensure that this bug and related bugs are correctly understood, which includes pointing out the UX problems of the current implementation. Understanding the UX problems is key for trying to get them resolved. Please re-read my comment 40, because it has all the answers.
Whining won't help.

> 1. Why did TB versions prior to 91 contain a Print Preview option on the drop down list that so many users benefitted from even if it opened the message in the background as they say but left it marked as Unread?

Answer:
> when the new Firefox print dialog was ported, print has also been redesigned (simplified) on the Thunderbird side to print what's displayed in the message view (bug 1711408).

The new print dialog delivers substantial UX improvements, but unfortunately its current implementation (bug 1711408) also causes some significant print UX shortcomings/regressions (see `See also` list of bugs on this bug). That said, so far you're the only one who has associated this with `leave message unread`, which is odd for a number of reasons:
- The delay before automatically marking messages read is fully under your control via preferences, and you can even switch the feature off.
- The fact that right-click does not select the message is a bug (on Windows at least; I heard that MacOS has this behaviour in its file manager), not a feature.
- I guess you are the only one who is trying to "preview" messages using "print preview", due to your previous false assumptions about how print preview works. For all practical purposes, it's quite correct for previewing and printing to default to `mark as read` (but then, you can still change that in the Preferences if you don't like it).
- It's really simple to mark a message as read or unread: Just press `M`.

> 2. Version 91.2.0 Release Notes said the Print Preview option was now combined in the Print/Print Preview function on the drop down list, however,  the only Preview that was displayed was either a Blank Screen or a Welcome to Thunderbird document.

I'm quite sure that we've explained to you before that in the current technical implementation (even though you and I are unhappy with that), we can only print what is displayed in the message pane (bug 1711408, told you!). So if your message pane displays `Welcome to Thunderbird`, that will be printed, and if it displays nothing, that will be printed, too. That was wrong as you were trying to print a message, and it has been "fixed" here by disabling Print for the scenarios where it fails. It's non-trivial to change the current implementation to print things which are *not* displayed, and hence it's currently WONTFIX per the decision of Magnus (:mkmelin), the technical manager, and Geoff (:darktrojan), leading developer, in Bug 1727107 Comment 11. So for now, please accept that you need to select and display a message for printing. 

> 3. Now Version 91.2.1 there is no option to Print/Print Preview without first opening the email. This is a step backwards.

Yes. We agree on that. The big step forward (having a much better, unified print dialog) came at a cost of some steps backwards. But you and I cannot change it right now unless if you are able to provide a patch. Fwiw, the much more significant fallout is bug 1727865.

(In reply to BOB from comment #41)

Hey BOB, in case you've missed it, I've tried to ensure that this bug and related bugs are correctly understood, which includes pointing out the UX problems of the current implementation. Understanding the UX problems is key for trying to get them resolved. Please re-read my comment 40, because it has all the answers.
Whining won't help.

> 1. Why did TB versions prior to 91 contain a Print Preview option on the drop down list that so many users benefitted from even if it opened the message in the background as they say but left it marked as Unread?

Answer:
> when the new Firefox print dialog was ported, print has also been redesigned (simplified) on the Thunderbird side to print what's displayed in the message view (bug 1711408).

The new print dialog delivers substantial UX improvements, but unfortunately its current implementation (bug 1711408) also causes some significant print UX shortcomings/regressions (see `See also` list of bugs on this bug). That said, so far you're the only one who has associated this with `leave message unread`, which is odd for a number of reasons:
- The delay before automatically marking messages read is fully under your control via preferences, and you can even switch the feature off.
- The fact that right-click does not select the message is a bug (on Windows at least; I heard that MacOS has this behaviour in its file manager), not a feature.
- I guess you are the only one who is trying to "preview" messages using "print preview", due to your previous false assumptions about how print preview works. For all practical purposes, it's quite correct for previewing and printing to default to `mark as read` (but then, you can still change that in the Preferences if you don't like it).
- It's really simple to mark a message as read or unread: Just press `M` to toggle the status.

> 2. Version 91.2.0 Release Notes said the Print Preview option was now combined in the Print/Print Preview function on the drop down list, however,  the only Preview that was displayed was either a Blank Screen or a Welcome to Thunderbird document.

I'm quite sure that we've explained to you before that in the current technical implementation (even though you and I are unhappy with that), we can only print what is displayed in the message pane (bug 1711408, told you!). So if your message pane displays `Welcome to Thunderbird`, that will be printed, and if it displays nothing, that will be printed, too. That was wrong as you were trying to print a message, and it has been "fixed" here by disabling Print for the scenarios where it fails. It's non-trivial to change the current implementation to print things which are *not* displayed, and hence it's currently WONTFIX per the decision of Magnus (:mkmelin), the technical manager, and Geoff (:darktrojan), leading developer, in Bug 1727107 Comment 11. So for now, please accept that you need to select and display a message for printing. 

> 3. Now Version 91.2.1 there is no option to Print/Print Preview without first opening the email. This is a step backwards.

Yes. We agree on that. The big step forward (having a much better, unified print dialog) came at a cost of some steps backwards. But you and I cannot change it right now unless if you are able to provide a patch. Fwiw, the much more significant fallout is bug 1727865.

(In reply to BOB from comment #41)

Hey BOB, in case you've missed it, I've tried to ensure that this bug and related bugs are correctly understood, which includes pointing out the UX problems of the current implementation. Understanding the UX problems is key for trying to get them resolved. Please re-read my comment 40, because it has all the answers.
Whining won't help.

> 1. Why did TB versions prior to 91 contain a Print Preview option on the drop down list that so many users benefitted from even if it opened the message in the background as they say but left it marked as Unread?

Answer:
> when the new Firefox print dialog was ported, print has also been redesigned (simplified) on the Thunderbird side to print what's displayed in the message view (bug 1711408).

The new print dialog delivers substantial UX improvements, but unfortunately its current implementation (bug 1711408) also causes some significant print UX shortcomings/regressions (see `See also` list of bugs on this bug). That said, so far you're the only one who has associated this with `leave message unread`, which is odd for a number of reasons:
- The delay before automatically marking messages read is fully under your control via preferences, and you can even switch the feature off.
- The fact that right-click does not select the message is a bug (on Windows at least; I heard that MacOS has this behaviour in its file manager), not a feature.
- I guess you are the only one who is trying to "preview" messages using "print preview", due to your previous false assumptions about how print preview works. For all practical purposes, it's quite correct for previewing and printing to default to `mark as read` (but then, you can still change that in the Preferences if you don't like it).
- It's really simple to mark a message as read or unread: Just press `M` to toggle the status.

> 2. Version 91.2.0 Release Notes said the Print Preview option was now combined in the Print/Print Preview function on the drop down list, however,  the only Preview that was displayed was either a Blank Screen or a Welcome to Thunderbird document.

I'm quite sure that we've explained to you before that in the current technical implementation (even though you and I are unhappy with that), we can only print what is displayed in the message pane (bug 1711408, told you!). So if your message pane displays `Welcome to Thunderbird`, that will be printed, and if it displays nothing, that will be printed, too. That was wrong as you were trying to print a message, and it has been "fixed" here by disabling Print for the scenarios where it fails. It's non-trivial to change the current implementation to print things which are *not* displayed, and hence it's currently WONTFIX per the decision of Magnus (:mkmelin), the technical manager, and Geoff (:darktrojan), leading developer, in Bug 1727107 Comment 11. So for now, please accept that you need to select and display a message for printing. 

> 3. Now Version 91.2.1 there is no option to Print/Print Preview without first opening the email. This is a step backwards.

Yes. We agree on that. The big step forward (having a much better, unified print dialog, and simplifying our printing code) came at a cost of some steps backwards. But you and I cannot change it right now unless if you are able to provide a patch. Fwiw, the much more significant fallout is bug 1727865.

(In reply to BOB from comment #41)

Hey BOB, in case you've missed it, I've tried to ensure that this bug and related bugs are correctly understood, which includes pointing out the UX problems of the current implementation. Understanding the UX problems is key for trying to get them resolved. Please re-read my comment 40, because it has all the answers.
Whining won't help.

> 1. Why did TB versions prior to 91 contain a Print Preview option on the drop down list that so many users benefitted from even if it opened the message in the background as they say but left it marked as Unread?

Answer:
> when the new Firefox print dialog was ported, print has also been redesigned (simplified) on the Thunderbird side to print what's displayed in the message view (bug 1711408).

The new print dialog delivers substantial UX improvements, but unfortunately its current implementation (bug 1711408) also causes some significant print UX shortcomings/regressions (see `See also` list of bugs on this bug). That said, so far you're the only one who has associated this with `leave message unread`, which is odd for a number of reasons:
- The delay before automatically marking messages read is fully under your control via preferences, and you can even switch the feature off.
- The fact that right-click does not select the message is a bug (on Windows at least; I heard that MacOS has this behaviour in its file manager), not a feature.
- I guess you are the only one who is trying to "preview" message contents using "print preview", due to your previous false assumptions about how print preview works. For all practical purposes, it's quite correct for previewing and printing to default to `mark as read` (but then, you can still change that in the Preferences if you don't like it).
- It's really simple to mark a message as read or unread: Just press `M` to toggle the status.

> 2. Version 91.2.0 Release Notes said the Print Preview option was now combined in the Print/Print Preview function on the drop down list, however,  the only Preview that was displayed was either a Blank Screen or a Welcome to Thunderbird document.

I'm quite sure that we've explained to you before that in the current technical implementation (even though you and I are unhappy with that), we can only print what is displayed in the message pane (bug 1711408, told you!). So if your message pane displays `Welcome to Thunderbird`, that will be printed, and if it displays nothing, that will be printed, too. That was wrong as you were trying to print a message, and it has been "fixed" here by disabling Print for the scenarios where it fails. It's non-trivial to change the current implementation to print things which are *not* displayed, and hence it's currently WONTFIX per the decision of Magnus (:mkmelin), the technical manager, and Geoff (:darktrojan), leading developer, in Bug 1727107 Comment 11. So for now, please accept that you need to select and display a message for printing. 

> 3. Now Version 91.2.1 there is no option to Print/Print Preview without first opening the email. This is a step backwards.

Yes. We agree on that. The big step forward (having a much better, unified print dialog, and simplifying our printing code) came at a cost of some steps backwards. But you and I cannot change it right now unless if you are able to provide a patch. Fwiw, the much more significant fallout is bug 1727865.