1358228 - execCommand("defaultparagraphseparator", false, "p"); doesn't insert paragraphs when started off in a <div>

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Core :: DOM: Editor, defect, P3)

Description

[Jorg K (CEST = GMT+2)]

+++ This bug was initially created as a clone of Bug #1353695 +++

Use attachment from 8854803 from bug 1353695. Click in front of "On 2/13/15 ...".

Hit enter twice. Perhaps I'm expecting too much, but instead of adding <p> tags, this splits the <div> and adds <br>s:

<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br type="_moz"></div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br></div>

Comment 1

[Aryeh Gregor (:ayg) (no longer with Mozilla)]

The cursor is inside a <div>, so when you hit Enter it splits the <div>.  This is the same behavior we always had for <p> AFAIK.  In https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/d4f23591dd74 I changed it to apply to <div> also.  I see this behavior in Chrome and WebKit as well.  I don't have Edge handy right now to test, but according to my commit message it apparently behaves the same.  I don't think this behavior is correct semantically, because a <div> is a generic container and shouldn't be used as a paragraph separator.  But other browsers aren't going to change, so I deliberately chose to match them.

Does this cause specific problems that you think warrant going against the behavior of all other browsers?

Comment 2

[Jorg K (CEST = GMT+2)]

Thanks for the explanation.

(In reply to Aryeh Gregor (:ayg) (working March 28-April 26) from comment #1)
> Does this cause specific problems that you think warrant going against the
> behavior of all other browsers?
No, I don't see specific problems, but the behaviour seems odd, as you stated.

Particularly in the context of editing an e-mail reply (attachment 8854803 [details] from bug 1353695) where we end up with multiple <div>s where the user wanted to create a "free" space in front of the existing one.

Comment 3

[Aryeh Gregor (:ayg) (no longer with Mozilla)]

Unfortunately, after bug 1297414, div doesn't work well in the editor as anything but a paragraph separator.  I think it's lame, but there you have it.

Comment 4

[Aryeh Gregor (:ayg) (no longer with Mozilla)]

Although I agree in theory our old behavior was better, I think this is WONTFIX unless someone comes up with a reason that's compelling enough to go against all (?) other browsers.

Comment 5

[Jorg K (CEST = GMT+2)]

We can live with WONTFIX here. FYI, we've adopted setting the default paragraph separator in TB composition and we're doing well with this:
https://dxr.mozilla.org/comm-central/rev/f593d2d106c15ad9682a35eaa1a8679e7127acd6/mail/components/compose/content/MsgComposeCommands.js#5362

The advantage is that people choosing to write e-mail using paragraphs, no always get paragraphs. It's unfortunate that <div>s don't also produce paragraphs when split, but not tragic.