1859568 - Use single key keyboard action to open a message list from a folder

Status: ASSIGNED

(Thunderbird :: Folder and Message Lists, enhancement, P2)

Description

[Elizabeth Mitchell]

Use Enter key to open the message list pertaining to a folder.

Currently F6 can be used, but is not intuitive. We will keep F6 and add the Enter key.

Comment 1

[Elizabeth Mitchell]

User feedback that led to this change:

tb-beta mailing list requests beginning on May 13, 2023 from Antonio and supported by other community members. Antonio followed up in October 2023 about F6 not being enough to address what is needed.

Support question on Mastodon from Kevan on October 17, 2023:

Is there a shortcut to jump between message list and list of different categories such as inbox, sent, drafts, etc? I have to press tab several times now just to jump between those 2 sections and single keystrokes would be handy. It used to be easier to do that before the design change earlier this year, so I hope that gets put in.

Support question from manchen_0528 on October 17, 2023:

is there a way for me to press tab once in a folder tree view to navigate to a selected folder, like the inbox?

Comment 4

[Elizabeth Mitchell]

I've tested this today. In daily, sometimes the Enter key will jump the user to the next new message (which may or may not be in the currently selected folder). This seems inconsistent.

Given this information, we can't use Enter to open the folder. There needs to be another key.

I recommend the right and left keys to change focus from the folder to the folders contents and back again to the folder. The up and down keys already navigate through the folders. With left to right text, the right key would open the message list for the folder and move focus to the message list. The left key would move focus back to the selected folder from the message list.

Comment 5

[Elizabeth Mitchell]

We need to make sure documentation is updated to include:

• F6 and Function + F6 - to open the folder
• Enter - indicate what action it does
• Left (or whatever key is used) - open folder and go to message list
• Right (or whatever key is used) - go back to selected folder

Comment 6

[Elizabeth Mitchell]

Attachment: WIP: Bug 1859568 - Exploration of folder keys.