237051 - [SM] Lock Column Headers / Sort

Status: NEW

(SeaMonkey :: MailNews: Message Display, enhancement)

Description

[Bishop Clark (LC957)]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; en-GB; rv:1.6) Gecko/20040113
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; en-GB; rv:1.6) Gecko/20040113

Attempting to click on the first message in a list of those in one's mail box is
usually successful; it's not a tricky feat.  Occasionally, when rushed, one will
accidentally click on the tab above the first piece of mail, and end up
resorting the mailbox.  This is as annoying as the redundant maximize button in
MS Windows.

We need a way to lock the sorting/bars, to prevent them from being dragged
around.  The unlock has to be handy, however, like a right-click on any status
bar shows a lock/unlock checkbos (maybe toss view:Display_Attachments_Inline
into the same context popup)

Reproducible: Always
Steps to Reproduce:
1.
2.
3.

Comment 1

[Robert Accettura [:raccettura]]

You know what, I must agree.  I do this all the time as well.  Nor do I see a
dup, thoughI find it hard to believe there's no dup, but I don't see it.

Comment 2

[Gervase Markham [:gerv]]

This is an automated message, with ID "auto-resolve01".

This bug has had no comments for a long time. Statistically, we have found that
bug reports that have not been confirmed by a second user after three months are
highly unlikely to be the source of a fix to the code.

While your input is very important to us, our resources are limited and so we
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If it is not a problem any longer, you need take no action. If this bug is not
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Thank you for your help in this matter.

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Comment 3

[Bishop Clark (LC957)]

Still not present in latest version.

Comment 4

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

(In reply to comment #1)
> You know what, I must agree.  I do this all the time as well.  Nor do I see a
> dup, thoughI find it hard to believe there's no dup, but I don't see it.

doesn't surprise me at all :)

Is the height of the message detail so small or the mouse action control so poor that you are hitting the headers so often?

Do you display messages in reverse chrono order?  I suppose this might not happen so often if it's in chronological order.

Comment 5

[Tony Mechelynck [:tonymec]]

WORKAROUND: To select the topmost message, make sure that the right pane is selected, then hit <Home>.

Comment 6

[Bishop Clark (LC957)]

Tried your workaround.  It didn't lock the sorting bars.

Comment 7

[Tony Mechelynck [:tonymec]]

(In reply to comment #6)
> Tried your workaround.  It didn't lock the sorting bars.
> 

I never said it did: it is not a FIX but a WORKAROUND (don't you know the difference?). What it does is select the top message with no risk of clicking the column headers by error.

Comment 8

[Bishop Clark (LC957)]

Your workaround addresses the one case when the user happens to be trying to read the very first message in the overall message list;  when the top message shown isn't the top of the list, your keypress isn't useful to even address the symptoms.

Your workaround, too, doesn't address the real problem; but can prevent someone from fixing it if they see your whiteboard entry -- that and the impassioned comments may not be helpful, ultimately.

Sorry to everyone else for the wasted email traffic.

Comment 9

[Tony Mechelynck [:tonymec]]

Be realist. Have you ever clicked column headers when trying to click on a message at the bottom of the list, or even in the middle? I haven't.

As for the whiteboard entry, it oughtn't to stop anyone -- who knows a workaround isn't a fix -- from attempting to fix the bug. Oh, well, let's stop the spam anyway.

Comment 10

[mohan]

Vow, this bug has been open for almost years and am really surprised that not many are running into this.

I have my messages sorted by date and set to threaded view. If i accidentally click on the header tab, its more than annoying. I don't mind if i have to edit a config file by hand to turn this on/off but please add support for this.

Comment 11

[Ronan Jouchet [:ronjouch]]

Would love a built-in solution too. Until then, addon No Message Pane Sort might help and is advertised to work with version 102. Couldn't test it, I run beta (103 now).

Found via Mozilla support - How can I lock or disable column sort ?, which requests the feature for the same reason as the present Bugzilla ticket does, offering further confirmation that this not an uncommon annoyance:

"So often is the case that when I go to click on the message closest to the column header, I accidentally click on the header which then sorts the column. If I could lock the headers somehow, that would be great."