335034 - limit context of delete key & delete button to displayed messages (mailnews.remember_selected_message=true)

Status: NEW

(SeaMonkey :: MailNews: Message Display, enhancement)

Description

[Felix Miata]

The first folder of mailnews preferences provides the option "remember the last selected message", which defaults to true. I take this to be a type of timesaver shortcut, making it easy to find the last message I was working with. Without it enabled, I would perform the following steps:

1-select desired folder
2-scroll as necessary in the message pane so that desired message shows
3-select the desired message
4-find focus is on the selected message

Currently, the action of last selected pref appears to stop short of #4, even though there is a message displayed. I believe this violates the principal of least surprise, and the result of the folder selection should actually end with focus in the thread pane.

In fact, that's where it actually may already be, and just not show it. If after selecting a folder and the previous message is displayed I hit the delete key or click the delete button, it is obvious actual focus was in the folder pane due to the delete folder confirmation dialog popping up. If, however, the first action is the N key or next button, the focus was apparently in the thread pane, as focus is literally changed to the next unread message rather than the next folder containing unread messages.

In bug 245821 the author wrote in a similar context "I'm unlikely to want to delete the folder", and I agree. Mailnews is primarily about messages. Folder management is secondary. If a message is being displayed currently, to delete a folder should require a selection from the file menu, or a selection from a context menu for the folder, so that the delete button and key can be reserved for the displayed message. If we're to decide that it is inappropriate to include focusing the headers pane on folder selection with the last selected pref enabled, then nevertheless both the delete button and delete key should be disabled while real focus is anywhere in the folder pane.

By my count, fixing this as requested would require 3-5 separate suite bugs, plus corresponding TB bugs for each:
1-focus thread pane on folder selection with last selected enabled
2a-add delete folder option to main file menu
2b-add context menu item for folder delete
3a-limit applicability of delete button to messages
3b-limit applicability of delete key to messages

This bug can become a tracking bug for the above separate bugs to be filed if in this bug it is decided on discussion to proceed. I filed this now as I have on suggestion from Dan Mosedale on irc://moznet/maildev

Comment 1

[Mike Cowperthwaite]

See bug 231654.