376276 - Threaded view doesn't clearly indicate new messages present

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Thunderbird :: Mail Window Front End, defect)

Description

[Mark Paulus]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.3) Gecko/20070309 Firefox/2.0.0.3
Build Identifier: version 2 beta 2 (20070116)

While tracking several mail lists using a sort option of Threaded / Descending / Date, the threads do not indicate when there are new messages below the initial message.

If the thread is new, or the top message is new, then the message is in bold.
However, once I view the top message, then the thread goes to normal font weight, and there is no other indication that there is a new message in the thread.  I believe under ThunderBird 1.5, there is a starburst next to the thread when a new message is present.  And, if I expand the thread, then the new messages have a starburst.  However, when all threads are closed up, I do not know which thread to read w/o examining every thread.

Workaround for now is to use the "Go->Next->Unread Message (N)"

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1.
2.
3.

Comment 1

[Joe Brochu]

I'm using Thunderbird 1.5.0.10 (20070221).

If a new message arrives and is the second message in a thread (the first message of the thread is already visible in the saved search folder), a thread is created and the first message is formatted with an underline and an expandable [+], indicating that there are new messages below it.  However, if you try to expand the tree, no messages are displayed below the first message.  This only occurs in a saved search folder.

If you change to an unthreaded view, the second message (and other new messages in the thread) is not displayed.

Workaround is to select any other folder, then select the saved search folder again.  The thread will be displayed properly.

Steps to reproduce:
1. Create a saved search folder that shows all mail received in the last day.
2. Have someone send you a message starting a new thread.
3. Open the saved search folder so that you can see the new message, and change the view to "Threaded"
4. Reply to all on the first message, creating a new thread based on that message, while the saved search folder is still visible in threaded view.  When this new message is received, the first message will appear as though a new thread has been created under it, but no messages will be visible.

Comment 5

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

Currently, the thread start message is underlined when the thread has unread messages. But sure, it could be even clearer.

Comment 7

[Onno Ekker [:nONoNonO UTC+1]]

In Thunderbird's default theme TB1.5 used to have a separate icon thread-new.png for when a tread contains new messages, apart from the underling of the subject and other fields.

In the new TB2.0 theme this icon seems to be no longer included.

Comment 8

[Bill McGonigle (not currently reading bugmail; please contact directly)]

Seems to be there in 3.0a2, a bit of a spiral character.  I think it's necessary only because the thread is represented by the topmost message, not an abstract thread - if there were an abstract thread representation the star would suffice and we could get rid of an extra column.

Comment 9

[James Peterson]

I am using TB 3.0b3 and the thread title is underlined if there is a new message in the the collapsed thread.  While this helps to determine a new message exists it would be nicer if the start highlighted or if the "read" icon highlighted in maybe another color other then the default.

Comment 10

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

per bug 1354858 => wontfix