44669 - Thread Pane: Default Columns should be reduced

Status: VERIFIED FIXED

(SeaMonkey :: MailNews: Message Display, defect, P3)

Description

[jglick]

Currently, the default is to show all column headers. This is overwhelming for 
some users. Esp. those who don't know how to modify this and don't know what the 
abbreviations (cut off headers)mean.

Recommended Default columns and order are as follows: 
Thread|Subject|Sender/Recipient|Date|Column Widget

Column headers are customizable (columns displayed, size, order). A user's 
settings for column headers are global for Mail and News separately. Meaning, 
the user can have a setting for column headers for all Mail accounts and another 
one for all News accounts. Per folder settings include sorting 
order,threading/no threading and views. 

Priority 2, per Mail UE Review.

Comment 1

[lchiang]

*** Bug 24176 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 2

[scottputterman]

reassigning to dimator.  Let's just start off by making the default columns and 
letting them stay the same for each folder rather than making them per folder.

Comment 3

[lchiang]

+ per mail triage

Per mail triage, please add the "green diamond (unread)" column to the set of 
default columns.

Comment 4

[Ben Bucksch (:BenB)]

What about priority? It is practically useless, if not shown by default.

Comment 5

[Dimi Shahbaz]

I have a fix that needs testing on the mac, but the profile migration/creation
dialog is busted on the mac.  Adding dependency to bug 48635.

Comment 6

[Dimi Shahbaz]

Seems I'm able to bypass the problem represented by bug 48635 with today's 
build.  I'm removing the  dependency.  Will test and checkin fix shortly 
(hopefully :)

Comment 7

[timeless]

Adding ue2 because i felt like it? akin to [e-mail]'s 
nsbeta2/nsbeta3 keyword mass spams.

Comment 8

[Ninoschka Baca]

Build 2000-08-24-06M18: NT4, Linux 6.0, Mac 9.04
The following columns are currently displaying by default. I hope this can be
reduced.

1. Thread
2. Subject
3. Sender/Recipient
4. Green diamong (unread)
5. Date
6. Priority
7. Flag
8. Size
9. Status
10. Unread
11. Total
12. Order Recieved

- There is a question on the Priority column
- Items 7-12 should not appear by default but should be selectable by using the
column widget.

Comment 9

[lchiang]

second pass: - per mail triage

Comment 10

[Ben Bucksch (:BenB)]

*sigh* What's the problem with this bug? Very easy to fix, I guess, but *very*
visible. Not everybody has a 1280+ screen.

Comment 11

[lchiang]

There is nothing wrong with this bug - mail team had about 99 bugs marked
nsbeta3+ this morning and we got the news that the list has to be cut by about
30 or so bugs.  It's hard to make the choices now of what to fix for the
Netscape resources. :-(

Comment 12

[Ben Bucksch (:BenB)]

This is just insane. I will write to PDT now.

Comment 13

[Ben Bucksch (:BenB)]

(Not you're insane, but Netscape's schedule.)

Comment 14

[Ben Bucksch (:BenB)]

Dimi, putterman, how would I fix this bug? Via prefs?

Comment 15

[Dimi Shahbaz]

I have the fix for this.  It involves setting up a default localstore.rdf at
profile creation/migration that has the correct default information about the
columns to show.  I had the fix before this got -'ed, so I'll ask nicely if I
can get it in.  I've been having problems for about a week with my mac build,
and thats what this was waiting for (testing on the mac).

Comment 16

[Ben Bucksch (:BenB)]

dimator, cool! If you have problems to get it in, post the patch here and I will
try to check it in (assuming you got r=).

Comment 17

[scottputterman]

changing to nsbeta3+ per mailtriage since you've had the fix.

Comment 18

[Dimi Shahbaz]

Fixed.
For reference:
Instead of creating the .mozilla/<name>/localstore.rdf here:
http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/rdf/datasource/src/nsLocalStore.cpp#360
I am creating a default localstore.rdf, containing the info about the default
columns to show, and copying it to that location when a profile is created or
migrated.  (Existing mozilla profiles will not have their visible columns 
settings changed.)  This seems to be the cleanest solution, and in addition,
other parts of the app that need some default information in the localstore.rdf
set (before being run) can add it here.

Comment 19

[Ninoschka Baca]

Build 2000-09-21-12M18: NT4
Build 2000-09-21-04M18: Mac 9.04
Build 2000-09-21-10M18: Linux 6.0
Verified Fixed.

I'm seeing the following columns as expected in migrated and new profiles:
Thread|Subject|Sender/Recipient|green diamond|Date|Priority|Column Widget

Comment 20

[jglick]

Reopening. Using Windows build 2001050104.

1. Uninstall previous build
2. Delete "Mozilla" folder in Application Data folder
3. Reinstall new build
4. Startup Mail
5. ALL the available columns are being displayed by default.

Default Columns and order should be: 
Thread|Subject|Sender/Recipient|Date|Green Diamond|Priority|Column Widget

This is overwhelming for new users who might not know how to reduce or resize 
columns.  This is especially bad since title tips are not currently working 
either.

Nominate for nsbeta1.

Comment 21

[jglick]

Attachment: all columns displayed by default

Comment 22

[Matthew T (active 1999-2002)]

Given that priority is already indicated by the color of the text in the thread 
pane, and that Mozilla no longer has prominent UI for setting priority in its 
own composition window, it seems rather wasteful to have the `Priority' column 
shown by default. The only people who really need to show it at all are those 
under monochrome conditions (e.g. color-blind users), and since they're in the 
minority I don't think it's asking too much for them to turn the column on 
rather than everyone else having to turn it off.

[Cue vexed responses from a couple of members of that minority]

[Removing long-passed milestone, CCing a couple of likely fixers]

Comment 23

[jglick]

I agree about Priority not being shown by default (but I always seem to loose 
that battle!).

Comment 24

[scottputterman]

reassigning to ssu. marking nsbeta1+.   

Comment 25

[timeless]

isn't [nsbeta1+] supposed to be keyword:nsbeta1+?

Comment 26

[scottputterman]

i prefer it the way I have it. the 0.9.1 should be the only thing that matters
to people working on the bug.

Comment 27

[scottputterman]

reassigning to suresh

Comment 28

[(not reading, please use [e-mail] instead)]

the "unread" / "count" columns coming back from dead was my accidental doing.

see bug #77940 for some related issues.

working with suresh for the appropriate way to fix this (in 3 pane and search)

Comment 29

[Suresh]

Attachment: patch attached

Comment 30

[Suresh]

PS: The above patch includes the default columns for 3-pane vertical layout. The 
default columns are same, but you can persist columns for each view. 

Comment 31

[(not reading, please use [e-mail] instead)]

note:  this would only affect newly created or newly migrated profiles.  not
existing profiles.

ssu, can you review and test?  then I'll sr.

Comment 32

[Sean Su]

I'm not sure what the default set of columns should be, but after the patch I 
see:

  thread|subject|sender|date|priority|unread

The column headers shown/not shown is also persistent.  All of this has been 
tested with 3 pane and alt-3 pane under Win2k.

r=ssu

Comment 33

[Sean Su]

oh forgot to mention that I've found several localstore.rdf files.  Make sure 
the patch is applied to all copies where appropriate.

Comment 34

[(not reading, please use [e-mail] instead)]

sr=sspitzer

suresh, I'd only work about the default localstore.rdf for the mozilla and ns
tree.   don't worry about all the localized versions, and the localizer should
be worrying about that.

you might have to worry about the en-US version.

Comment 35

[jglick]

>------- Additional Comments From Sean Su 2001-05-09 19:04 -------
>I'm not sure what the default set of columns should be

Default Columns and order should be: 
Thread|Subject|Sender/Recipient|Date|Green Diamond|Priority|Column Widget

Comment 36

[Suresh]

I checked in yesterday!

Comment 37

[Ninoschka Baca]

Build 2001-05-16-04: WinMe
Build 2001-05-16-08: Mac 9.04
Haven't checked linux yet.

Reopening. In a new profile I configured a new account and can see all the 
columns displaying instead of the ones specified by jglick.

Comment 38

[(not reading, please use [e-mail] instead)]

this might be related to the problem search is having column problems as well.

I'm not positive, since I haven't debugged yet.  

see #81076

Comment 39

[Ninoschka Baca]

Mozilla Build 2001-05-16-08: Mac 9.04
In a new profile I noticed that it has fewer columns but they still don't match 
what jglick specified. It currently displays:

Thread, Subject, Sender, Date, Priority, Unread, Column Widget

(so the green diamond column does not appear, and it displays the Unread column)

Comment 40

[Suresh]

Attachment: Patch to include Unread (Green diamond)column instead of 'Unread' column.

Comment 41

[Marek Z. Jeziorek]

setting TM to 0.9.2 per PDT triage (however, you can check it in into 0.9.1 by
18/May/01 11:59pm or into 0.9.2 trunk when it opens)

Comment 42

[(not reading, please use [e-mail] instead)]

r/sr=sspitzer

I should have caught that on the initial review.

Comment 43

[(not reading, please use [e-mail] instead)]

note to suresh:  update the ns tree, too.

Comment 44

[Suresh]

Fixed in both mozilla and ns.

Comment 45

[Ninoschka Baca]

Build 2001-05-31-04: WinMe
Build 2001-05-31-08: Linux RH 6.2, Mac 9.04
Verified Fixed. Checked 3pane/Alt-3pane, Classic/Modern.