527916 - In column picker of message lists, show forced default columns (as checked, disabled options)

Status: NEW

(Thunderbird :: Folder and Message Lists, defect)

Description

[Thomas D. (:thomas8)]

Attachment: Screenshot: Show forced default columns in picker (expected behaviour)

In column picker of message lists, it is very confusing that we don't show the columns that are enforced as non-removable default columns for the respective view. It's confusing because the most important columns are missing in the sequence, so it's harder to visually parse the list and see what is what and in what order they come.

We are currently doing the right thing in address book's main view column picker, where "Name" column is a forced default and it's shown as checked and disabled in the list of columns (see attached screenshot)

STR

1 from main window, click column picker above message list

Actual

- be confused because the sequence of (checked) columns on the picker is NOT identical with the sequence of shown columns of the message list (columns that are forced-shown are missing on the picker's list)

Expected

- we should show forced-default columns in their right place of the column sequence in the picker, as checked and disabled (as we do in Address book, see attached screenshot). This will make it easier to understand and act on the list.

Comment 1

[Bryan Clark (DevTools PM) [:clarkbw]]

Comment on attachment 411665 [details]
Screenshot: Show forced default columns in picker (expected behaviour)

sounds good.  I did a little investigating and it looks like the subject change was added from the patch in bug 44823 though I didn't see mention of the need for that change.

http://bonsai.mozilla.org/cvsview2.cgi?diff_mode=context&whitespace_mode=show&root=/cvsroot&subdir=mozilla/mailnews/base/resources/content&command=DIFF_FRAMESET&file=threadPane.xul&rev2=1.120&rev1=1.119

Comment 2

[:aceman]

Would this still be welcome today?

Comment 3

[Josiah Bruner [:jsbruner]]

Sure.

Comment 4

[:aceman]

So this is controlled by the "primary" attribute on a <treecol>. Then the column is show in the picker, but disabled. BUT it also has other visual and other consequences, which we can't tack onto "subject". See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Tech/XUL/Attribute/primary .
And I am not sure if we want to create a new attribute just for the disabling effect. Or is there another possibility? Maybe we could attach the disabling effect onto "hideincolumnpicker=true". Firefox seems to really drift away from using pickers. But maybe many extensions still use it and it would change the behaviour (just disable the item instead of hiding it completely). On the other hand, it would automatically work in all trees then.
Neil, what do you think?

Comment 5

[[e-mail]]

(In reply to aceman from comment #4)
> I am not sure if we want to create a new attribute just for the
> disabling effect. Or is there another possibility? Maybe we could attach the
> disabling effect onto "hideincolumnpicker=true". Firefox seems to really
> drift away from using pickers. But maybe many extensions still use it and it
> would change the behaviour (just disable the item instead of hiding it
> completely). On the other hand, it would automatically work in all trees
> then.

I wouldn't object to changing the meaning. (But still hide if there's no label or display.)

Comment 6

[:aceman]

What about changing the behaviour (hideincolumnpicker=true is only disabled) if an attribute is set on the parent <treecols> element? Like "hideincolumnpicker=false" :)

So if treecols has "hideincolumnpicker=false" then "hideincolumnpicker=true" on treecol would be overridden to not fully hide, only disable. We could then just add those attributes to some large trees in TB, without affecting any other users.

Comment 7

[[e-mail]]

(In reply to aceman from comment #6)
> What about changing the behaviour (hideincolumnpicker=true is only disabled)
> if an attribute is set on the parent <treecols> element? Like
> "hideincolumnpicker=false" :)

If you're going to do that you might as well use the disableincolumnpicker="true" attribute.

Comment 8

[:aceman]

Yes :)