Open Bug 538821 Opened 15 years ago Updated 11 months ago

Quick filter bar: Support expression search as GmailUI extension does

Categories

(Thunderbird :: Search, enhancement)

Product:
Thunderbird
Component:
Search
Type:
enhancement

Tracking

(Not tracked)

People

(Reporter: opera.wang, Unassigned)

References

(
URL
)

Details

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2) Gecko/20100105 Firefox/3.6 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.1.5) Gecko/20091204 Thunderbird/3.0

the GmailUI extension (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/1339) has a feature of enable search by expression, eg:
Type "from:fred to:tom" to see all messages from Fred to Tom in the current view.
Please see http://sites.google.com/site/kmixter/gmailui more details.

Unfortunately this extension does NOT work for Thunderbird 3 and the original author doesn't support it any more.

It would be great if thunderbird can have this feature build-in.

The faceted search requires index of all emails, which is too expensive.

Reproducible: Always
Status: UNCONFIRMED → NEW
Ever confirmed: true
Version: unspecified → 3.1
100% thumbs up for this great and powerful idea, which would ingeniously complement the new versatility of quick filtering that arrived with quick filter bar of 3.1. Currently, the *only* way of doing really targeted searches is to go through the clumsiness of "Edit > Find > Search all messages" (Ctrl+Shift+F) dialogue, which is probably one of the most neglected corners of TB. However, the results you get there are pretty pointless due to the missing message preview (bug 258371). Implementing this bug would go a long way towards the ultimate goal of having a central starting point for all kinds of searches, filters, faceted searches, advanced searches, you name it.

Interestingly, and tellingly, this idea has already come up in well-known bug 462578 where Bryan posted the first draft of what ultimately evolved to become the new quick filter bar (bug 462578, comment 76). In that context, and inspired by Bryan's proposals (check out his ASCII art again), I explicitly recommended this in bug 462578, comment 80 (at the end):

> > You might also use the auto-complete to add / remove these options as you 
> > type so there is faster keyboard access to changing the type of filter
> > [ to clarkbw ]____________.
> > | to: clarkbw@example.com |
> > '-------------------------'
> 
> Good stuff! GMail UI addon does something like this very nicely: It provides a
> quicksearch option labelled "Expression", which combines the "Subject, Sender
> or Recipient" (=all standard headers) option added by this bug with refined
> gmail quickfilter options like typing "from:Peter subject:Holiday" (or
> "f:Peter s:Holiday") to find that very mail with ease and very fast (more
> examples on http://sites.google.com/site/kmixter/gmailui).
^^
Summary: Support expression search as GmailUI extension does → Quick filter bar: Support expression search as GmailUI extension does
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/gmailui/ has been refreshed and works with 3.1 and trunk. on a quick pass, works brilliant!
URL: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thun...

Hello,
I'd like to push this issue up, as this feature would be great for me. Gmail UI is now called Expression Search (expression-search), and wangvisual is doing a great job on Github. Unfortunately, the last big change within TB make it often incompatible and need a lot of change from the developer. Wangvisual cannot guarantee to be able to develop it further: https://github.com/wangvisual/expression-search/issues/80#issuecomment-538748887

I'll try to make it work for TB68, and can't promise anything beyond TB68, it seems Mozilla is intend to de-support traditional add-ons.

Would it be possible to include this feature in thunderbird core by default? I see so many issues related to this question, for example https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=349085, https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=538738, https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=573496, ...

Thank you!

As this issue is too old, I opened a new one: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1599519

See Also: → 349085

(In reply to Sisim Biva from comment #8)

Its still marked as 3.1 and no plan is proposed since ages :( (9 years!!)

Thanks for asking. Version# isn't useful and is irrelevant for enhancement requests.

Flags: needinfo?(vseerror)

While this may be very much desired, there are currently no immediate plans to implement. If you are interested please vote, but, because bugzilla is a working environment, please refrain from comments unless it is to offer to help code the solution. https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/page.cgi?id=etiquette.html Believe me, I'm as interested as anyone in seeing better search functionality.

(In reply to Wayne Mery (:wsmwk) from comment #13)

While this may be very much desired, there are currently no immediate plans to implement.

Would you be able to say more about the reasons why there are no plans to implement this?

  • Lack of engineering time/effort?
  • Lack of project maintainer support for adding the feature?
  • Significant technical challenges? (e.g. far-reaching & risky architecture changes needed)

This information may help some interested external folks understand the challenges involved in helping with this. Thanks!

Flags: needinfo?(vseerror)

(In reply to jonah from comment #14)

(In reply to Wayne Mery (:wsmwk) from comment #13)

While this may be very much desired, there are currently no immediate plans to implement.

Would you be able to say more about the reasons why there are no plans to implement this?

  1. Lack of engineering time/effort?
  2. Lack of project maintainer support for adding the feature?
  3. Significant technical challenges? (e.g. far-reaching & risky architecture changes needed)

Given that there is alreayd an addon which does this, I think we can safely conclude there are not insurmountable technical issue (#3).

#1 and #2 factor into having way more potential work and enhancements to do, than is possible with available manpower to acutally do the work

Flags: needinfo?(vseerror)

Another extension possibility, with inverted filters, filter AND and OR, text term NOT and OR, different terms/phrases per textfilter etc. is TotalQuickFilter.

please update!

it is good if this addon buildin ThunderBird.

I add my vote. Please implement this. This is soooo much wanted... Thanks !

old extension was ported by someone, more details here: https://github.com/wangvisual/expression-search/issues/92

This is one the best if indispensable extensions in existence for TB... I really cannot understand why this is not part of the TB core...

The expression search extension doesn't work with TB 78 and the support of TB 68 is really bad. The original author (Opera Wang) I think is no more interested in maintaining this addon. The best solution will be the native support. I added my vote.

This add-on is essential. Absolutely should be TB core - how else can you actually find emails??

This is a must for new release. The current filtering system is not very usable

The functionality of the current add-on should definitely be added to the TB core - it's indispensable for a comfortable and quick email research.

The main (or only) reason I y use TB and not web interfaces for email is the powerful search interface that is provided with the Expression Search addon. Unfortunately TB does not provide this key functionality natively. It should be added.

+1. please implement this feature.

+1!

My wish is this search ( based on wangvisual expressionsearch) replace the native TB search. This is infinitely more powerful & useful !
Actually this is the reason why I use TB over any app.
I definitely add my vote !

Please add your vote using the function under Details. I see people adding comments with "+1" but not voting

(In reply to Massimo Fidanza from comment #37)

Please add your vote using the function under Details. I see people adding comments with "+1" but not voting

Thanks. Yes, this is the correct way to express interest. Comments should be for activities related to actually coding / fixing this bug.

(In reply to Wayne Mery (:wsmwk) from comment #38)

(In reply to Massimo Fidanza from comment #37)

Please add your vote using the function under Details. I see people adding comments with "+1" but not voting

Thanks. Yes, this is the correct way to express interest. Comments should be for activities related to actually coding / fixing this bug.

By implementing native support, the source code of the extension can be reused? Or will be lost because native must use different approach?

(In reply to Massimo Fidanza from comment #39)

(In reply to Wayne Mery (:wsmwk) from comment #38)

(In reply to Massimo Fidanza from comment #37)

Please add your vote using the function under Details. I see people adding comments with "+1" but not voting

Thanks. Yes, this is the correct way to express interest. Comments should be for activities related to actually coding / fixing this bug.

By implementing native support, the source code of the extension can be reused? Or will be lost because native must use different approach?
Where I can ask developer and get information on this. I'm a developer and with help of someone mybe I can try to implement this.

Thanks

Where I can ask developer and get information on this. I'm a developer and with someone help, maybe I can try to implement native support as GmailUI does .

This bug would be where to ask.
Don't know much about this add-on, but you can start by looking at https://github.com/wangvisual/expression-search/blob/master/bootstrap.js
In Thunderbird, you'll probably have look around https://searchfox.org/comm-central/source/mail/base/content/quickFilterBar.js and related code.

Massimo, I'm in the same boat as you--motivated to get this implemented in mainline and with plenty of other development experience but not much experience with the Thunderbird or Mozilla codebase. If you want help let me know.

+1!

As former (very) intensive user of this extension, I strongly support the integration of this feature in Thunderbirds feature list!

I also vote for native integration of functionality of this extension - I now used it for several years ... and now after I finally have been brave enough to update to TB78 my fingers automatically want to search for messages via the VERY USEFUL expressioin search.
Please integrate it (if you already shoot to all the add-on developer by radically and often change the add-on API that no developer can keep track in their spare time :-/). Cheeers, Robert

I also vote for native integration of functionality of this extension -

So do I.

I also vote for native integration. This search is a MUST have to search efficiently in emails.

I relied heavily on this extension. The existing search in Thunderbird is too clunky. Please add this to the core functionality of Thunderbird.
N.B. please ensure that this also works on Linux platforms.

+1

I also share the point of view that this extension should be included by default in the search bar.

So do I.

+1

I've used TB60.0 only because of this extension.
Now that the TB60.0 is not usable on New MacOS, Big Sur,
I hope the function be integrated into native TB.

Who will submit a patch?

I am also missing the function - I used it daily
Also comming from https://github.com/wangvisual/expression-search/issues/96

I have literally stopped updating Thunderbird because of this issue. From the situation in this bug it does not seem like anyone with the right skills to do anything about this sees this as a priority. I am unsure of what we can do?

I have literally stopped updating Thunderbird because of this issue. From the situation in this bug it does not seem like anyone with the right skills to do anything about this sees this as a priority. I am unsure of what we can do?

Apparently, the only thing we can do is to not update.

The only feature that keeps me using thunderbird is this extension... If it stops working and is not maintained, either by upgrading the extension or by supporting it natively, I will have to stop using thunderbird and change to Outlook...

It's been more than a decade. TB devs don't seem to care. Thunderbird keeps releasing new features that are far less useful (or demanded) so it's questionable, to say the least, that devs are spending more time on those, but at the same time us complaining in here seems like a similar waste of time, making us look like schmucks.

At the very least a TB dev could do us the courtesy to reply - what are the chances this will ever happen?

Expression Search and Gmail Buttons are the only two extensions because of which I am still on V 68! I do not think there is any chance of TB integrating both functionality into TB.

From the 2020 Thunderbird Financial Report announcement:

The TL;DR version is that 2020 was our best year yet and that over $2.3
million were donated to the project, we have over $3 million in the
bank, and we have 15 people hired and working on the project. On top of
that we are not spending as much as we bring in, so there is room to grow.

15 people hired and working on the project. With these kind of resources one would expect that they'd be able to make progress on this issue.

One thing I noticed just a moment ago. When someone ist talking about "voting" he isn't talking about leaving a comment like "1+" or "me too". Right?

It's about the button on top of the page under tab "Details"?

@Ralf - yes, you need to login and click the Vote button then make sure to also check the checkbox (weird system): https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/page.cgi?id=voting/user.html&bug_id=538821#vote_538821

I was also curious to see the list of bugs ranked by votes, because this one has 91 votes and I doubt that most other active bugs have this many votes, but the listing doesn't show votes, e.g.: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/buglist.cgi?product=Thunderbird&component=Search&resolution=---

guys, you are aware that at some point mozilla wanted to fully discontinue support for thunderbird? As much as I want this issue fixed, reality is that they are just slowly burying this product. The only way to use this addon is to block any updates and stay on 68.10 version (or older) and use the fixed version of the addon from github

@Gabi - that would achieve the opposite of encouraging Mozilla to continue development and enrich TB. Voicing our interest and donating are the tools to use. I'm sure there are quite a few who voted in here who would be happy to donate if a TB dev came forward to say that there is non-zero chance to adopt this extensions as a core feature.

I can't coordinate but if there was a dev out there who wanted to fix this I could contribute some funds.

Shall we ask for advice to an official Thunderbird developer?
This one seems a good candidate:
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/user_profile?user_id=634666

Flags: needinfo?(alessandro)

(In reply to marco.marletta from comment #72)

Shall we ask for advice to an official Thunderbird developer?
This one seems a good candidate:
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/user_profile?user_id=634666

Yea. Please do so. The community will praise it !

Seriously, equivalent functionality was available in Eudora back in 1997. This is definitely an update blocker, but that's a risky approach. A serious security flaw or deprecated TLS ciphers can render TB68 useless and out of date and we'll all be forced to migrate to something else.

I too am willing to make a financial contribution to seeing this functionality in the core. I'm very tired of dismissing the upgrade notice.

Pinging John as he's our king of add-ons.
I'll let him decide if this is something that could be supported and maintained by us as an add-on update for post-78, or it might be worth implementing this into core.
Maybe Christopher might be interested?

Flags: needinfo?(alessandro) → needinfo?(john)

Just as a note to Quick Filter users.
I also was tired to not update, beeing a heavy email and filter user myself, and I'm trying to be used to TotalQuickFilter.
It NOT the same, but I can manage the difference.
But, I seems that adding some expression filters over this plugins is a more 'simple' task than migrate and old plugin.
The source code is availabe, and perhaps any plugin develper can add this features.
I try myself, seems easy at first, but I'not really embeded on the plugin framework, so my two minutes efforts won't work :(

Unless something changes, it's pretty clear that the original developer has lost interest. I think it would be great if it could go into core, because why not? But an extension would do.

I had this on my focus since last year, when I wrote on topicbox that I might update it.
After fighting through some circular dependencies, which seemingly were no problem in TB 60, and through some other stuff, it is working in TB 78.

At least, I tested f:, t:, s: and combinations (s:bbb t:kl) or s:bbb t:(op -cc) and it behaves as expected. Tomorrow, I will put up a link for testing.

Klaus/opto

@klaus that's really great, many thanks for the work! I can't wait to try it. If you put up a donation box then I'm sure some of us would be happy to donate.

I'm interested in the regexp capability as well.

@klaus - Great news, thank you! I would definitely donate.

@klaus - yes, thanks!! I will certainly donate if it works!

Happy to donate if it works. Many thanks

(In reply to klaus from comment #78)

I had this on my focus since last year, when I wrote on topicbox that I might update it.
After fighting through some circular dependencies, which seemingly were no problem in TB 60, and through some other stuff, it is working in TB 78.

At least, I tested f:, t:, s: and combinations (s:bbb t:kl) or s:bbb t:(op -cc) and it behaves as expected. Tomorrow, I will put up a link for testing.

Klaus/opto

That's a f****g great news!

I've switched on TotalQuickFilter, and it's far to be as powerfull...

I would be glad to support that dev, as far as I can by now.

thanks for your interest. I uploaded a test version of Expression-Search-NG for TB 78 here: https://github.com/opto/Expression-Search-NG/releases/tag/v2.4beta.
Please use a test installation of TB for testing. I used TB 78.8.1.

Issues/questions can go here: https://github.com/opto/Expression-Search-NG/issues.
Some quirks are observed, for example, the help window has no close x, nor does esc close it (but esc does close the settings window). Also, on my notebook, these windows overflow without scrollbars. In Windows 10, help can be closed from the task bar. Therefore, I have called it a beta.

In any case, it is ready for (initial) testing of the functionality.

Important: it is not restartless. It works after closing/restarting TB. Maybe default prefs are missing on first installation, or similiar.

Klaus/opto

Thanks so much, @klaus — this makes Thunderbird so much more useful again! I can confirm that v2.4beta works on TB 78.9.0 (on Linux/NixOS) — s, f, t, and r seem to work fine to me so far.

Pascal

Great big THANKS !!!

v2.4beta work fine with TB 78.9.0 (64 bits) with from/to/attachement search

I've got the close button on the help windows, but this one pop at TB start or on activation, but I'm unable to show on it later.

Thank you. It would be good if we can actually see the source code in github, as we give access to the addon to all our emails :). BTW, there is a donation link mentioned here: https://github.com/opto/Expression-Search-NG . I used it already :), even if didn't install the addon yet.

@Gabi: thanks, and code will come after some cleaning up
@bbillyben: there is a little searchglas in the statusbar which gives access to settings, help etc

Should we all move the discussion about the new extension from @klaus to his github repo? This Bugzilla bug was meant for incorporating the search into TB core.

(In reply to Gabi from comment #87)

Thank you. It would be good if we can actually see the source code in github, as we give access to the addon to all our emails :). BTW, there is a donation link mentioned here: https://github.com/opto/Expression-Search-NG . I used it already :), even if didn't install the addon yet.

afaik the source code is inside the xpi (just unpack; it is a zip file) ?

Otherwise, the extension seems to work beautifully ! will donate after a week or so of use !

Expression Search - NG for TB 78 is submitted on ATN: https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-us/thunderbird/addon/expression-search-ng/.
Discussions/bugs please go here: https://github.com/opto/Expression-Search-NG/issues.

So this bug should now 'go back' to its original subject.

thanks, Klaus/opto

I will work with Klaus to find out what he needs to make the Expression-Search add-on work without experiments.

Flags: needinfo?(john)

Thank you so much John and Klaus.
Once you work on it, please also note that it is not only about the specific expression search in the search box (e.g. f:bill and t:susan), but also the keyboard-mouse combination shortcuts when you right-click any field in the message panel.
i.e. "Use Ctrl/Shift+Right Click to search the clicked subject/From/Recipient."
This feature is amazing since it allows you to very quickly go to a threaded view, or restrict Emails from a specific person or on a specific subject.

(In reply to Daniel Werner from comment #93)

Thank you so much John and Klaus.

Yes, thanks a lot for your work, Klaus!

i.e. "Use Ctrl/Shift+Right Click to search the clicked subject/From/Recipient."
This feature is amazing since it allows you to very quickly go to a threaded view, or restrict Emails from a specific person or on a specific subject.

and the ability to apply a regexp to the clicked subject is even greater - a single click to see a full thread of specific bug/ticket (once its number is extracted from the subject by regexp and inserted into Quick Filter).

Thanks John and Klaus! This is really appreciated.

Congratulation! And thank you for your work. Donation done as well :) https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=EMVA9S5N54UEW

Many thanks to the developpers of the "Expression Search - NG" extension. It made using Thunderbird much more precise and quick when it comes to search.

I still believe that this search function should be integrated into TB Core.

As of today (5 month after the release of the "NG" extension), some changes linked to the last TB update (I'm running 91.0.2) has made this extension (version 2.9) not compatible (see https://github.com/opto/Expression-Search-NG/issues/17), which brings the same issue over again (this bug was opened 12 years ago...)

What could make this feature be integrated into TB Core ?

Best,
Julien

please just give me a few more days, the update to expression search NG for 91 will come. Actually, it is working already, but the settings dialog got somewhat scrambled due to changes in TB and needs to be adapted.

I think 91 is only a week old?

thanks, Klaus

@julien's point still stands though: what would it take for the TB maintainers to include this in core? Can a TB core maintainer reply? The community may want to meet whatever requirements. It's clearly one of the most requested feature, as evidenced by the popularity of this bug ever since it was created (12 years ago!)

p.s. If only Mozilla stopped screwing with extensions so regularly (I stopped developing extensions for FF and TB a long time ago :(). One more reason to have it in core ...

(In reply to Mast from comment #99)

@julien's point still stands though: what would it take for the TB maintainers to include this in core? Can a TB core maintainer reply? The community may want to meet whatever requirements. It's clearly one of the most requested feature, as evidenced by the popularity of this bug ever since it was created (12 years ago!)

p.s. If only Mozilla stopped screwing with extensions so regularly (I stopped developing extensions for FF and TB a long time ago :(). One more reason to have it in core ...

I was browsing the notes for the next Beta (102) (https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/102.0beta/releasenotes/), and although there are some major changes/innovations for this beta, I regret that the proposed enhancement is not taken into account.

If you search by number of votes (I used this query : https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/buglist.cgi?f1=votes&order=votes%20desc&o1=greaterthan&resolution=---&query_format=advanced&v1=1&product=Thunderbird&list_id=16112107 , found in another thread : https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1068721 ), this request appears in fourth place (and first in the "search" category).

What can be done / how can we help making this feature part of TB Core ?

FIY the update to Thunderbird 102 broke compatibility with the extention. The authors of the extension are aware of this (see https://github.com/opto/Expression-Search-NG/issues/41) and uploaded a new (test ?) version: https://github.com/opto/Expression-Search-NG/files/9067819/ExpressionSearchNG_3.4.zip

Many thanks to them for their work on the issue.

The new version "has been moved to WebExtension by a great extent" (source: https://github.com/opto/Expression-Search-NG/issues/41#issuecomment-1176450324), could that pave the way for a future integration in TB Core ?

Best regards,

Severity: normal → S3

Hello all,
I'd like to take advantage of the recent publication of the recent "SuperNova" 115 beta (https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/115.0beta/releasenotes/) to once again raise awareness on this feature request.

One of the objectives of the SuperNova release is to "Rebuild the interface from scratch to create a consistent design system, as well as developing and maintaining an adaptable and extremely customizable user interface." (https://blog.thunderbird.net/2023/02/the-future-of-thunderbird-why-were-rebuilding-from-the-ground-up/)

In particular, there will be :

  • A giant search bar on top of the UI
  • The quick filter bar underneath

None of which functions with search keywords (you search for an email address in the search bar, and then through the search interface select some other emails, but not directly in the field of the search). This beta would be a great opportunity to rethink the search / quick filter and integrate the requested feature.

I mean, the current beta display "tags" in the folder pane "Gmail style", and I honestly think that being able to implement some Gmail search capacities would be an important value proposition for SuperNova.

Thanks for the enthusiasm, but improving basic search capabilities is beyond the work capacity for supernova and not planned.

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