554264 - When typing text after inserting a link for selected text, link text style is not discontinued

Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 1357365

(Thunderbird :: Message Compose Window, defect)

Description

[Boying Lu]

Re-produce steps:
1. Open a compose window
2. Type text "google" and highlight it
3. Type Ctrl-L, a "Link Properties" window will popup
4. Type "http://www.google.com" in the "Link Location" field
5. Click "OK" button
6. Continue to type texts after "google"

Expected Result:
The texts after "google" should be plain text 

Actual Result:
The texts after "google" becomes part of "Link Text"

Comment 1

[Thomas D. (:thomas8)]

(In reply to Boying Lu from comment #0)
STR
> 1. Open a compose window
> 2. Type text "google" and highlight it
> 3. Type Ctrl-L, a "Link Properties" window will popup
> 4. Type "http://www.google.com" in the "Link Location" field
> 5. Click "OK" button
5b press cursor right so that cursor is right behind linkified word "google"
> 6. Continue to type texts after "google"
6b press END key and then type "somemore"
> 
> Expected Result:
> The texts after "google" should be plain text 
> 
> Actual Result:
> The texts after "google" becomes part of "Link Text"
for case of 5b - confirming
for case of 6b - you will not see this bug

Comment 2

[Jeff Bloomfield]

When will this bug be fixed?

Only "workaround" annoying inconvenient.

1. Make the link
2. "Cut the link" (cntl-x or apple-x)
3. Type the text that you want after the link
4. Re-insert the link (cntl-v or apple-v)

Painful. Hope somebody puts this bug on their queue. (Have quite given up on Thunderbird yet)

Comment 5

[Bob Hurt]

This bug is a design flaw, and has stayed in Thunderbird for YEARS (I'm guessing since the beginning).  The idea of pressing the END key to escape from the hyperlink is counterintuitive and totally ALIEN to the way ALL OTHER word processors operate. Not even a NEW LINE (Return key) will escape from the hyperlink. 

This is the most distracting, alienating, annoying, and frustrating defect of Thunderbird.

Text typed AFTER creating the hyperlink should NOT EVER become hyperlinked UNLESS typed WITHIN the hyperlinked text.

Comment 6

[Bob Hurt]

(In reply to Thomas D. from comment #1)
> (In reply to Boying Lu from comment #0)
> STR
> > 1. Open a compose window
> > 2. Type text "google" and highlight it
> > 3. Type Ctrl-L, a "Link Properties" window will popup
> > 4. Type "http://www.google.com" in the "Link Location" field
> > 5. Click "OK" button
> 5b press cursor right so that cursor is right behind linkified word "google"
> > 6. Continue to type texts after "google"
> 6b press END key and then type "somemore"
> > 
> > Expected Result:
> > The texts after "google" should be plain text 
> > 
> > Actual Result:
> > The texts after "google" becomes part of "Link Text"
> for case of 5b - confirming
> for case of 6b - you will not see this bug

Step 6b ALSO includes the subsequently typed text in the hyperlink IF the hyperlinked text is at the end of a line.  Pressing the END key has ZERO effect unless the hyperlinked text is not at the end of the line.  The hyperlink of text at the end of a line extends to all text, whitespace (spacebar), linefeed/carriagereturn (return key) and other characters the user types after the hyperlinked text on that line end.

Comment 7

[Steve Shaffer]

(In reply to Bob Hurt from comment #6)

(In reply to Thomas D. from comment #1)

(In reply to Boying Lu from comment #0)
STR

1. Open a compose window
2. Type text "google" and highlight it
3. Type Ctrl-L, a "Link Properties" window will popup
4. Type "http://www.google.com" in the "Link Location" field
5. Click "OK" button
   5b press cursor right so that cursor is right behind linkified word "google"
6. Continue to type texts after "google"
   6b press END key and then type "somemore"

Expected Result:
The texts after "google" should be plain text

Actual Result:
The texts after "google" becomes part of "Link Text"
for case of 5b - confirming
for case of 6b - you will not see this bug

Step 6b ALSO includes the subsequently typed text in the hyperlink IF the
hyperlinked text is at the end of a line. Pressing the END key has ZERO
effect unless the hyperlinked text is not at the end of the line. The
hyperlink of text at the end of a line extends to all text, whitespace
(spacebar), linefeed/carriagereturn (return key) and other characters the
user types after the hyperlinked text on that line end.

I'd vote to close this bug. The "Discontinue Link" function (Crtl+Shift+K) resolves the issue with 5b above (5c click "discontinue link" and subsequent text is not included in the link).
The editor can not without user indication ca not distinguish between an edit to the link text or a new information.

Comment 9

[Thomas D. (:thomas8)]

(In reply to Steve Shaffer from comment #7)

Hi Steve, thanks for commenting.
Everyone please shorten your quotes to keep comments readable.

I'd vote to close this bug. The "Discontinue Link" function (Crtl+Shift+K) resolves the issue with 5b above (5c click "discontinue link" and subsequent text is not included in the link).

Well, it does feel like an avoidable usability bug to me.

The editor can not without user indication ca not distinguish between an edit to the link text or a new information.

The editor is already able to distinguish between an edit to the link text and new information, depending if you're navigating to the start or end of embedded linktext from inside the linktext or from outside. Also, since user has just created the link from explicitly selected text, editor has all reason to assume that for now, the link is done. More so if user presses navigation keys trying to move out of the linktext (cursor right, END, etc.). In fact, Ctrl+End does the trick.

Comment 10

[Thomas D. (:thomas8)]

Notwithstanding the annoyance of this little bug, here are some possible workarounds:

• Create link from scratch using Ctrl+K to enter link text and URL.
• Press Ctrl+End when you're done with your link at the end of message body text (which is a bit easier than remembering Ctrl+Shift+K to finish the link)
• Type another word or even a space after your linktext and make sure not to select the space when adding the URL, then press navigation keys to move cursor to the right of that space before you continue writing. (I hate that new behaviour where double-click selects the word and trailing spaces...)
• Note that for an existing link between other words, it makes a difference if you reach the "corners" of the link from outside or inside using cursor keys. After navigation coming from inside linktext, it will extend the link text. From outside, it'll create regular text. Try it!

Comment 11

[Thomas D. (:thomas8)]

Hints for fixing this bug:

Technically, after creating a link from selected text at the end of message body, we'd want the cursor to automatically forward to the position just outside the anchor (which is possible as seen with Ctrl+End):

<a href="foo.bar">Linktext</a>|</br>

Wayne, whom can we ask to fix this?

Comment 13

[Thomas D. (:thomas8)]

see today's PM 19:49 DE-time on the right strategy of dealing with this type of bug between TB and Core:Editor

Comment 14

[Bob Hurt]

(In reply to Thomas D. from comment #11)

Hints for fixing this bug:

Technically, after creating a link from selected text at the end of message body, we'd want the cursor to automatically forward to the position just outside the anchor (which is possible as seen with Ctrl+End):

<a href="foo.bar">Linktext</a>|</br>

Wayne, whom can we ask to fix this?

Bottom Line, typing a hyperlink in Thunderbird should function precisely like the hyperlink paradigm in Microsoft Word because people worldwide know it and are used to it.