621191 - Cannot export address book with type other than LDIF.

Status: UNCONFIRMED

(Thunderbird :: Address Book, defect)

Description

[Steve Holmes]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; rv:2.0b9pre) Gecko/20101219 Firefox/4.0b9pre
Build Identifier: 3.1.7

When I open up an existing address book and wish to export the data to a CSV file, I would attempt to do the following:

1. While the address book is showing in focus, open the export function by going to the tools menu and choosing Export.

2. Notice the prompt for a file to which to export the data.  Since I use the keyboard exclusively, I cannot tab to any fields pertaining to file type.

I should also note that I use the Orca screen reader to hear screen contents.  I cannot find anything on the screen to specify file types.  All I find are the file name text box, directory choice buttons (including browse...) and a save button.  If I go ahead and save the file, the result is a file saved with the suffix 'ldif' appended to the end and the file is in this LDIF format.  So from my vantage point, I see no posible way to save an address book with any other format such as CSV.

Reproducible: Always

Actual Results:  
I described this in the previous text box.

Expected Results:  
Somewhere in the save dialog, I should have been able to choose format types for the exported data.

I am currently a blind user who cannot use the mouse and I depend on recent versions of the Orca screen reader to hear what is on the screen.

Comment 1

[Mark Banner (:standard8)]

In the save dialog you should be able to choose the format types. You may need to expand the dialog to show advanced options for this to be available.

Comment 2

[Steve Holmes]

(In reply to comment #1)
> In the save dialog you should be able to choose the format types. You may need
> to expand the dialog to show advanced options for this to be available.

I cannot do this.  Well, I maximized the thunderbird program (address book) and then opened the export dialog.  It appears the same as before.  When I tab around the dialog, I do not come across any advanced or type buttons.  When the dialog opens, I am placed focused on the file name text box.  Due to tab completion, I cannot press the tab key at that point but if I press Ctrl+Tab, I then get moved to the directory combo box; tabbing again takes me to the Browse for other button;  After that, pressing tab takes me to the Cancel and Save buttons.  Beyond that, I get the Press Button for default directory.  Then back to the text box for the file name.  So nothing extra in the tab order.  When I use Orca's flat review feature, I don't notice any additional content on the dialog.

Comment 3

[Steve Holmes]

As a side note, I just tried this same dialog in the MS Windows version of thunderbird and that one does show the 3 file types in a combo box and I could tab to it immediately following the file name edit box.

Comment 4

[石庭豐 (Seak, Teng-Fong)]

Mark, I can confirm this problem but the problem is quite subtle.  I think it depends on the Linux distro. I'm going to upload three screenshots of the same "Export Address Book" dialog under Debian 6, Ubuntu 9 and Kubuntu 11.

Not shown in the images, in Debian 6 and Ubuntu 9, the dialog is smaller when it first pops up and there is a "button" called "Browse for other folders".  When a user presses it, the dialog gets bigger (ie higher) and shows the lower part which includes the common folders chooser and a small box to choose the format type!

In Kubuntu 11, there's no such "Browse for other folders" button and the format type selector is already visible, ie readable.

I personally find the button name very misleading (as I got misled at the beginning because I don't use Linux as workstation).  It's called "Browse for other folders" but it actually hides other *advanced options* as well.  I agree that such button is very unfriendly to handicap users.

Should we post bug to Debian and Ubuntu forum?

Comment 5

[石庭豐 (Seak, Teng-Fong)]

Attachment: TB-Abook-export-dialog-Debian-6.png

Export Address Book in Debian 6:
format type button is hidden by default and inexperienced users are misled to believe that it's not possible to change export format

Comment 6

[石庭豐 (Seak, Teng-Fong)]

Attachment: TB-Abook-export-dialog-Ubuntu-9.png

Export Address Book in Ubuntu 9:
format type button is hidden by default and inexperienced users are misled to believe that it's not possible to change export format

Comment 7

[石庭豐 (Seak, Teng-Fong)]

Attachment: TB-Abook-export-dialog-Kuuntu-11.png

Export Address Book in Debian 6:
format type button is shown by default which is good