729731 - Pressing key "delete", after clicking on a folder, deletes a (selected) message rather than the folder

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Thunderbird :: Folder and Message Lists, defect)

Description

[Johannes Linke]

To reproduce: Select a directory, and then a message inside it. Then click again on the selected directory and press the delete-key.

Result: the selected message gets deleted.

Expected result: i explicitly selected the directory, so the delete-key should delete the directory.

When there is no message selected, the directory gets deleted (as expected).



The up and down keys, for example, work on the last selected item. The delete key should do that, too. I don't know about other hotkeys, but they should probably also be checked. Maybe I will do that in the next few days.

Comment 1

[Jim Porter (:squib)]

That's intentional: bug 231654.

Comment 2

[Jim Porter (:squib)]

That said, this behavior will effectively change when bug 492158 is checked in, because clicking on a folder will deselect any messages (currently it's being developed as an add-on: <https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/mail-summaries/>).

Comment 3

[Johannes Linke]

i completely oppose most opions expressed in bug 231654. there is no way to make it more obvious that you want the directory to be selected than clicking on it. handling the delete key as if you did not select the folder is just wrong.

unintentionally deleting directories cant be an arguement, as there is a popup asking for confirmation.

i would guess that the situation "click on directory and then want to delete it via delete key" happens more often than "selecting a directory and then want to delete the currently selected message inside". that second scenario seems unrealistic, as the currently selected message is most likely not one that you want to delete.

even if this "feature" is still wanted, the behavior of i.e. the up/down keys would be inconsistent.

it does not look like Bug 492158 will be land anytime soon, does it?


my suggestion is reverting bug 231654.

Comment 4

[Johannes Linke]

on second thoughts, i now can understand the second scenario i described in my last comment and iÄm not so sure about the solution anymore.  

4 options (aside from other solutions like deselecting messages on directory select or other focus types, which would require a longer discussion):
1. "delete works on messages, if there is a message selected, otherwise on directories, other hotkeys work on last selected item" (current behavior)
2. "all hotkeys work on messages if there is one selected, otherwise on directories" (current behavior of delete applied to all keys)
3. "all hotkeys work on messages, if there is no message selected, they dont work" (more consistent version of (2))
4. "all hotkeys work on last selected item".

current behavior (1) is completely inconstistent. deciding on what a key does based on "is there a message selected or not" as in (2) is still not consistent in my opinion. (3) is the straighforward version of (2), but admittedly hardly feasible. (4) is my personal favourite. it may result in some unexpected behavior, but all the other solutions do that, too, and (3) is the most reasonable and understandable solution in my opinion.

Comment 5

[Ulf Zibis]

(In reply to Johannes Linke from comment #4)
> 4 options (aside from other solutions like deselecting messages on directory
> select or other focus types, which would require a longer discussion):

5. "all hotkeys work on last selected item". If both, aka folder + message(s), are selected and the command causes a severe result, e.g. deletion, for the first action after directory selection, a box should appear to ask a choice (with no choice preselected upon just <Return>).

O.T.: left/right arrow could be used to change between folder/message selection. Currently, if focus on folder, right arrow jumps into sub folder. This could be changed to: Jump to sub folder, if parent is collapsed, otherwise to last selected or top message in message list.

Comment 6

[Ulf Zibis]

... bug 768084

Comment 8

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

THis does not reproduce in newer versions - Thunderbird wants to delete the folder.