733062 - Cannot highlight items in address book preview pane

Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 96968

(Thunderbird :: Address Book, enhancement)

Description

[tims-mozilla]

In the Address book, when I selects a contact, the contact info shows up in the preview pane.  I cannot highlight any of these fields.  I expect to click/drag on any piece of data to highlight it so I can then copy it (e.g. phone numbers or addresses).

Comment 1

[Hashem Masoud]

(In reply to tims-mozilla from comment #0)
By double-clicking the contact, you can edit its properties.

Comment 2

[tims-mozilla]

Yes, I realize I can double-click on it and edit it.  I don't want to edit it.  I want to copy information so I can paste it into an e-mail or phone software.  Why show me me the info in a preview window if I can't copy it?  Why make me double-click and find the same information again; I'm already looking at it?  Why not just make those fields highlightable so we can copy directly from there?  It would be a fantastic convenience feature and time saver.

Comment 3

[Hashem Masoud]

(In reply to tims-mozilla from comment #2)
Similar bugs: bug 284148 & bug 365421.

Comment 4

[Thomas D. (:thomas8)]

(In reply to tims-mozilla from comment #2)
> Yes, I realize I can double-click on it and edit it.  I don't want to edit
> it.  I want to copy information so I can paste it into an e-mail or phone
> software.  Why show me me the info in a preview window if I can't copy it? 
> Why make me double-click and find the same information again; I'm already
> looking at it?  Why not just make those fields highlightable so we can copy
> directly from there?  It would be a fantastic convenience feature and time
> saver.

tims-mozilla, thank you for filing this and yes, you're right. Moreover, you're not the only one, and this is an age-old shortcoming. In the meantime, you can use this as a workaround:

https://addons.mozilla.org/cs/thunderbird/addon/7065

(In reply to Hashem Masoud from comment #3)
> (In reply to tims-mozilla from comment #2)
> Similar bugs: bug 284148 & bug 365421.

Hashem, long time not seen! Thank you for adding the references to similar bugs. You were almost there. Bug 365421 covers a subset of Bug 96968, of which this is a duplicate.

So, let's welcome this bug to the fold of its siblings :)