73567 - Ability to select from multiple signatures (global / per account?)

Status: NEW

(MailNews Core :: Composition, enhancement)

Description

[Peter Lairo]

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; WinNT4.0; en-US; 0.8.1)

need ability to select from multiple signatures.

I might not always want to sign my mails with "Regards". When sending to family
or loved ones, it would be nice to be able to select another signature line
(e.g. "Love").

Also, it would be nice to have an HTML signature for business and family.

That makes a total of 4 different sigantures that should be selectable *while*
composing a mail.

I suggest creating a dropdown icon ("Signature") where one can choose from
predefined signatures (text & HTML). Of course, one should be able to select a
default signature under prefs. :)

Comment 1

[Håkan Waara]

I really want this too. But first we need a UI spec for this.

->UI: Design Feedback 

(BTW, bugs like this tends to be bloated with different specs, please don't do
that. Let's keep this clean with useful and complete comments...)

Comment 2

[Håkan Waara]

Reassigning...

Comment 3

[Peter Lairo]

OK, here is a good starting point (Hakan reviewed it and said i should post it
here):

I would suggest that in the compose window, next to the "save" icon, to place a
"Signatures" icon that when clicked yields a dropdown list (similar to the "Get
Msg" icon) with the signature names (e.g. Private-txt, Private-html,
Business-txt, business-html) where the user can select a signature. If he just
clicks the main icon, the default sig would be selected (defined in orefs).

The selected signature should then be immediately visible in the body at the
end. If the user changes his mind, he could select another sig at *any time*
before submitting the message and the change would be shown in the body (dynamic
update = tough to implement?)

If a user selects an html sig in a newsgroup, a warning dialogue should come up
saying "You selected a HTML signature for this newsgroup posting. Newsgroups are
usuallly in plain text oly. Are you sure that...." YES/NO - ", <> "Show this
dialogue in the future"

In prefs, the user would be able to enter his various sigs and assign them
descriptive names that appear in the icon above (e.g. Private-txt, Private-html,
Business-txt, business-html). User would be able to ADD, EDIT and DELETE
signatures in the prefs. Here the default sig would be set (checkbox). It would
be best if the sigs were not remote files (like NC4.x), but stored in prefs.js.
The sig text would be typed directly or pasted into the prefs dialogue (e.g.
from composer for html).

Comment 4

[Håkan Waara]

Actually I never reviewed it. But I OK'd that you posted it here... I'll let the
usability gurus review it.

Comment 5

[timeless]

plairo's use of review is ok, although we should probably use the term pre 
screened (i occasionally have my comments pre screened too).

Comment 6

[Håkan Waara]

mpt suggested that this is a duplicate, please help us find it.

Comment 7

[Matthew Cline]

Might be a considered dup of bug 2350, which is a RFE that you can vary the
signature based on the domain of the TO field; vaguely related to bug 37644.

If we're going to have multiple, named signature, I think that you should
also be able to assign signature on a per adress book card.  Also, the
signature editing UI should show which cards any particular signature is
associated with, plus have an easy way of adding and deleting cards from
the association.

Comment 8

[Peter Lairo]

Bug 2350: This is a completely different bug from bug 2350, which wants sigs
based on domains for company internal and external correspondence. I think this
should be a *separate* bug/option. Personally, I don't like this idea because I
have friends, family AND business contacts often all in one domain (e.g.
compuserve.com).

Bug 37644 should be dependant on this bug because it specifies how the signature
selection should be. This bug requests the signature feature in general
(back-end work). Actually, I would suggest wontfix for bug 37644 because it
would take up too much screen space.

M. Cline's suggestion: Adding a signature on a Address Book entry basis should
at least be a separate bug (ENH) because it is a distinctly separate and
independant way of handling sigs. I also don't think it is very intuitive and
involves a LOT of setup effort by the user.

My suggestion for the interface is much cleaner - have just an icon at the top
(next to the "save" icon) called "Signature" that has a dropdown as follows:

< SIGNATURE > |V|
+--------------------------+
| Signature Preferences... |
| -------------------------|
| No Signature             |
|--------------------------|
| Signature 1              |
|xSignature 2              |
| Signature 3 (default)    |
| Signature 4              |
+--------------------------+

Where:

"Signature Preferences..." would go to some dialogue in preferences for
adding/editing/deleting and setting the default signature, much in the way "View
- Apply Theme - Theme Preferences" works.

"No Signature" would clear whatever signature is displayed.

"x" marks the currently selected sig (this would be a check mark).

"(default)" shows which signature is automatically selected if no action is
taken (selected in prefs).

Comment 9

[Jonadab the Unsightly One (Nathan Eady)]

Most newsreaders, even some very simple ones (Free Agent, 
Gravity), have the ability to set default signature for
usenet posts on a per-newsgroup basis.  Should that be a
separate RFE dependent on this one?
The .sig button should be optional (since some people have
used the same one signature for years), but at worst that's
handled by bug Bug 15144.

Comment 10

[Peter Lairo]

"*Default* signatures on a per-newsgroup basis" has NOTHING to do with this bug.
Please file a new bug.

Comment 11

[Dimitrios]

*** Bug 112236 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 12

[Gilles Durys]

*** Bug 128853 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 13

[David Greenaway]

Shouldn't this be in the 'MailNews' category? Could the owner of this bug please
move it?

Comment 14

[Peter Lairo]

 RE comment #9: A *per-account pref* for signatures might be a good idea. It
could be similar to the new "Return Receipts":

+-- Default Signature for [e-mail] -----------+
|                                                       |
| <o> use global default signature [ Peter Reaper (txt) |
|                                                       |
| < > use another signature for this account            |
|      [ Business1 (txt) \/]                            | <--(NOTE: this is the
|                                                       |  *same* list as in 
+-------------------------------------------------------+  the global selection)

Where account could be any mail account or any newsgroup account. Perhaps new
signatures should only be add-/editable in the global signature settings dialogue.

The global signatures preference dialogue could look like this:

+-- Signature Preferences ---------------------------+
|                                                    |
| Select default signature [ Peter Reaper (txt) \/]  |
|                                                    |
|---- Manage Signatures -----------------------------|
|                                                    |
|   [ ADD... ]                                       |
|                                                    |
|   [ Peter Reaper (txt) \/]  [ DELETE ]  [ EDIT ]   |
|                                                    |
|  +-- Preview of Selected Signature -------------+  |
|  |                                              |  |
|  |  Sincerely,                                  |  |
|  |  Peter Reaper                                |  |
|  |                                              |  |
|  |                                              |  |
|  +----------------------------------------------+  |
+----------------------------------------------------+

Add and Edit would bring up this:

+ -- Add / Edit Signature ---------------------------+
|                                                    |
| Signature Name [                        ]          | <-- user definable names
|                                                    |
| ----------------------------------------------     |
| < > Text only                                      |
| <o> HTML                                           |
| -----------------------------------------------    |
| Type or Paste your signature below:                |
| [Variable Width] [Color] [Size] [B] [I] [U]        | <-- grayed-out if "Text"
| +------------------------------------------------+ |
| |                                                | |
| |                                                | |
| |                                                | |
| |                                                | |
| |                                                | |
| +------------------------------------------------+ |
|                             [   OK   ] [ CANCEL ]  |
+----------------------------------------------------+

Comment 15

[Peter Lairo]

All signatures should be store in the user's profile directory in *one* file.
This file (signatures.moz) would be a mish-mash of plaintext anf html code (for
text AND html sigs), and would be divided into a section for each signature:

+-- signatures.moz -----------------------------------+
|                                                     |
| Header Info: This file contains signatures that are |
| appended to to the e-mails this user sends.         |
| This file is generated from within Mozilla's        |
| preferences:                                        |
| (edit / preferences / Mail&News / Signatures)       |
|                                                     |
| Although the signature can be edited by editing this|
| file, it is strongly recommended to edit signatures |
| from within Mozilla's preferences.                  |
|                                                     |
| -- Signature 1 ------------------------------------ |
| SigName: Peter Reaper (txt)                         |
| SigType: Plain Text                                 |
| Character Coding: ISO 8859-15                       | <-- do we need this?
| Signature Contents:                                 |
|                                                     |
| Sincerely,                                          |
| Peter Reaper                                        |
|                                                     |
| -- Signature 2 ------------------------------------ |
| SigName: Peter Reaper (HTML)                        | 
| SigType: HTML                                       |
| Character Coding: ISO 8859-15                       |
| Signature Contents:                                 |
|                                                     |
| <bold>Sincerely,                                    |
| Peter Reaper</bold>                                 |
|                                                     |
+-- end of file --------------------------------------+

The advantages of having all signatures in one file, that is generated and
maintained by mozilla (but user editable) are many --> no more browsing to
looong directories for each signature, editable from within mozilla (and by
manually editing *one* file), no more telling novices they must create an
*external* text or (even worse) HTML file and then link to it from mozilla (talk
about turning novices off - blank stare), signatures can be transported by
copying just one file.

Comment 16

[timeless]

what if my unix sig is a device or the output of a program? (this isn't 
unusual) in this case it's unacceptable and impractical to store the 
'signature' in a mozilla managed file.

Comment 17

[Peter Lairo]

> what if my unix sig is a device or the output of a program?

Never heard of that (device?), sorry. Is it to create varying sigs each time you
load? If so, maybe the user (or unix) could copy the entire signatures.moz file
into a unix template file and have unix update a certain section in the template
file (using variables?) and then just copy the updated file over the existing
one. Mozilla would never know the difference. ;)

Comment 18

[Peter Lairo]

> what if my unix sig is a device or the output of a program?

This edge case does not (by a long shot) outweigh the inconvenience and
obstacles to the vast majority of users (novices and intermediates) in creating
external files that must then be individually linked. Signaures must be
manageable (create, edit, delete) from within Mozilla. Sorry. 

My previous comment might be a solution for these edge-case user.

Comment 19

[Matthew T (active 1999-2002)]

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 37644 ***

Comment 20

[Peter Lairo]

I don't think this bug is a duplicate of bug 37644. That bug suggests to put a
bunch of UI at the bottom of each compose window with a *non-scrolling*
signature. IMO that wastes a *lot* of screen space.

This bug suggests a much cleaner approach: The signature appears at the bottom
of the message itself (as the recipient will see it), and there is a button at
the top called "Signature" where the user can select from previously defined
signatures. All the Editing UI would be in the prefs and not waste valuable
screenspace. see comment #8 and comment#14

Reopening for reconsideration. mpt, please assign to "nobody" if you are not
interested in this solution.

Comment 21

[Matthew T (active 1999-2002)]

12:19:42 AM: mpt begins reconsideration.
12:20:31 AM: mpt finishes reconsideration.

Problems with this proposal include:
(1) It would increase clutter to the composition window (in contrast with bug
    37644, which would reduce clutter by hiding the signature by default).
(2) It would add clutter to the prefs.
(3) It wouldn't work if the signature had been mangled (e.g. the signature
    separator edited) before a choice was made from the menu.

Wontfix.

Comment 22

[Peter Lairo]

> Problems with this proposal include:
> (1) It would increase clutter to the composition window (in contrast with bug
>     37644, which would reduce clutter by hiding the signature by default).

One button on the Compose toolbar is hardly "clutter", especially when compared
to using up the entire bottom portion of the compose window as proposed in bug
37644 (that is clutter). If even a button is considered clutter (which I could
understand, because switching sig would not be that often), then a simple menu
entry (under "options"?) would suffice:

File | Edit | View | Options | Tools | Window | Help
                   +---------+----------+
                   | ...                |+---------------------------+
                   | Select Signature > || Personal (text) (Default) |
                   | ...                || Personal (HTML)           |
                   +--------------------+| Businsess (HTML)          |
                                         |---------------------------|
                                         | No signature              |
                                         |---------------------------|
                                         | Signature Preferences...  |
                                         +---------------------------+

Also, in bug 37644, if the sig-pane is colapsed (which any sensible user will
quickly do, because it takes up so much space), many users will forget that
their sig is there and manually type in *another* sig into the main pane, thus
the recipient will see two sigs.

> (2) It would add clutter to the prefs.

Useful features are not clutter. This *is* a very useful feature.

> (3) It wouldn't work if the signature had been mangled (e.g. the signature
      separator edited) before a choice was made from the menu.

This is a technical problem that *can* be solved. For instance: Selecting
another sig woud *attempt* to identify the existing sig (e.g., via "-- ") and if
found would replace it. If it cannot identify a sig, it would append the newly
selected sig to the very end of the message. The user could then *see* if there
are two sigs and delete the one he mangled/doesn't want (this would *only* be
necessary *if* he already mangled the existing sig.

Since all of mpt's objections from comment #21 are addressed, reopening for
reconsideration.

BTW. Outlook Express (and likely Outlook too) has this feature (Will attach
screenshots in next post).

Comment 23

[Peter Lairo]

Attachment: Screenshot - Signature Settings in OutLook Express

I only have the German version of OE installed - sorry. But the UI and
functionality should be quite clear.

Comment 24

[Peter Lairo]

Attachment: Screenshot of Signature Selection UI in Compose Window of OutLook Express

I only have the German version of OE installed - sorry. But the UI and
functionality (and very limited "clutter") should be quite clear.

Comment 25

[Daniel Wang]

default assignee doesn't want to do this... (comment 21) ->
[e-mail]

Reporter, your RFE looks a lot like bug 171744. If you think bug 171744
does what you want, please resolve this bug as duplicate of bug 171744
yourself.

Please do not spam Bugzilla or the newsgroup. We have lots of RFEs open
and it's not possible to implement all of them. Also note bug this bug
was resolved as WONTFIX by the assignee of bug 37644 (so don't bug
the assignee about wontfixing it either).

For accessibility reason, please avoid using ASCII art to represent
user interface. If possible, attach a XUL mock up (an example will
be posted shortly).

Comment 26

[Daniel Wang]

Attachment: UI XUL mock-up

Comment 27

[timeless]

.

Comment 28

[Torben]

*** Bug 90018 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 29

[Peter Lairo]

A lot of the work has seemingly already been done here (MozTweak):
http://mozillapl.mozdev.org/installation.html

although I still much prefer the UI as suggested in this bug (see comment 22).

Comment 30

[bruno]

Comment #8 Would clutter the ToolBar....
I Suggest under the "Message" menu have an option

< SIGNATURE > 

A submenu would show 
+--------------------------+
| Signature Preferences... |
|--------------------------|
| No Signature             |
|--------------------------|
| Signature 1              |
| Signature 2              |
| Signature 3 (default)    |
| Signature 4              |
+--------------------------+

This functionality would be similar to Outlook 2000's:

Insert > Signature > (Signature1, Signature2, Signature3, etc...)

PS: The current method of having a custom signature for individual accounts
should remain the same. Where "default" in the new menu item above would reflect
the specific account.

Comment 31

[Peter Lairo]

Bruno: What good would it be to put this feature under the "Message" menu in
Mail&News? The user hasn't even begun to compose a message yet! Have you even
read comment #22?

Comment 32

[Jo Hermans]

*** Bug 190757 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 33

[Asa Dotzler [:asa]]

We're not looking for new featues in a final "cleanup and polish" cycle. Please
don't waste drivers time by nominating new features in final, Peter. Thanks.

Comment 34

[Rafael Ebron (:rebron)]

Mail Triage Team: nsbeta1-

Comment 35

[Bhasker C V]

This is very much needed if it is claimed that mozilla supports
more than one pop client

also there are many features which are kept independent like message
filters ... why not signature ?

Comment 36

[h1h1h1h1h1h1h1]

The current (Mozilla 1.3) design of signatures (one per account) is good but
does not help the power user.

I respond to hundreds of e-mails per week, and in each reply, I use several of
about 20 very long "signatures".  (Currently this is in Outlook Express but it
is **** with crashes, freezes, etc as folders get big so I want to get away from
it.  That is the only feature keeping me on Outlook Express, and OE is the only
program keeping my Windows partition from being reclaimed.)

Now granted, these are not "signatures" in the conventional sense of a 2-10 line
sign-off.  For me, it is more of a pre-made reply but it does include my "Yours
Truly..." sign off and I do write some personalized paragraphs before using
these signatures.  And isn't that really what a signature is?  A pre-made bit
that you don't want to retype every time.

My suggestion for where to put this in the UI would be in the Insert menu of the
e-mail being composed (though that is the OE influence, it does make the most
sense of any of the menus, I'd say).

In my opinion, any design of a multiple signatures feature should have no length
limit (or say, >50kb), and the option of either having them composed/stored in
Mozilla or having them be a link to external txt/html files.  Again, this is the
OE way, but it handles the beginners (who stare blankly when you tell them to
create an html file and link to it) and the power users.  It should also have a
way to order your signatures in the Insert > Signatures menu.

Comment 37

[Chris Casciano]

*** Bug 201434 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 38

[Joseph Doer]

Is somebody working on this?
Since 0.8.1 there is a long time gone...

Comment 39

[Thomas Winteler]

when will this feature be implemented in mozila's mail/news?
thomi

Comment 40

[Cody]

This would be the one thing that would get me off of Outlook. Please add this to
the mail client

Comment 41

[Joseph Doer]

Get the PlugIn from Comment #29 . It's working fine with 1.5 and 1.6a :)

Comment 42

[jesse]

no-way.  I'm running moz 1.5 final in XP pro and moztweak (1.2.1) broke my
email.  The interface is a bit too clunky too.  This should be a sleek feature -
simple menu access would probably be best.  Like I said it broke my email so I
really couldn't tell if it even worked, but I didn't get the impression that it
let you use images as signatures either. 

 ps. to uninstall moztweak search for all files containing moztweak and delete
(this seems to do the trick).

Comment 43

[cristo morlan]

This bug should also have an optional FROM field.  This would solve two
problems.  Quite often when switching signatures, you'll want to switch your
FROM: field as well.  Creating "dummy" accounts is a poor/difficult hack,
clutters up your accounts list and doesn't always work.

Comment 44

[timeless]

[e-mail]: in case no one has complained to you already: additional
from lines are the subject of another bug.

Comment 45

[Bruce Davidson]

*** Bug 241477 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 46

[Bruce Davidson]

*** Bug 241477 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 47

[Martin Muc]

please please Please!  PLEASE!  I'm   B E G G I N G  you, won't somebody please
work on this feature!

This bug was opened in 2001.   2001 people!  Please, I'd just like to see a way
to insert a signature of my choice from a set of several signatures into a given
e-mail before I die.

Look at all the similar bugs that could be wiped out with some intelligent work
in this direction:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=73567

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=257972

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=218903

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=222476 (dup of previous)

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=257484

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=226120

(and many many other duplicates of the above)

And finally this one, which requests the inclusion of a firefox extension (
http://www.grim-world.com/miek/ ) which covers some of the features requested in
a lot of the above bugs:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=274617

This extension doesn't let you put formatted text (html or otherwise) into your
signature, it doesn't let you refer to a file on disk, but it does let you put
pre-made text at the cursor position from a right-click pop-up menu.  THANK YOU
TO THIS extension's author.  You have really made my day.

Won't someone who is well versed in mozilla internals massage this extension a
little, perhaps allow formatted text, perhaps allow it to refer to files on disk?

I love mozilla in every other way, but for replying to dozens of the same
frequently asked questions over and over again every day, a feature like this is
really a huge missing link.  (p.s. yes I know about Drafts and Templates, but
they cannot be used for a _reply_ only for composing a new message.)

Comment 48

[db]

There is no usability reason to put the signatures in one specillay formatted
file. but there are several against it.

It is more difficult to read the suggested file format compared with plain text
or html.

Other programs uses plain text and then you can share your sig between TB and
those programs

You can auto generate text files.

re: Usability. Eudora lets the user edit the signatures from inside the program,
(some menu has an option like New signature). When you save it the dialog
automatically opens the signature-folder in the mail folder (similar to TB's
profiles-folder). The signatures are then available from a menu in the compose
window's toolbar. I have never heard that this has caused any problems, neither
for advanced users or novises.

Comment 49

[Peter Lairo]

(In reply to comment #48)
A "Signatures" directory in the profile directory containing a file (*.txt,
*.html?) for each signature sounds like a great idea.

How would the files be named? For usability, it would be nice to have the
signature's filename be the same/similar(truncated?) as the user-given name for
the signature (e.g., "Friends (HTML).html" or "Newsgroups (Text).txt"). If that
is too hard, we'd have to use the unintuitive machine-generated method:
sig-01.txt, sig-02.html, sig-03.txt, etc. (What hapens to the number sequencing
if the user deletes a sig in the "middle"? See the way Thunderbird creates/names
addressbooks for reference.

PS. Is "Seth Spitzer (not reading bugmail) <[e-mail]>" even working
on Mozilla anymore? Assign to "nobody"?

PPS. <rant> This bug (4+ years old!) reminds me of why I hardly make suggestions
to improve Mozilla products anymore. Seems people are too busy adding podcasting
to Thunderbird. :-( </rant>

Comment 50

[timeless]

he does actually, but he was the default assignee for so long that he has too
many bugs to his name.

Comment 51

[Peter Lairo]

Undoing timeless' bugspam-causing stunt. --> [e-mail]

Comment 52

[u63580]

*** Bug 312807 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 53

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

*** Bug 337282 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 54

[Henrik Skupin [:whimboo][⌚️UTC+1]]

*** Bug 350089 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 55

[Rafal Ryba]

> PPS. <rant> This bug (4+ years old!) reminds me of why I hardly make suggestions
> to improve Mozilla products anymore. Seems people are too busy adding podcasting
> to Thunderbird. :-( </rant>

I totally agree. New versions of Firefox and Thundebrid too(no security releases) appears after half of a year with spectacular new functions like 56th redesign of Preference window or with extra-useful "Install" button in Extensions window. Stop  writing **** blogs saying how Mozilla products are wonderful!
Where are really new features? Like this old request - multiple signatures? When it will be available? 
Firefox sucks too. It's only a wrapper for Gecko with "back" button. Useful functions are added only by contributors. Unfortunetly. Where is a ppsession saver? When RSS support like, please God, I beg to be excused, in IE7? Using Bloglines or other so-called Web 2.0 service isn't a way! I want speed and memory allocation improvements instead of brand-new integrated Add-ons window.

New versions of Mozilla products more and more often makes me laugh. Unfortunetly, the browser market share sucks, becuase there is no good alternative. 

Comment 57

[Rafal Ryba]

Well, I feel ashamed of posting here any comments after my last post. Please forgive me as my last comment (posted very long ago, BTW) was caused by really strong emotion and certainly bad mood.

Unhappily, not much changed since then.

I think Bug 324495 is a duplicate, but it shouldn't be deleted, because it has many latest comments and UI research.

Comment 58

[Frank]

Some related extensions, but not mentioned here:

"Signature Switch"
http://addons.mozilla.org/thunderbird/addon/611
http://mozext.achimonline.de/signatureswitch_about.php

"Quicktext"
http://addons.mozilla.org/thunderbird/addon/640

Comment 59

[Serge Gautherie (:sgautherie)]

Filter on "Nobody_NScomTLD_20080620"

Comment 62

[raths]

I think it will be great to have all to manage signature without any extension !

Comment 64

[Ivens]

You do not have to worry about design or how to implement multiple optional signatures, just COPY this feature from Eudora v.7.0.1, which I still use because NO OTHER e-mail client can do all it does. (See wikipedia PT-BR for Eudora Advantages - Vantagens do Eudora).

Comment 66

[Ignacio G.T.]

We are moving from Pegasus (which is better than Eudora :-) and we all miss this important feature. We have a corporate signature and a signature to be used internally, with alternative formats in HTML and plain text. Besides, everyone has other signatures, such as signatures in English (not Spanish), Chinese or French, depending on the addressee.

I will vote for this.

Comment 67

[Ignacio G.T.]

Attachment: Screenshot - Signature selection in Pegasus

Could be used as an example

Comment 68

[David E. Ross]

Why not merely integrate the Signature Switch extension into Thunderbird as a basic capability?

Comment 70

[Wayne Carruthers]

Multiple signatures are clearly a long standing request & are needed if Thunderbird is to truely be an viable alternative to M$, Eudora or Pegasus

The key is that any email message is a 2 part message, text & HTML

So for each of the multiple signatures there need to be two parts, text & HTML so that both formats present the user properly which is not the case at this point in time

Comment 71

[David E. Ross]

Re comment #70:  Don't forget those of us who choose to send only ASCII-formatted E-mail.  And then there are all those newsgroups that reject HTML-formatted E-mail.  In those cases, I believe that the messages are 1-part with no HTML parts.  

No, this is not an argument about whether ASCII-formatted E-mail is better than HTML-formatted E-mail.  This is merely a reminder that, when implementing this RFE, 1-part ASCII-only messages should also be properly handled.

Comment 72

[Martin Muc]

Happy Ninth Birthday Bug 73567!!!

Also you're coming up on your 20th duplicate, I'm so excited for you!!! (and how many grand-dupes you must have within those dupes!).  I've been watching you since you were just a toddler, back when I was so used to having this feature in Outlook Express in Windows 98 on my ThinkPad 510 Blue Lightning processor.  And I so optimistically took up Linux and Mozilla Mail.

Also you're coming up in just 2 weeks to the 5th birthday of comment #47.  You must be so proud.

Although it has been nice knowing you and watching expectantly as you grew and grew, I must say I have long since given up hope of you amounting to anything, and given up waiting for you.  I'm sorry but I've met somebody else and it is called the Quick Text plug in.  Sorry it has been going on for 5 years already.

I've even lost all interest I might have had 8 years ago in getting more involved in the project in general.  (What are the normally cited baby-steps of starting to get involved? - beta testing - filing bugs - giving feedback - helping with documentation.  I tried all those baby steps and instead of feeling the synergy and progress and wanting to help more, you let me down.

At this rate I will have seen ONE bug I cared about and tried to help with ever get anywhere before I die, and that's an optimistic estimate of ONE assuming this bug gets anywhere in the next 4 or so decades I might live.)

Finally - my main reason in filing this comment (forgive the above rant) -  after reading hopefully (hope springs eternal, eh) into several of the dupes and Depends-On's and Block's seeking some sense of progress... can somebody explain to me why at the top of this bug is the setting "Depends on: 488469" ?  I don't see why "put signature editing in UI (rather than select a file)" is a pre-requisite of this bug, the "ability to select from multiple signatures".

And even if it was somehow contingent on editing being in the UI, I don't see why the already-implemented text version of that bug, Bug 324495, wouldn't be sufficient.  How would the text- or HTML-ness of it be relevant to whether there could be multiple of them?

Please, bug 73567, restore my optimism just once.

Comment 73

[raths]

I use "signature switch.
When I reply that I want to change my signature, it ranks as the message which I answer that does not meet the standards institutions. It would be great if we could choose, as in Outlook ...

Comment 74

[Lewis Rosenthal]

Hmmm...

Well, at this point in time, in TB 3.1 and SM 2, we have multiple identities, where each identity may have a different signature. We also have the ability to edit signatures in the UI vs only calling an external file.

Obviously, multiple identity support isn't *exactly* what this bug involves, as making several identities, each with a different signature but with the same name, i.e., Joe Bloe <[e-mail]>, it wouldn't be very easy to select the proper one, given our current UI.

Thus, it may be possible to implement this via multiple identities as we have, with just a minor change to the UI to make locating the proper one more intuitive.

Comment 75

[Thomas Oskk]

If eventually somebody will try to implement this feature, there should be a check whether the mail is html-formatted or not and a feedback if a sig in the other format should be used or not.

However, I highly recommend this feature, and it makes me upset that for such a long time nothing happened about such a highly useful thing.

Comment 76

[Fabrizio]

This is a feature that Thunderbird should definitely have and multiple identities is just a workaround, not the real solution.
Apart from the problems highlighted above, each identity besides the signature also has a lot of settings (corresponding to the account settings tabs named Settings, Copies and folders, Composition, Security) that should be set separately for each identity: for example, if I have multiple identities and I want to change where the IMAP Sent folder is located or my digital certificate I have to do this for every single identity I have, not just in the account panel as I would do if I had a single identity with multiple signatures, as Outlook and Apple Mail do from a long time.

Comment 77

[Lewis Rosenthal]

Multiple signatures are implemented using the Flexible Identity extension (see https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/flexible-identity/). I've been using this for some time on both SM and TB. I just realized that I'd last posted to this bug before I started using Flexible Identity. This does not address bug #553958, however, so if there is a dependence upon bringing this into core, then the extension is merely a workaround (unless the extension developer could be persuaded to add the HTML vs text auto-switch behavior, of course).