953729 - Drag & drop of buddies to conversation window

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Instantbird Graveyard :: Contacts window, enhancement)

Description

[Benedikt Pfeifer]

*** Original post on bio 286 at 2009-12-13 14:12:00 UTC ***

Beside supporting drag & drop for ordering buddies in the buddy list, it could be an interesting idea to support dragging of buddies to a conversation window to create a new conversation.
It should include the same behaviour as dragging and dropping of tabs has. That is: dropping at a certain place should insert the new conversation between the neighbouring tabs.

Dragging a tab from the tab bar to the buddy list should add the conversational partner to the buddy list if he's not yet in it. Same rules concerning inserting would apply here.

Comment 1

[Florian Quèze [:florian]]

*** Original post on bio 286 at 2010-11-22 18:55:57 UTC ***

I think we should handle dropping a buddy on a conversation window, but I'm not sure of the expected behavior. Should it invite the buddy to the conversation (that's a possibility of the protocol at least on MSN, and probably for IRC chatrooms too) or create a new conversation?
Wouldn't it be confusing if we do that depending on the type of conversation/protocol?

Maybe creating a conversation by a drag&drop should be limited to when it's dropped on the empty area of the tab bar, and dropping on a tab or on the content of the tab should attempt to invite the buddy into the conversation. Hmm... or maybe send the contact information of the buddy as a file transfert of a vCard? Arg... this is all confusing :-(.

Sorry for the confusing comment by the way :).

Comment 2

[Benedikt Pfeifer]

*** Original post on bio 286 at 2010-11-22 19:52:56 UTC ***

(In reply to comment #1)
> I think we should handle dropping a buddy on a conversation window, but I'm not
> sure of the expected behavior. Should it invite the buddy to the conversation
> (that's a possibility of the protocol at least on MSN, and probably for IRC
> chatrooms too) or create a new conversation?
> Wouldn't it be confusing if we do that depending on the type of
> conversation/protocol?
> 
> Maybe creating a conversation by a drag&drop should be limited to when it's
> dropped on the empty area of the tab bar, and dropping on a tab or on the
> content of the tab should attempt to invite the buddy into the conversation.
> Hmm... or maybe send the contact information of the buddy as a file transfert
> of a vCard? Arg... this is all confusing :-(.
> 
> Sorry for the confusing comment by the way :).

What about this?

When the drop target is
 out of an Instantbird window: open a new conversation in a new window,
 the tab bar: open a new conversation,
 the conversation content area: send contact (maybe ask before sending?),
 the participants list: invite to the MUC.

Comment 3

[Patrick Cloke [:clokep]]

*** Original post on bio 286 at 2010-11-22 20:38:09 UTC ***

(In reply to comment #2)
> When the drop target is
>  the tab bar: open a new conversation,

Could also differentiate between the tab bar itself (i.e. when an arrow pops up) and the tab of a conversation.  Maybe a chat tab should have it add to the participants list? But I like your way better since it's more straight forward. :)

Comment 4

[Benedikt Pfeifer]

Attachment: Explanation of concept

*** Original post on bio 286 as attmnt 401 at 2010-11-22 21:22:00 UTC ***

Fancy explanation of different drop targets. I either have too much time or needed a distraction from work;)

Comment 5

[Florian Quèze [:florian]]

*** Original post on bio 286 at 2010-12-16 09:09:24 UTC ***

Comment on attachment 8352144 [details] (bio-attmnt 401)
Explanation of concept

I kinda like this, except I don't see how this would work to invite a contact into an existing MSN conversation where there's currently only one person (-> no participants list, it's not a chat room yet).

I suspect we would have to open a popupmenu where the contact has been dropped with the list of possible actions when there's an ambiguity.
That would also be a way to request confirmation for actions that may not really be wanted/intentional and can involve privacy issues (like sending a vcard as a file, if you were just trying to drop a contact in the tab bar to open a conversation but released the mouse accidentally).

Comment 6

[Benedikt Pfeifer]

*** Original post on bio 286 at 2010-12-16 09:20:04 UTC ***

(In reply to comment #5)
> (From update of attachment 8352144 [details] (bio-attmnt 401) [details])
> I kinda like this, except I don't see how this would work to invite a contact
> into an existing MSN conversation where there's currently only one person (->
> no participants list, it's not a chat room yet).
> 
> I suspect we would have to open a popupmenu where the contact has been dropped
> with the list of possible actions when there's an ambiguity.
> That would also be a way to request confirmation for actions that may not
> really be wanted/intentional and can involve privacy issues (like sending a
> vcard as a file, if you were just trying to drop a contact in the tab bar to
> open a conversation but released the mouse accidentally).

Just to clear that up: you can actually turn an IM conversation to a MUC in mid-conversation (how does this work internally)?

I think we could show the participants list temporarily if someone comes dragging a buddy to the window, making clear that it is a valid drop target.

A confirmation window for sensitive actions like sending a contact's information to someone else sounds reasonable.

Comment 7

[Florian Quèze [:florian]]

*** Original post on bio 286 at 2010-12-16 09:30:41 UTC ***

(In reply to comment #6)

> Just to clear that up: you can actually turn an IM conversation to a MUC in
> mid-conversation (how does this work internally)?

With the official MSN client, yes.
Currently, we handle that very poorly: when an IM conversation is turned into a MUC, a new tab titled "MSN Chat" opens with a MUC UI. I think Pidgin does the same, as I don't think libpurple supports changing the type of an existing conversation (at least, it didn't at the time when I looked at it).

Comment 8

[Sylvestre Ledru [:Sylvestre]]

On the behalf of Florian:
Closing bugs related to the Instantbird UI as WONTFIX, as the development of the standalone chat client Instantbird has stopped. Instantbird users are encouraged to migrate to Thunderbird. The user interface of instant messaging in Thunderbird will feel familiar, as the Thunderbird IM support started as a fork of Instantbird.

Comment 9

[Sylvestre Ledru [:Sylvestre]]

On the behalf of Florian:
Closing bugs related to the Instantbird UI as WONTFIX, as the development of the standalone chat client Instantbird has stopped. Instantbird users are encouraged to migrate to Thunderbird. The user interface of instant messaging in Thunderbird will feel familiar, as the Thunderbird IM support started as a fork of Instantbird.