New addon to compact header pane in Thunderbird 3.0

[jmozmoz]

CompactHeader 0.99.8

Following the discussion in the thread http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=1371575 I created an addon for Thunderbird 3.0 which compacts the message header pane to one line. The development will proceed on http://compactheader.mozdev.org/. You can also download it from addons.mozilla.org.

For newer nightly builds use 0.99.8 (2009/11/20). It includes the functionality of the CustomizeHeaderToolbar add-on. Do not install both add-ons at the same time.

For Thunderbird 3.0 beta 4 the current version is 0.8.3 (2009/09/27).

Older versions of Thunderbird will no longer be supported.

I cannot test Mac OS X versions, so if you see problems please post it here (best with screenshots)

Changelog:

• 0.99.8 Finally use the standard update mechanism (update.rdf). So if you installed the add-on from mozdev.org you should get an update notification automatically if there is a new version (after you have installed this version).
• 0.99.7 The option "show email address only" should work again (if you have not turned on the option "Show only display name for people in my address book"). The version downloadable from AMO has the update check turned off (requested by reviewer).
• 0.99.6 All buttons of type "menu-button" now should be display in correct size in the header pane (bug with forwardas add-on).
• 0.99.5 Print and mark message buttons now should have the same size as the other buttons. Remove of internal overlay error.
• 0.99.4 Internal cleanups (wrapper for java script to keep namespace clean). Tooltip for subject in compact view. Now scrollbar in compact view.
• 0.99.3 When installing the add-on, the default button set is shown. After uninstalling the add-on should have cleaned up. The customization context menu should now be selectable on the whole header pane (with the exception of the subject line).
• 0.99.2 Some bug fixes. (Turning off RSSLinkifing bork the compact header mode, cleanup of Win XP theme).
• 0.99.1 Version bump to 0.1.4 of CustomizeHeaderToolbar, cleanup of buttons, make switch layout (classical/wide/vertical) more robust (not finished yet). Now all buttons are displayed after closing the customization dialog (some, e.g. reply to list should not always show up, but they will go way when you select another message).
• 0.99.0 This version adds buttons in the two line header mode (again). Also a customization dialog for the buttons in the header pane is added. Known issues: Sometime the buttons do not show up after the customization dialog is closed. Work around: Switch to another folder and then back. Also some buttons need style updates. This version is work in progress.
• 0.9.0 First version for the newest nightly builds (3.0pre). It does not have a button box in the compact version (two line mode) of the header pane. At the moment it is not possible to change the buttons in the expanded mode. For this you would need to apply this patch to the sources of Thunderbird and recompile it. The you can use the context menu (right mouse button) to customize the buttons.
• 0.8.3 Next try to fix Mac OS X version. Also icons for header menu buttons are again copied from the toolbar buttons.
• 0.8.2 Another trial to handle different operating systems and bug fix the archive button problems with Mac OS X.
• 0.8.1 Cleanup/consistency between expanded and compact view. Work-around for missing archive button using Mac OS X.
• 0.8.0 First release for Thunderbird beta 4. In the options dialog the ability was added to check for updates. If there is an update on mozdev.org and/or addons.mozilla.org a link to the corresponding update site will be activated. This is a work-around for the missing automated update checks as long as this add-on keeps its experimental status.
• 0.7.3 Small fixes: Cleanup icon for "Other actions" menu button using Linux. Toggle show/hide details label in other actions menu.
• 0.7.2 Fixed problem with archive button icon and menu drop-down icon when using Linux.
• 0.7.1 Fix problems with the junk button and the space around the "to" label in the compact header two line view.
• 0.7.0 Compatible with nightly builds of Thunderbird starting with version b4pre of 09/09/10. For older versions of Thunderbird (especially beta 3) use version 0.6.2.
• 0.6.2 Bug fix for moving around other actions and tag menu.
• 0.6.1 In compact two line view "other actions" and tag menus added to button box. Added options to switch on/off menu buttons. Cleanup of option dialog.
• 0.6.0 Added icons for the "other actions" and the tag menu. Flat style for buttons in header pane.
• 0.5.3 Added an option to choose email address style: Only name, only address or both.
• 0.5.2 Fixed bug in RSS linkify subject: Copy url not text into clipboard via the context menu.
• 0.5.1 Added option to display full email addresses in the compact header view.
• 0.5.0 Got the OK of the author of RSS Linkify Subject to integrate it. So here it is. You have to activate it in the options dialog.
• 0.4.6 Cleanup of header views. Change of default preferences.
• 0.4.5 Move "Other Actions" menu button up to the top of the expanded header pane. Added toggle All/Normal Header submenu to the "Other Actions" menu.
• 0.4.4 Added shortcut key "SHIFT+h" to toggle header. Two menus at the bottom of expanded header view: "Tagging and Other Actions".
• 0.4.3 Following the suggestions of neandr I added two entries to the "Other Actions" menu: Open the CompactHeader preferences dialog and "Add Star".
• 0.4.2 Updated the internal handling of changes in preferences, so that the CompactHeader is compatible to RSS Linkify Subject (You can install this addon in Thunderbird 3.0 beta 3 e.g. by using the Nightly Tester Tools). If the author of RSS Linkify Subject does not update his addon to be installable in Thunderbird 3.0 out of the box, I will integrate it into CompactHeader. Actually the code is already included in CompactHeader but deactivated at the moment. There seem to be problems with the latest nightly build (Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.3a1pre) Gecko/20090821 Shredder/3.1a1pre) when changing the preferences. I will keep an eye on it.
• 0.4.1 The reply button now displays the correct icon depending on the default action: Reply or Reply to All. The option to hide the labels inside the buttons works now if the theme TB3 classic (version 1.0.8) is installed.
• 0.4.0 Cleaned up CSS (removed !important flags). Added preferences option to toggle text in buttons on and off.
• 0.3.5 One and two line compact header view, which can be selected in the option dialog. Buttons can be switched on and off separately for compact and expanded view.
• 0.3.4 The option dialog for button selection in the extended header view now seems to work. It can be found in Tools->Addons->CompactHeader->Options. The button selection for the compact header view is not active.
• 0.3.3 Added option dialog for selection of buttons to be displayed. Cleanup for buttons and icons as suggested by Paenglab. The option dialog does not automatically update the header pane. Also the buttons are only displayed for the extended header view.
• 0.3.2 Added the changes of zamula: Extended header view now with buttons.
• 0.3.1 Center symbols.
• 0.3 Had to change ID to be able to upload it to addons.mozilla.org. When updating from an older version to this or newer versions, you have to manually uninstall the old version.
• 0.2.1 Added "hide detail" to "other actions" menu
• 0.2 First Release based on CompactHeader-0.1 by L.A.R. Grizzly

ToDo:

• Make the add-on compatible with DispMUA.

Wishlist:

• Make menu and actions buttons "floating" so they are not scrolled away. (Any suggestions how to achieve this?)
• Add horizontal and/or vertical toolbar for the menu icons.
• Add display of tags to compact header view following example in Bugilla bug 466025
• Make header items configurable (something like the Forecastfox)

Please post any comments to this thread.

[Tuxman]

Welcome, new extension. Hope it won't be stalled too soon.

[rsx11m]

I have added a link to this thread from the Thunderbird 3.0 Knowledge Base article and also to the top entry of the beta 3 feedback thread to give it a bit more visibility here.

[JoeS]

What a relief.
Works well here, maybe a tiny bit of extra space on the bottom of collapsed view.

One suggestion, maybe a "collapse action" under other actions, so you don't have to scroll back up.

Thanks a lot for doing this.

[StoneCold]

Just awesome, this restores my small 1 line header from Thunderbird 2.

Maybe you can make, that the [+] is in the middle, it's a little bit too high:

http://stashbox.org/594326/compact.png

This makes Thunderbird friendly again, no more annoying buttons and wasted space in the message reader.

Thanks for doing this.

[jmozmoz]

How did you manage to get the [+] back (compared to the symbols on my screenshots)? Did you install a certain theme? I could add the icon files to the addon but I would prever to use the already installed files.

[oorwullie]

Thanks, great extension.
fwiw, I see the same wee [+] as stonecold, using TB3 classic 1.0.3 or the default theme.
Bll

[StoneCold]

I cannot tell you, sorry. I'm just using the default standard theme and got the [+] (and I'm happy about it, hehe). All I could do for you is posting my (few) installed extension, but I doubt, that they are the reason for the [+].

Just saw your update, thanks, the [+] is now centered, but the rest is too much at bottom. Would it be possible to center the rest too?

http://stashbox.org/594874/head.png

Otherwise, the extension is just perfect. Again thanks for doing this.

[jmozmoz]

Ok, it looks like the [+] is the default icon on Linux and the [>] on Windows (Vista).

The header line is aligned to the bottom. May be the problem is related to icon at the end of the line. Where does this icon come from? Can you switch it off (deactivate an addon?) and look if this changes the behavior?

Up to now I did work on Windows. But I have no check the Linux version and here it looks like the header line is even to high relative to the [+].

I will continue optimize it.

P.S. I tried to upload the 0.3.1 version to AMO and the default version on the main page of the addon was not changed but the new version appeared on the "View older versions" page. I tried to delete the 0.3 version and the file could not be delete. Does anybody else also see such strange things or do I have to file a bug?

[L.A.R. Grizzly]

Changelog:
[*]0.3.1 Center symbols.

Kudos jmozmoz! Working fine on my system. Keep up the good work!

I must ask, why is the title in your thread CompressHeader instaed of CompactHeader? Just curious. And, do you have an English AMO page? I don't read German.

[jmozmoz]

And, do you have an English AMO page? I don't read German.

Actually you should see an English page. Don't you? The whole description is given in English. Anyway, you can change the language at the bottom of the page.

[StoneCold]

Right you are, the not centered content is related to Display Mail User Agent

Also forgot to say, that I'm using Windows XP.

[rsx11m]

Actually you should see an English page. Don't you? The whole description is given in English.

You are linking to https://addons.mozilla.org/de rather than https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US which changes the language in which the AMO instructions are displayed.

[Tuxman]

Nothing wrong with that. Either the Germans or the US-Americans will have to change it manually when opening the link.

[L.A.R. Grizzly]

And, do you have an English AMO page? I don't read German.

Actually you should see an English page. Don't you? The whole description is given in English. Anyway, you can change the language at the bottom of the page.

Your link always directed me to the German page. I didn't know that you could choose the language at the bottom. Changing it to English solved my problem! I changed my bookmark!