Re: [Evolution-hackers] Where to put UI items for templates (Bug #127529)

["Matthew Martin" <mtt martin gmail com>]

On 2/16/07, Sankar P <psankar novell com> wrote:
> On Fri, 2007-01-26 at 16:59 -0600, Matthew Martin wrote:
> > I'm working on templates for evolution. I need to know where to put all
> > the UI items for templates. There would need to be a save template,
> > default new mail, and default reply items. I read some of the HIG and
> > stuck them in there so I could write the code. Here's a link to the
> > patches. http://mtt.martin.googlepages.com/ The first one is for
> > evolution, and the second is for evolution-data-server.
>
>
> I looked at the patches attached in the above url. The patches are not
> yet complete so I am not doing an in-line patch-analysis reply. Some of
> my comments are :
>
> - An account should be able to choose, what should be the default
> template that it has to use and it should be noted that NONE should also
> be an option here.
 Where should this be added? Isn't this what the Default New Mail
thing is for? Do we even need the default new mail? How useful would
that be anyway?
> - You can add an option, "File->New from templates" which should list
> the templates and the user should be able to choose a template and start
> composing a mail. I will recommend getting a nod from Srini (CCed) for
> any usability/UI aspects regarding this, before you start coding.
>
> - You need to add a view-column, "Template name" that will be available
> for the Templates folder (only).  All messages stored as templates
> should have a name associated to identify the message-template. It is
> far more usable to read, "Status Report", "Release Announcement Mail",
> "String Announcement Mail", "ABI Break announcement ;-)" etc., rather
> than opening every mail and seeing, "Is this what I want to send now ?"
Shouldn't this act just like drafts?  Where are we going to get this
template name? Would this even be all that useful?

> - You need to close the composer once an user chooses "Save
> Template" (as of now it is not doing and it keeps on creating new
> templates) .
Why should it do that? Saving a draft doesn't do this. Wouldn't this
just annoy the user?
> - Reopening a template and saving it again should not create a new
> template.
>
> - Your patch misses mail.error.xml changes as a result none of the user
> choice-asking dialogs appear.
>
> - All mail operations like copy/move/DnD on templates folder should be
> disabled. (IMO, it is a lot more easier to implement a new tab under
> Composer-preferences than a new templates folder)
>
> - When there is a clash between account's default signature and the used
> template's signature, the template's signature should be given more
> priority.
>
> - The code to save a template should ensure teh uniqueness in naming
> etc.
>
> - There must be a way to create a normal new mail when the user has set
> a default-template. (May be a default Empty-mail template)
This isn't clear enough. How should this be done? Should the whole
default new mail idea be rethought? Should we just make this like a
draft that doesn't delete itself?
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> --
> Sankar