Re: [Evolution] Keeping states

[Jeffrey Stedfast <fejj novell com>]

On Tue, 2005-10-25 at 09:22 +0930, Iain Buchanan wrote:
> On Mon, 2005-10-24 at 15:06 +0200, guenther wrote:
>
> > As I'm not entirely sure what you're really about (and my memory of 1.x
> > versions is fading ;), here are a couple of notes that should cover your
> > issue.
> >
> > * When switching folders, Evo remembers the selected mail and the
> >   position in the mail list. This even works after closing Evo.
>
> no it doesn't.  I know it intends to, but it doesn't do a very good job
> of it IMHO.  Please don't be upset by this remark, I'm just
> commenting :)

actually it does, but a particular message is not always in the exact
same scroll position between sessions (new mail has arrived and perhaps
the folder is in threaded view, etc).

> I would file a bug, but the behaviour is so hard to define anyway, that
> what should I expect it to do in the first place?

we know it's bugged and how it should behave...

> >   Caveat: Unfortunately Evo remembers the *scroll* position only and
> >   will return to that position. If you get a lot of new mails in
> >   between, the selected mail can scroll out of the visible area of the
> >   list view.
>
> why?  wouldn't it make more sense to remember the specific selected
> email?

it does, but we also save the scroll position because you may have
selected a message but then scrolled to the top/bottom/to some other
message and then switched folders and when you switch back, you'd expect
it to be in the same place (and not scrolled back to the selected
message).

anyways, suffice it to say that because of the weird way in which the
ETable widget tries to outsmart the programmer's intent, it doesn't
always work the way we mailer guys intended the message-list state
saving/restoration to work.

Luckily I've left the project and so I don't have to fix it :p

> > * Searches are saved on a per folder basis and remembered, when getting
> >   back to that folder.
>
> yes, this works and works well.  Unfortunately, it works a little to
> well, and sometimes I wonder where all my emails have gone, only to
> notice a search is active.  I guess thats a PEBKAC though...

of all the state that is remembered between sessions, I think this one
is the one most likely to annoy people because of the reason you just
described.

Jeff