Re: [Evolution] Secret HTML editor !

[Milan Crha <mcrha redhat com>]

On Thu, 2019-07-04 at 13:34 +0200, sdisemi tin it wrote:
> I am using Evolution 3.18.5.2 on Mint.

        Hi,
while talking about secrets (and eventually security), I hope you are
aware it's an ancient version, full of bugs which had been fixed
meanwhile. The current stable version is 3.32.3 at the moment.

> especially on those occasions where the code "goes to S**t" as they 
> say.

I'm really unsure what you mean. Any reference anywhere?

> I raised my eyes to the screen after a few seconds and, 
> lo and behold,  an html editor had miraculously appeared !!!

Weird, there is no such thing available like an HTML code editor.

> Rather than my having to tediously repeat 26 combinations of
> <control> a, b, c etc, can somebody "in the know" let me know what
> the "secret" keyboard shortcut is for opening the html editor ?

Hmm, let's see, either you can press 26 keys in a sequence (which may
take like a second per a key press), or you can type a letter with
hundreds letters and ask someone else to try the 26 letters? How does
that sound?

> And, whilst they are at it, why not let us long-suffering users of
> this "complex" piece of software have a complete list of all the
> other "hidden" keyboard shortcuts which have other hidden
> functionalities ?

Because many hidden things are there only for debugging purposes.
Regular users would harm the software if they have all that available.
That's why there are environment variables, settings to be enabled to
have access to other settings/debug-features and so on. It's like using
cheats in a game, they are not there for regular players (despite they
use them and cheat), they are there for the developers to make the
testing of the software easier.

In other words, development stuff is hidden for a purpose, not to hide
useful features from the users.

For the record, I guess and only guess that you managed to open a web
developer console of the WebKitGTK+ (just like Firefox and other web
browsers have). That's not meant to be used to edit the HTML content.
Evolution's composer has plenty of special markers in the HTML code
which is not visible, but it's there to help with all the formatting
and such. All these things also help to produce sane HTML code on
send - yes, the HTML content being used while composing is not
identical to the one being sent. Either check in the Sent folder of the
account you send from or enable sending through Outbox (in
Edit->Preferences->Composer Preferences), if your ancient version
supports it and check the message content in the On This
Computer/Outbox folder. I do not recall when it was added, I'm sorry.
        Bye,
        Milan

P.S.: Ctrl+Shift+I

P.P.S: though one might do a bit more than that - there are certain
conditions to be satisfied to have it open the WebKitGTK+' developer
console

P.P.P.S.: with more recent evolution you can write your own HTML
editor, which would replace the WebKitGTK+ completely and where you can
implement only subset of the features Evolution uses and compose all
your mails in the raw HTML code (though plain text is better than HTML,
is it not?).