Option to change default behavior of Shift-J to open folder in new tab as default.

[fredstluka]

Axel,

I love what you did in #540. After using Shift-J to choose a folder, I can either hit Enter to open the new folder in the current TB tab, or can hit Ctrl-Enter to open it in a new TB tab. I now use this ALL THE TIME, hundreds of times per day!

Can you make one more change? Add an option to swap the behaviors of Enter and Ctrl-Enter.

In my typical workflow, I have TB tabs open to the 5-6 folders that I use all day. When I jump to a new folder, it's almost always a temporary thing. I have to do something in that folder and then intend to return to what I was doing in the current folder. Therefore, I find myself using Ctrl-Enter almost every time I use Shift-J. But I often forget and just hit Enter, which requires me to navigate back to the original folder after I finish my temporary task.

I would like an option in Settings that causes Enter to open in a new tab, and Ctrl-Enter to open in the current tab.

Thanks!
--Fred

[RealRaven2000]

Just a question on this workflow, I assume you predominately use the kayboard for navigation. Do you use a keyboard shorcut to close the temporary folder tab, and which one? And what is the advantage of being in the New Folder rather than reading the mail in a single mail tab? With a new folder (in default view) you will probably only see the single mail (or maybe a thread) in the thread pane and a small area with the email preview - wouldn't automatically opening the email in a single mail tab be more useful?

[RealRaven2000]

Sorry some of my questions turned out a bit wrong, because you used the term "New folder". So of course this is about going to an existing folder (Shift+J) - not moving mail. Just thinking about where to put an UI to the option... possibly in the "Advanced Search Settings..." dialog:

[fredstluka]

@RealRaven2000 Yes, I should have said "When I jump to a different folder" instead of "When I jump to a new folder".

While in folder A, I use this to jump temporarily to existing folder B. I want an option to make it the default that the folder B opens in a new TB tab, not in the existing TB tab. When I'm done with my action in folder B, I will hit Cmd-W to close that TB tab, leaving my original set of TB tabs all showing the folders they were showing before I jumped.

Thanks!
--Fred

[RealRaven2000]

Just prepping for the options I found that the previous label "Escape Key always clears messages list." was not very clear, so I revised it with chat GPT and build a generic tooltip option as well (which I can reuse when I convert the dialog to html):

I feel I will need this to elaborate on the new behavior as well.

[RealRaven2000]

Test version:

QuickFolders-mx-6.10.5pre15.zip

• to test, open QuickFolders settings, license tab
• click Advanced search settings...

• then enable this new setting

the label (and tooltip) are already localized.

---

To try out this version, download the zip file and then drag it into Thunderbird Add-ons Manager (without extracting).
For users of screen readers: you can also install this via the tools button after the "Find more addons" search text. activate the button with Enter then chose the 3rd menu entry "install addon from file...". Then select the zip file to install.

[fredstluka]

@RealRaven2000 I downloaded, installed and set the new option.

No effect. It still does exactly what it did before. Enter opens the specified folder in the existing TB tab. Ctrl-Enter opens it in a new TB tab. Sam as without the option.

Closed and reopened TB. Still no change.

Also, I like the new tooltips, but once a tooltip is showing, how to get rid of it? I'll submit a new ticket. #580.

Also, I like the idea that I can change the default behavior of Enter to open in a new tab. But occasionally, I DO want to open in the same tab. Can I used Ctrl-Enter for that, I hope?

Thanks for the quick delivery of this new feature!
--Fred

[RealRaven2000]

hmm, it definitely works for me. Here the workflow

• Shift+J opens the pane;
• I am typing the folder name, until the correct target is shown at the top of the list (zombiekeys):

• I am not pushing cursor down, but simply press Enter (while the search box has focus)
• the folder zombiekeys is opened in a new tab.

are you sure you are pressing enter while in the textbox?

[RealRaven2000]

Note: QuickFOlders has a built in behavior to "reuse" existing Thunderbird tabs if a folder is already open in them. THe thought isL: if folder X is already displayed in a tab there is no point of having the same folder open twice. So to test the feature make sure you target any folder that's not already open in an existing (or the current) tab.

[fredstluka]

Axel,

1. Yeah, I was hitting Enter in the textbox.

2. I'll keep an eye out for folders already open. That does NOT fully explain what I've been seeing.

3. It now seems to be working as desired. Not sure why. See below.

Weird... I got really busy and didn't get around till now to replying to your comments
here. Know for sure that it was not doing anything different. Still the same behavior as before this change. Was getting bitten by it several times a day, and having to navigate back to the previous folder.

But suddenly...

Yesterday (5/22), it suddenly started working. Not sure why. I had downloaded the zip file, installed the new version, and set the new option, 6 days ago, on 5/16. Don't think I changed anything since then. Have closed and re-opened TB at least 20 times in those 6 days. Have NOT installed a new version of TB, I don't think. So, what changed?
Suddenly it works perfectly! Weird...

One minor issue: The default behavior has changed to open the specified folder in a new TB tab on Enter, as desired. But I was hoping that now Ctrl-Enter would open the specified folder in the same TB tab. That is, I wanted the new option to cause Enter and Ctlr-Enter to swap behaviors. With the option set, Enter should behave like the old Ctrl-Enter, and Ctrl-Enter should behave like the old Enter. Currently, with the new option set, I have no easy way to open the folder in the same TB tab. It always opens in a new tab. I want that most of the time, but not always.

Thanks!
--Fred

[fredstluka]

Axel,

I figured it out. Read your notes more closely and saw what I was missing.

Yeah, for me, Enter does what I want (new TB tab) if I hit it in the text box. But it uses the old behavior (same TB tab) if I use the arrow keys to move down into the list and THEN hit Enter.

I think that explains all of the behavior I've seen recently.

For now, that's mostly s good thing for me, since it gives me the "new tab" behavior most of the time, but also gives me a way to get the "same tab" behavior when I occasionally want it. But, 2 things:

1. It does NOT work well when I want to use the arrow keys to select a folder from the dropdown instead of typing more chars to get the desired dropdown list item to rise to the top of the list. Minor inconvenience. I can pretty easily type the additional chars. But it's easy to forget and just use the arrow keys.

2. It seems counterintuitive to me that what happens when I hit Enter in the textbox is not the same as what happens if I use the arrow keys to move down the list and then hit Enter. I think lots of people will be confused by that, like I was. They'll assume that those 2 actions are logically identical and will wonder why it sometimes works one way and sometimes another.

Can you make 2 changes?

1. Make Enter in the list act the same as Enter in the textbox
2. Make the option cause the behavior of Enter and Ctrl-Enter to swap, instead of just changing the behavior of Enter and leaving the behavior of Ctrl-Enter unchanged

Thanks!
--Fred

[fredstluka]

Axel,

Any progress on making those 2 final changes?

1. Make Enter in the list act the same as Enter in the textbox

2. Make the option cause the behavior of Enter and Ctrl-Enter to swap, instead of just changing the behavior of Enter and leaving the behavior of Ctrl-Enter unchanged

Obviously, you may have more important things to do, but this is so close to ideal that I can't help asking. It's amazing how often my fingers make the mistake of hitting the down arrow to scroll unnecessarily into the dropdown before hitting Enter. Just habit I guess, from many long years of using dropdown lists that required that.

Thanks!
--Fred