Version: (using KDE KDE 3.3.0) Installed from: Compiled From Sources OS: Linux I think the visual representation for threads in the message list pane could use some improvement. I've attached two mockups to help describe what I'm hoping for. Here's a list of the changes necessary in order to achieve the desired results, as exemplified in the attached mockups. 1 - KListView fix, so that the alternately colored rows maintain continuity, rather than the current behavior which has a blocky/broken look. ( this is a separate bug - please refer to: http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=89388 ) 2 - Message flags (read,important,forwarded,etc) decoupled from Subject column. ( this is currently being worked on in a patch by Martin Koller ) -------- 3 - No root list-indicator decorations. There should not be any visual representation associating non-related (unthreaded) messages. 4 - Collapse/Expand boxes _only_ at thread branches. Having col/exp boxes at _every_ sub-response within the thread is overkill, both visually as well as practicly. Instead, only provide col/exp boxes wherever the thread may "branch", including subject changes within the thread. 5 - No subject redundancy. It is much too busy, and entirely unnecessary, to have the thread subject constantly repeated and indented throughout the thread. 6 - As a usefull convenience mechanism, do display the thread subject when the message is highlighted/selected, even when the message would otherwise not be shown as per #5 above. Now, what I think may be the correct solution is to perhaps implement a new class, overriding or inheriting from QListView or KListView - as I believe that message threading lists are a more special/specific instance of a regular/vanilla list. I have attached one screenshot, and two alternative mockups below. The first is for reference purposes and shows the current behavior. The second and third are _example_ proto-types, not "perfected" - just to get the gist across. Unfortunately, I did not apply Martin's patch before doing these, so you won't see any separated/decoupled message flags - but I _did_ take out the flags from off the subject column. The difference between the third and second is that the second displays the subject at all branches, even if redundant, while the third _only_ displays subjects if they are not redundant - even at thread branches. I'm unsure which is "better"... Please comment!
Created attachment 7512 [details] current behavior
Created attachment 7513 [details] first example
Created attachment 7514 [details] second mockup example
On Montag 13 September 2004 21:29, Corey wrote: > The difference between the third and second is that the second displays > the subject at all branches, even if redundant, while the third _only_ > displays subjects if they are not redundant - even at thread branches. > I'm unsure which is "better"... > > Please comment! Please consider the case where a thread begins above the first visible line in the header list. This would need some additional checks within the implementation. Apart from that, both solutions are looking better than the current solution IMHO. Andreas
Since KDE 4.2 there is a new UI that solves this in my opinion.