Bug report / improvement suggestion, regarding rewrapping quotes

[Magnus-13]

Hello, and thanks for you great QuickQuote extension!

I have one serious problem with it though. Consider the following text
being sent to you in an email:

----------8<------------8<----------
This is an example of a long line that has for some reason been split up
with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some stupid email client software), and it
will thus look very ugly when being quoted (an re-wrapped) in the latest
version of Quick Quote.
----------8<------------8<----------

When I quote this message in QuickQuote with the "Rewrap quoted text to
col (72)" option enabled, the result is the following very ugly mess:

----------8<------------8<----------
> This is an example of a long line that has for some reason been split
> up
> with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some stupid email client software), and
> it
> will thus look very ugly when being quoted (an re-wrapped) in the
> latest
> version of Quick Quote.
----------8<------------8<----------

To solve this problem I suggest an option called something like "Ignore
single linebreaks when rewrapping", which will, as it sounds,
ignore/delete all single linebreaks when rewrapping the quoted text, but
still keep any double linebreaks (which is the normal way to separate
paragraphs in emails).

When this option is enabled, the result of the above quote would instead be:

----------8<------------8<----------
> This is an example of a long line that has for some reason been split
> up with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some stupid email client software),
> and it will thus look very ugly when being quoted (an re-wrapped) in
> the latest version of Quick Quote.
----------8<------------8<----------

And, if the original text would instead be the following:

----------8<------------8<----------
This is an example of a long line that has for some reason been split up
with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some stupid email client software), and it
will thus look very ugly when being quoted (an re-wrapped) in the latest
version of Quick Quote.

This is a second paragraph, which is also a long row which has of course
also been split up by the same stupid email client software, and will be
messed up the same way when quoted/re-wrapped.
----------8<------------8<----------

The result would be:

----------8<------------8<----------
> This is an example of a long line that has for some reason been split
> up with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some stupid email client software),
> and it will thus look very ugly when being quoted (an re-wrapped) in
> the latest version of Quick Quote.
>
> This is a second paragraph, which is also a long row which has of
> course also been split up by the same stupid email client software,
> and will be messed up the same way when quoted/re-wrapped.
----------8<------------8<----------

As you see, the double linebreak which constitutes the paragraph
separation is retained, while all single linebreaks at normal line-ends
have been removed before the text is rewrapped! Simple algorithm, but a
beautiful result!

Pretty optimal, don't you agree? Sadly, there are many of these stupid
email clients out there, that split up long rows with hard linebreaks
before sending the mail, so quotes _often_ look very ugly like in the
first example. This is actually the entire reason that I found your
extension, seeking a solution to this problem! And you already come so
close with your existing rewrapping feature. This final addition would
make it perfect!

Pleeeeease consider this carefully, it would be such a great (and yet
simple) addition!

Regards,
Magnus
_______________________________________________
QuickQuote mailing list
QuickQuote@...
http://mozdev.org/mailman/listinfo/quickquote

[tanstaafl-2]

Magnus wrote:
> Hello, and thanks for you great QuickQuote extension!
>
> I have one serious problem with it though. Consider the following text
> being sent to you in an email:

I'll second this request! This is a real problem on some of the mail
lists I'm on (brain-dead clients *and* users)...

Of course, it would be great if QuickQuote could also try to clean up
the quoting characters as well, but I understand that can be much more
problematic...

> ----------8<------------8<----------
> This is an example of a long line that has for some reason been split up
> with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some stupid email client software), and it
> will thus look very ugly when being quoted (an re-wrapped) in the latest
> version of Quick Quote.
> ----------8<------------8<----------
>
> When I quote this message in QuickQuote with the "Rewrap quoted text to
> col (72)" option enabled, the result is the following very ugly mess:
>
> ----------8<------------8<----------
>> This is an example of a long line that has for some reason been split
>> up
>> with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some stupid email client software), and
>> it
>> will thus look very ugly when being quoted (an re-wrapped) in the
>> latest
>> version of Quick Quote.
> ----------8<------------8<----------
>
> To solve this problem I suggest an option called something like "Ignore
> single linebreaks when rewrapping", which will, as it sounds,
> ignore/delete all single linebreaks when rewrapping the quoted text, but
> still keep any double linebreaks (which is the normal way to separate
> paragraphs in emails).
>
> When this option is enabled, the result of the above quote would instead be:
>
> ----------8<------------8<----------
>> This is an example of a long line that has for some reason been split
>> up with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some stupid email client software),
>> and it will thus look very ugly when being quoted (an re-wrapped) in
>> the latest version of Quick Quote.
> ----------8<------------8<----------
>
> And, if the original text would instead be the following:
>
> ----------8<------------8<----------
> This is an example of a long line that has for some reason been split up
> with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some stupid email client software), and it
> will thus look very ugly when being quoted (an re-wrapped) in the latest
> version of Quick Quote.
>
> This is a second paragraph, which is also a long row which has of course
> also been split up by the same stupid email client software, and will be
> messed up the same way when quoted/re-wrapped.
> ----------8<------------8<----------
>
> The result would be:
>
> ----------8<------------8<----------
>> This is an example of a long line that has for some reason been split
>> up with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some stupid email client software),
>> and it will thus look very ugly when being quoted (an re-wrapped) in
>> the latest version of Quick Quote.
>>
>> This is a second paragraph, which is also a long row which has of
>> course also been split up by the same stupid email client software,
>> and will be messed up the same way when quoted/re-wrapped.
> ----------8<------------8<----------
>
> As you see, the double linebreak which constitutes the paragraph
> separation is retained, while all single linebreaks at normal line-ends
> have been removed before the text is rewrapped! Simple algorithm, but a
> beautiful result!
>
> Pretty optimal, don't you agree? Sadly, there are many of these stupid
> email clients out there, that split up long rows with hard linebreaks
> before sending the mail, so quotes _often_ look very ugly like in the
> first example. This is actually the entire reason that I found your
> extension, seeking a solution to this problem! And you already come so
> close with your existing rewrapping feature. This final addition would
> make it perfect!
>
> Pleeeeease consider this carefully, it would be such a great (and yet
> simple) addition!
>
> Regards,
> Magnus
> _______________________________________________
> QuickQuote mailing list
> QuickQuote@...
> http://mozdev.org/mailman/listinfo/quickquote

_______________________________________________
QuickQuote mailing list
QuickQuote@...
http://mozdev.org/mailman/listinfo/quickquote

[Daniel W. Steinbrook]

I, too, have been annoyed by this very phenomenon, but until you mentioned it,
I had never thought of using QuickQuote as a means of fixing this problem.
That is a great idea!

What I'd really like to do, though, is make QuickQuote a little more
TB-friendly, in the sense that its current implementation really
just "reinvents the wheel," so to speak, when it comes to quoting text, as
opposed to simply extending Thunderbird's core functionality. (The fact that
it doesn't use TB's built-in quoting seems to be the source of most of the
bugs.) On the plus side, though, this should allow for us to accomplish the
effect you mentioned with very little hacking.

- Daniel W. Steinbrook


On Friday 11 May 2007 05:24:44 am Magnus wrote:

> Hello, and thanks for you great QuickQuote extension!
>
> I have one serious problem with it though. Consider the following text
> being sent to you in an email:
>
> ----------8<------------8<----------
> This is an example of a long line that has for some reason been split up
> with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some stupid email client software), and it
> will thus look very ugly when being quoted (an re-wrapped) in the latest
> version of Quick Quote.
> ----------8<------------8<----------
>
> When I quote this message in QuickQuote with the "Rewrap quoted text to
> col (72)" option enabled, the result is the following very ugly mess:
>
> ----------8<------------8<----------
>
> > This is an example of a long line that has for some reason been split
> > up
> > with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some stupid email client software), and
> > it
> > will thus look very ugly when being quoted (an re-wrapped) in the
> > latest
> > version of Quick Quote.
>
> ----------8<------------8<----------
>
> To solve this problem I suggest an option called something like "Ignore
> single linebreaks when rewrapping", which will, as it sounds,
> ignore/delete all single linebreaks when rewrapping the quoted text, but
> still keep any double linebreaks (which is the normal way to separate
> paragraphs in emails).
>
> When this option is enabled, the result of the above quote would instead
> be:
>
> ----------8<------------8<----------
>
> > This is an example of a long line that has for some reason been split
> > up with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some stupid email client software),
> > and it will thus look very ugly when being quoted (an re-wrapped) in
> > the latest version of Quick Quote.
>
> ----------8<------------8<----------
>
> And, if the original text would instead be the following:
>
> ----------8<------------8<----------
> This is an example of a long line that has for some reason been split up
> with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some stupid email client software), and it
> will thus look very ugly when being quoted (an re-wrapped) in the latest
> version of Quick Quote.
>
> This is a second paragraph, which is also a long row which has of course
> also been split up by the same stupid email client software, and will be
> messed up the same way when quoted/re-wrapped.
> ----------8<------------8<----------
>
> The result would be:
>
> ----------8<------------8<----------
>
> > This is an example of a long line that has for some reason been split
> > up with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some stupid email client software),
> > and it will thus look very ugly when being quoted (an re-wrapped) in
> > the latest version of Quick Quote.
> >
> > This is a second paragraph, which is also a long row which has of
> > course also been split up by the same stupid email client software,
> > and will be messed up the same way when quoted/re-wrapped.
>
> ----------8<------------8<----------
>
> As you see, the double linebreak which constitutes the paragraph
> separation is retained, while all single linebreaks at normal line-ends
> have been removed before the text is rewrapped! Simple algorithm, but a
> beautiful result!
>
> Pretty optimal, don't you agree? Sadly, there are many of these stupid
> email clients out there, that split up long rows with hard linebreaks
> before sending the mail, so quotes _often_ look very ugly like in the
> first example. This is actually the entire reason that I found your
> extension, seeking a solution to this problem! And you already come so
> close with your existing rewrapping feature. This final addition would
> make it perfect!
>
> Pleeeeease consider this carefully, it would be such a great (and yet
> simple) addition!
>
> Regards,
> Magnus
> _______________________________________________
> QuickQuote mailing list
> QuickQuote@...
> http://mozdev.org/mailman/listinfo/quickquote

_______________________________________________
QuickQuote mailing list
QuickQuote@...
http://mozdev.org/mailman/listinfo/quickquote

[Magnus-13]

Hi Daniel,

I'm very glad you like the idea, and again, thanks for a great extension!

The deeper hooking into Thunderbird code could of course make some
things easier for you, but now that you've already reimplemented the
relevant parts of it with good success, I wouldn't see it as an
immediate problem (although as a developer, I agree it would be the
little more "beautiful" solution :-)).

Anyway, if you were now to implement this little feature that we're
talking about into your quote/rewrap functions, I'd like to be so bold
as to make one additional very small suggestion:

Thunderbird currently has an entry in its default context menu for the
compose window, called "Paste As Quotation". This feature is very
crappy, and does actually not work in the same way as the normal
Thunderbird quote function for some reason. How is this you say? Well,
this function actually does _not_ behave well if the pasted text is in
one single non-explicitly broken line, like well-behaved email clients
should do it, but rather, it will in this case only insert one ">" at
the very beginning of the pasted text, resulting in something like this:

----------8<------------8<----------
> This is an example of a long line that has NOT been split up with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some well-behaved email client software), and it will thus look very ugly when being quoted with the original "Paste As Quotation" context menu feature of Thunderbird.
----------8<------------8<----------

So, my simple suggestion would be to add one more entry to this same
context menu (i.e. the one in the compose window), called something like
"Paste As Wrapped Quotation" or "Paste As Nicely Formatted Quotation",
which would take arbitrary text from the clipboard (i.e. just like the
corresponding original feature) and then run it through your shiny new
quoting/rewrapping function, which will in the case of long lines wrap
them correctly before inserting the ">" markers, and in the case of
pre-broken lines correct the linebreaks as per my original suggestion.
You might even want to separate these functions, and let the "Paste As
Wrapped Quotation" take care of the case with the long lines, and the
"Paste As Nicely Formatted Quotation" take care of the case with the
pre-broken lines, if someone would for some reason not like to always
have the latter line-break-correcting functionality included.

In both cases, it will just be a matter of inserting a context menu
entry and passing on the text in the clipboard to your already
implemented quote/rewrap function, i.e. a very easy hack compared to
practically everything else in your very nice extension.

So, does that sound reasonable, and perhaps even like another relatively
good idea? :-) I sure know I've missed this quote-related feature for a
long time anyway!

Regards,
Magnus


Daniel W. Steinbrook wrote:

> I, too, have been annoyed by this very phenomenon, but until you mentioned it,
> I had never thought of using QuickQuote as a means of fixing this problem.
> That is a great idea!
>
> What I'd really like to do, though, is make QuickQuote a little more
> TB-friendly, in the sense that its current implementation really
> just "reinvents the wheel," so to speak, when it comes to quoting text, as
> opposed to simply extending Thunderbird's core functionality. (The fact that
> it doesn't use TB's built-in quoting seems to be the source of most of the
> bugs.) On the plus side, though, this should allow for us to accomplish the
> effect you mentioned with very little hacking.
>
> - Daniel W. Steinbrook
>
>
> On Friday 11 May 2007 05:24:44 am Magnus wrote:
>> Hello, and thanks for you great QuickQuote extension!
>>
>> I have one serious problem with it though. Consider the following text
>> being sent to you in an email:
>>
>> ----------8<------------8<----------
>> This is an example of a long line that has for some reason been split up
>> with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some stupid email client software), and it
>> will thus look very ugly when being quoted (an re-wrapped) in the latest
>> version of Quick Quote.
>> ----------8<------------8<----------
>>
>> When I quote this message in QuickQuote with the "Rewrap quoted text to
>> col (72)" option enabled, the result is the following very ugly mess:
>>
>> ----------8<------------8<----------
>>
>>> This is an example of a long line that has for some reason been split
>>> up
>>> with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some stupid email client software), and
>>> it
>>> will thus look very ugly when being quoted (an re-wrapped) in the
>>> latest
>>> version of Quick Quote.
>> ----------8<------------8<----------
>>
>> To solve this problem I suggest an option called something like "Ignore
>> single linebreaks when rewrapping", which will, as it sounds,
>> ignore/delete all single linebreaks when rewrapping the quoted text, but
>> still keep any double linebreaks (which is the normal way to separate
>> paragraphs in emails).
>>
>> When this option is enabled, the result of the above quote would instead
>> be:
>>
>> ----------8<------------8<----------
>>
>>> This is an example of a long line that has for some reason been split
>>> up with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some stupid email client software),
>>> and it will thus look very ugly when being quoted (an re-wrapped) in
>>> the latest version of Quick Quote.
>> ----------8<------------8<----------
>>
>> And, if the original text would instead be the following:
>>
>> ----------8<------------8<----------
>> This is an example of a long line that has for some reason been split up
>> with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some stupid email client software), and it
>> will thus look very ugly when being quoted (an re-wrapped) in the latest
>> version of Quick Quote.
>>
>> This is a second paragraph, which is also a long row which has of course
>> also been split up by the same stupid email client software, and will be
>> messed up the same way when quoted/re-wrapped.
>> ----------8<------------8<----------
>>
>> The result would be:
>>
>> ----------8<------------8<----------
>>
>>> This is an example of a long line that has for some reason been split
>>> up with hard linebreaks (e.g. by some stupid email client software),
>>> and it will thus look very ugly when being quoted (an re-wrapped) in
>>> the latest version of Quick Quote.
>>>
>>> This is a second paragraph, which is also a long row which has of
>>> course also been split up by the same stupid email client software,
>>> and will be messed up the same way when quoted/re-wrapped.
>> ----------8<------------8<----------
>>
>> As you see, the double linebreak which constitutes the paragraph
>> separation is retained, while all single linebreaks at normal line-ends
>> have been removed before the text is rewrapped! Simple algorithm, but a
>> beautiful result!
>>
>> Pretty optimal, don't you agree? Sadly, there are many of these stupid
>> email clients out there, that split up long rows with hard linebreaks
>> before sending the mail, so quotes _often_ look very ugly like in the
>> first example. This is actually the entire reason that I found your
>> extension, seeking a solution to this problem! And you already come so
>> close with your existing rewrapping feature. This final addition would
>> make it perfect!
>>
>> Pleeeeease consider this carefully, it would be such a great (and yet
>> simple) addition!
>>
>> Regards,
>> Magnus
>> _______________________________________________
>> QuickQuote mailing list
>> QuickQuote@...
>> http://mozdev.org/mailman/listinfo/quickquote
> _______________________________________________
> QuickQuote mailing list
> QuickQuote@...
> http://mozdev.org/mailman/listinfo/quickquote

_______________________________________________
QuickQuote mailing list
QuickQuote@...
http://mozdev.org/mailman/listinfo/quickquote