Fixed height message bar

jlmuir · 22 Mar 2005, 01:13 PM

Subject: Fixed height message bar

A feature I would find quite useful would be a fixed height message bar. If UI elements, such as buttons, folders, and action links, were rendered at the exact same place on the screen after re-loading the page after performing an action, I could navigate the UI much more quickly. Instead, I have to wait for the page to load and then move my mouse to the new location of whatever UI element I was about to click on next.

As an example, say I have viewed some messages in my Inbox and have now gone back to the Inbox view. No message is displayed at the top of the screen. I click the Empty action of the Junk Mail folder. I move my mouse over the Empty action of the Trash folder because I'd like to empty the Trash folder next, but the page hasn't finished with the previous action yet. The previous action finishes but now the Trash folder and the Empty action link I had my mouse over have shifted down since the message "Junk Mail folder emptied" has been displayed in a message bar at the top of the screen. I now have to move my mouse to the new location of the Trash folder Empty action link in order to click it.

I'll also note that some actions like "Report spam" produce two lines of output in the message bar. This causes UI elements to be shifted about two "lines" down.

If the Fastmail.fm software engineers have a good way to solve this, that's great. I'm sure that whatever they come up with would be a strong solution. One solution I can see might be to have an option to always show a message bar even if there is no message. Combine that with making two line messages appear on the same line so that messages almost always take up just one line. At this point, most UI elements would get rendered at practically the same place every time.

Thanks!

snsh · 23 Mar 2005, 01:32 AM

you can do this in your stylesheet:

Code:

.GenMsg {
 background-color: LightGreen;
 font-size: 90%;
 font-weight: normal;
 height: 3em;
 max-height: 3em;
 min-height: 3em;
}

but you'd still need to make sure the box appears all the time.

miket · 23 Mar 2005, 01:39 AM

I, too, think that is unecessarily annoying. The message bar should be moved beneath the resource meter, and the text in the message bar should be centered.

sennoma · 18 Oct 2005, 04:48 AM

I too would *love* to have this issue fixed. I'm not clear on snsh's reply -- will the CSS fix do anything without a way to make sure the message bar is always there? I'm happy to fiddle with a style sheet but I don't see how to make the message bar stop appearing and disappearing that way.

It *seems* a pretty simple fix to just put in a permanent message box and write the UI messages into that, but IANAsoftware engineer so maybe it's far from trivial?

s a · 18 Oct 2005, 05:32 AM

 
I raised this issue a while back - link

This behavior (of the interface) needs to annoy a "critical" number of users before FM will make any changes.

sennoma · 18 Oct 2005, 05:59 AM

<i>I raised this issue a while back</i>

Ah, I didn't go back further than the first thread I found that mentions it. I bet it annoys plenty of users; would it be rude to post a new thread to bring the issue back to the fore, d'you think?

22 Mar 2005, 01:13 PM	#1
jlmuir Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2	Fixed height message bar Subject: Fixed height message bar A feature I would find quite useful would be a fixed height message bar. If UI elements, such as buttons, folders, and action links, were rendered at the exact same place on the screen after re-loading the page after performing an action, I could navigate the UI much more quickly. Instead, I have to wait for the page to load and then move my mouse to the new location of whatever UI element I was about to click on next. As an example, say I have viewed some messages in my Inbox and have now gone back to the Inbox view. No message is displayed at the top of the screen. I click the Empty action of the Junk Mail folder. I move my mouse over the Empty action of the Trash folder because I'd like to empty the Trash folder next, but the page hasn't finished with the previous action yet. The previous action finishes but now the Trash folder and the Empty action link I had my mouse over have shifted down since the message "Junk Mail folder emptied" has been displayed in a message bar at the top of the screen. I now have to move my mouse to the new location of the Trash folder Empty action link in order to click it. I'll also note that some actions like "Report spam" produce two lines of output in the message bar. This causes UI elements to be shifted about two "lines" down. If the Fastmail.fm software engineers have a good way to solve this, that's great. I'm sure that whatever they come up with would be a strong solution. One solution I can see might be to have an option to always show a message bar even if there is no message. Combine that with making two line messages appear on the same line so that messages almost always take up just one line. At this point, most UI elements would get rendered at practically the same place every time. Thanks!

23 Mar 2005, 01:32 AM	#2
snsh Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Boston Posts: 611	you can do this in your stylesheet: Code: .GenMsg { background-color: LightGreen; font-size: 90%; font-weight: normal; height: 3em; max-height: 3em; min-height: 3em; } but you'd still need to make sure the box appears all the time.

18 Oct 2005, 04:48 AM	#4
sennoma Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 2	I knew this had to bug someone else too! I too would love to have this issue fixed. I'm not clear on snsh's reply -- will the CSS fix do anything without a way to make sure the message bar is always there? I'm happy to fiddle with a style sheet but I don't see how to make the message bar stop appearing and disappearing that way. It seems a pretty simple fix to just put in a permanent message box and write the UI messages into that, but IANAsoftware engineer so maybe it's far from trivial?

18 Oct 2005, 05:59 AM	#6
sennoma Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 2	I bet it annoys plenty <i>I raised this issue a while back</i> Ah, I didn't go back further than the first thread I found that mentions it. I bet it annoys plenty of users; would it be rude to post a new thread to bring the issue back to the fore, d'you think?

23 Mar 2005, 01:39 AM	#3
miket Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 20	I, too, think that is unecessarily annoying. The message bar should be moved beneath the resource meter, and the text in the message bar should be centered.

18 Oct 2005, 05:32 AM	#5
s a Master of the @ Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,910	I raised this issue a while back - link This behavior (of the interface) needs to annoy a "critical" number of users before FM will make any changes.