User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.4b) Gecko/20030516 Mozilla Firebird/0.6 Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.4b) Gecko/20030516 Mozilla Firebird/0.6 In the main application window, the "Compose" button from Mozilla Mail has been changed to "Write." Yet, when that button is clicked, the corresponding window that opens is still titled "Compose." In order to remain consistent throughout the application, the Compose window's title should be changed to "Write." Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce:

It's especially jarring if you're coming from longtime use of Moz Mail. The change to Write is good but usability requires the change throughout for consistency.

Patched against the latest trunk for Thunderbird, should be easily moveable to the aviary though I would think. Setting for superreview to mscott.

Comment on attachment 149256 [details] [diff] [review] Patch to do what's requested. Hope this is satisfactory.

Comment on attachment 149256 [details] [diff] [review] Patch to do what's requested. Tried mscott, trying sspitzer. If approved, please check-in as well, I don't have CVS access. Thank you.

i'm the reviewer for thunderbird. Have not gotten nor decided if this is what i want yet. but thakns for the patch.

I'd vote for "compose" over "write". 1. Just sounds a bit more formal and complete. 2. May not be 'writing'. May just compose a few pictures or attachments. > To make or create by putting together parts or elements. [from the dictionary] 3. Just sounds more appropriate, and keeps in line with history. Anyone writing documentation for Netscape/Mozilla uses "compose". Keeping it the same makes 1 less thing to transition. Stupid wording changes can throw off people learning the product. For historical reference it should stay 'compose' Just my $0.02 (ajusted for inflation, $0.04 canadian)

Robert, I agree with you. But then the "Write " button should be changed back to Compose. I don't care which way it goes as long as it is consistent, with the button and the window having the same label/name.

Yes, I assumed that was implied ;-)

I vote for replacing "Write" with "Compose". By this time almost everyone knows that "compose" means "write", but is a more precise term for use with creating a new message.

So what is it going to be and I'll hack up a patch if need be.

CC'ing Bryan on this trivial UI issue.

The Write button has been on the Thunderbird toolbar for a while now, I'd rather not change that just so it matches a window title; the effect would be a lot more noticeable. Plus I do think write is the more common and familiar term to use. Here's a quick look at other systems. Button for only Mail Mail.app: New GMail: Compose Mail Button defaults to mail, but drop down [ New \/] can create other "new types" Outlook: New Evolution: New Yahoo Mail: New

So, just to see how it feels I changed Compose to Write in the window title, and while it feels fine, when you right-click an email address we still say "Compose Mail To" - should that also be "Write Mail To"? And then there's the next menuitem, since it's Compose Mail To Copy Email Address

Taking... The old patch bit-rotted. Not asking for review yet pending clarkbw's further opinion on what else to change.

I don't think we have to rewrite all the strings to use the word "Write" now that we've changed the window title. The others strings can still make sense where they are and I think the "Compose Mail To" works fine. "New Message" for instances from the Message menu is fine as it is. Most of the concern for this issue comes from the large button on the main toolbar using "Write" and keeping that same context in other areas. If someone is using a right click or other menu item I'm not concerned that they don't fit the context quite as well.

(In reply to comment #13) > And then there's the next menuitem, since it's > > Compose Mail To > Copy Email Address > Bryan, I think in this part philor refers to the "E" being present at the bottom phrase but not the top one...

Lets leave the "e", it will be consistent with firefox context menus. i should get started on some kind of style guidelines so it will be easier to make these decisions.

Comment on attachment 318632 [details] [diff] [review] Updated patch Asking for review from Phil since he's recently commented on this as well.

Comment on attachment 318632 [details] [diff] [review] Updated patch Sorry, thought I marked this days ago: there's two strings, that one for when you first open the window, and another "Compose:" that's used to change the title once you start typing a subject.

updated patch v2

Comment on attachment 320110 [details] [diff] [review] Updated patch v2 Looks good, r=philringnalda

mail/locales/en-US/chrome/messenger/messengercompose/composeMsgs.properties 1.19 mail/locales/en-US/chrome/messenger/messengercompose/messengercompose.dtd 1.12

Since you are venturing in this area: I don't think that the distinction between "write" and "compose" is trivial at all. I propose that write does/should imply plaintext, and compose implies HTML. There has been a lot of confusion on the part of new users as to just what mode they are requesting. The description should show the default mode for the account write=plaintext a dropdown should show the overide mode ala pressing shift. Does this look like a good candidate for an enhancement request to you. Sorry for the bugspam, I just thought it was a good opportunity to bring this up

Comment on attachment 320476 [details] [diff] [review] (Cv1-SM) Port/Copy to SeaMonkey Bug numbers are cheap: please get your own, in a product and component that's watched by the people interested in your product's UI. And when you do, be sure to note that this bug wasn't about changing the the window title to "Write" but about changing the the window title to the same thing used for the toolbar button, so if you're going to port "Write" to SM, you'll need to change the toolbar button to "Write."

distinction between "write" and "compose" is *not* trivial

No, the newsgroup thread would be an appropriate place to bring that up, but I'll be very surprised if anyone else there agrees that "compose" implies HTML and "write" implies text. At any rate, not this bug.