attach file dialog does not allow filter by file type

[Manuel López-Ibáñez]

Binary package hint: mozilla-thunderbird

Unfortunately, the file dialog used by thunderbird and firefox (even in KDE) does not allow to sort/filter by file type. Hence, if I am looking for a single image among 1000 text files, I have to use another different method or examine each file name (probably I would also need to make the column "Name" to be able to see the extension of the file.

Workaround: Use a more capable file manager (krusader, dolphin) to find the file and drag+drop.

[John Vivirito (gnomefreak)]

On 04/03/2009 05:16 AM, manu wrote:
> Public bug reported:
>
> Binary package hint: mozilla-thunderbird
>
> Unfortunately, the file dialog used by thunderbird and firefox (even in
> KDE) does not allow to sort/filter by file type. Hence, if I am looking
> for a single image among 1000 text files, I have to use another
> different method or examine each file name (probably I would also need
> to make the column "Name" to be able to see the extension of the file.
>
> Workaround: Use a more capable file manager (krusader, dolphin) to find
> the file and drag+drop.
>
> ** Affects: mozilla-thunderbird (Ubuntu)
> Importance: Undecided
> Status: New
>
If this only happens on Nautilus and not Dolphin ect.. How does it make
this a Thunderbird/Firefox problem? Does your workaround work for any
non-KDE file managers, We package several.

  status incomplete

--
Sincerely Yours,
    John Vivirito

https://launchpad.net/~gnomefreak
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/JohnVivirito
Linux User# 414246

"How can i get lost, if i have no where to go"
    -- Metallica from Unforgiven III

[Manuel López-Ibáñez (manuellopezibanez)]

This has nothing to do with nautilus (I don't know what nautilus can or can't do).

The problem is the gtk file dialog is very limited. In thunderbird, there is only one filter available (All files) which cannot be changed by the user. The user cannot sort by extension or by "File type". The user cannot search by part of the filename (e.g., "jpg"). In my user case above, the user will have to change to other application to find the desired file and then either drag&drop or write down the name of the file and search.

Another usercase: the user only wants to attach images in a directory with various types of files and similar names. It gets much worse if the files have very long names (so one cannot see the extension).

[John Vivirito (gnomefreak)]

On 04/03/2009 08:32 AM, manu wrote:
> This has nothing to do with nautilus (I don't know what nautilus can or
> can't do).
>
> The problem is the gtk file dialog is very limited. In thunderbird,
> there is only one filter available (All files) which cannot be changed
> by the user. The user cannot sort by extension or by "File type". The
> user cannot search by part of the filename (e.g., "jpg"). In my user
> case above, the user will have to change to other application to find
> the desired file and then either drag&drop or write down the name of the
> file and search.
>
> Another usercase: the user only wants to attach images in a directory
> with various types of files and similar names. It gets much worse if the
> files have very long names (so one cannot see the extension).
>
I'm leaning more torwards a bug in GTK theme since using QT themes seems
to work fine. Unless you can tell me why it only happens on GTK apps and
not in Qt i cant honestly say this is a bug in TB.
The dialog is the same however QT gives a different libs to use but
Thunderbirds code dialog does not change.
Do you have thunderbird-gnome-support installed?
I don't get a lot of attachments anymore. Can you please send me one to
gnomefreak AT ubuntu DOT com
I would like to see if this is reproducible in 3.0 and 2.0
As for the 2d user case i believe there is already a bug filed for that
(file names too long)

--
Sincerely Yours,
    John Vivirito

https://launchpad.net/~gnomefreak
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/JohnVivirito
Linux User# 414246

"How can i get lost, if i have no where to go"
    -- Metallica from Unforgiven III

[John Vivirito (gnomefreak)]

On 04/03/2009 08:32 AM, manu wrote:
> This has nothing to do with nautilus (I don't know what nautilus can or
> can't do).
>
> The problem is the gtk file dialog is very limited. In thunderbird,
> there is only one filter available (All files) which cannot be changed
> by the user. The user cannot sort by extension or by "File type". The
> user cannot search by part of the filename (e.g., "jpg"). In my user
> case above, the user will have to change to other application to find
> the desired file and then either drag&drop or write down the name of the
> file and search.
>
> Another usercase: the user only wants to attach images in a directory
> with various types of files and similar names. It gets much worse if the
> files have very long names (so one cannot see the extension).
>
The one I'm thinking of is not #78510 but is related only to thunderbird

--
Sincerely Yours,
    John Vivirito

https://launchpad.net/~gnomefreak
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/JohnVivirito
Linux User# 414246

"How can i get lost, if i have no where to go"
    -- Metallica from Unforgiven III

[Manuel López-Ibáñez (manuellopezibanez)]

The difference is that in the KDE file dialog I can go to the filter field and write "*.jpg", and only those files will be shown. In the GTK file dialog, which is the only one offered in Thunderbird, I cannot do the same task in any way (that I know of, perhaps there is some magic key combination such as Ctrl+L).

[xteejx (xteejx)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. We are sorry that we do not always have the capacity to look at all reported bugs in a timely manner.
There have been many changes in Ubuntu since that time you reported the bug and your problem may have been fixed with some of the updates. It would help us a lot if you could test the current Ubuntu version (10.10). If you can test it, and it is still an issue, we would appreciate if you could upload updated logs by running apport-collect <bug #>, and any other logs that are relevant for this particular issue.

Note: I checked this in Firefox, and you can click Name, Date, etc to sort the files, so this may already be fixed.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for mozilla-thunderbird (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

[Manuel López-Ibáñez (manuellopezibanez)]

What am I supposed to do? Is it sensible to ask for a file type filter in the "Attach file(s)" dialog. If so, then it is either a Thunderbird bug or a GTK bug. Moreover, in the bottom-right (All files, popup: Select which types of files are shown), which is completely useless.

I am sure this bug is reported elsewhere (here, mozilla or gnome), I just cannot find it.