Please change the 2.4.0 input field's resize behaviour

[Adam Batkin]

>> The new input field is broken. If "Show Formatting Toolbars" is checked and I receive a
>> new message, the input box is only a couple pixels high. If I manage to navigate to one of
>> the few pixels of the text area and start typing, _then_ it expands (to 1 line).
> 
> We know, we've fixed at least one case of it already and are trying to
> track down others. This was discussed thoroughly on this list, please read
> the archives next time.

Now that I look back, I see a very brief discussion from the beginning of January, sorry I 
didn't look that far back.

>> Maybe allow the auto-resizing of input box as an option, but also allow me to manually
>> resize it, and more importantly, REMEMBER its size so that it is consistent. Even if the
>> autosizing weren't broken as I described above, it's still nice to have a slightly larger
>> area, as it is a bigger mouse target when trying to focus it.
> 
> I don't know if it was mentioned here but it was mentioned in the trac
> ticket on this,

Sorry, tried searching trac yesterday, was terribly slow and kept returning database errors.

> the *entire* conversation window is a mouse target for
> sending a message. Try it, click just about anywhere in the window and
> then start typing and see what happens. (In case it doesn't work, or you
> pick one of the few places this doesn't work, what you should see is that
> pidgin should be automatically moving your focus into the input area for
> you as soon as you start typing. Basically you don't need to hit the input
> area with your mouse, just hit the window in general.

Sort-of. The entire conversation window may be a target (except the tabs, which are the 
only other input widgets able to take the focus anyway), but it doesn't actually give the 
input area the focus. It DOES move the focus immediately to the text area if you start 
typing (though not if you paste from the clipboard), and its useless if you want to 
middle-click paste your X selection.

The established convention is that when an input box has the input focus, it has a 
flashing caret.

So, I respectfully request that there at least be an option for conversation windows to 
have a resizable input area (that is saved and reused for all conversations). That would 
provide the following benefits:
- Easy way (bigger target) for me to DIRECTLY focus the input area after manually making 
it larger (i.e. I see the flashing caret and get the visual feedback that is expected, I 
can middle-click paste)
- When I'm editing a large message (for example a block of code) I can have as many lines 
as I want, and when I'm editing something smaller, I can easily shrink the input area to 
save space
- I find it very disconcerting (and I believe it goes against conventional UI design 
practice) when UI components resize themselves. Something about the principle of least 
surprise (or astonishment according to Wikipedia) just floated in to my mind here...
- Many users seem to have voiced their [subjective] preference that they like to be able 
to resize the input box themselves. Even if they can't or won't tell the reason, if enough 
people want something one way, that should at least count for a vote toward making it a 
configurable option

Thanks,

-Adam Batkin