[Pidgin] #4986: automatic chat input field resizing should be optional, regression from 2.3

[Pidgin]

#4986: automatic chat input field resizing should be optional, regression from 2.3
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  Reporter:  swbrown       |       Owner:                   
      Type:  enhancement   |      Status:  reopened         
  Priority:  minor         |   Milestone:                   
 Component:  pidgin (gtk)  |     Version:  2.4.0            
Resolution:                |    Keywords:  chat input resize
   Pending:  0             |  
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Comment (by dbeusee):

 Replying to [comment:158 Sim-on]:
 > Replying to [comment:157 suncho]:
 > > (we dont want another code-bloat like miranda).
 >
 > right!

 How you look at code bloat depends on your perspective.  If most users
 want manual resizing, most users would activate the plugin (if the plugin
 ends up being the manual control), which means more bloat and overhead is
 running for the majority of the users.  Instead of a simple IF in the
 code, a plug-in has to be loaded, and it has to work it's way into the UI
 to override the auto-resize bahavior.  I rather use funpidgin than run all
 this extra bloat for a basic UI feature.

 > > Still, for me the proper solution is manual resize (simple behaviour)
 by default  and automatic rezise (exotic behaviour) as a plugin.
 >
 > now it will be th other way around. there are already plugins to disable
 automatic rezise!

 Most users want manual control over the size, and as such, it should be
 the default behavior.  The auto-resize is the minority, and is problematic
 at best (at the moment), trying to deal with different resolutions, soft
 and hard line breaks, copy/pasting, jumpy and distracting behavior, etc.
 This more fancy code should be in a plugin, and also because it is likely
 to be platform specific and take several releases to get it right.

 > And for people who want to write long text the maximum of the auto-
 rezise-input-area has changed to the half of the window-size (without
 scrollbar). So with a hight resolution you should have enought space for
 long text!!!!!

 I would argue that 50% is not enough.  I would like a ceiling of 80% at
 least - maybe even 90%.  Reviewing the text you are writing is more
 important than seeing what has already been said.

 Without some control over behavior (min and max limits, manual or auto
 sizing, it's very hard for pidgin to try to second-guess how to best make
 it a pleasant experience for each of us in our unique usage.

 > >just fix the umlaut/cyrillic bug, please :)
 >
 > this should be fixed in 2.4.1, which i think will be released soon.

 If you don't make the majority of the people happy - make it easy for them
 to set it up to their liking, and soon, it may be too little too late.  Do
 it right, and do it quickly.

 I have already switched to funpidgin.  I'll gladly come back to pidgin if
 my experience is as good as or more pleasant than it was in 2.3.1 without
 much trouble in setting it up and without using more memory or other
 overhead that makes it have the look or feel of it being more of an after-
 thought.  I am not likely to want to activate a plugin which has to work
 harder to keep the UI under it's control, not for the boring, tried and
 true manual control.

 If I wanted more spicy, automatic resizing, yeah, I'd use a plugin for
 that.

 But I would still like to see both in the base code, controlled by min and
 max limits for autosizing and the choice to do auto or manual sizing.  I
 don't think this basic UI control should be pushed to a plugin.  Certainly
 not the behavior that most seem to want.

 -Don

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Ticket URL: <http://developer.pidgin.im/ticket/4986#comment:163>
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