creating and adjusting columns
It's probably possible to html-code a (right side) column border (in the email itself), and to set it at a specified width, send it to the receiver, to allow for re-adjusting at the receiver's end. (Maybe set/override these column contained emails, to a user's default, automatically.) Though it's a lot easier to have a button standard in Thunderbird, for this particular goal of creating such emails.
I created two screencasts with Screen2Avi (CamStudio's codec e.a.), explaining not to use the carriage return like a typewriter. Which makes sense. (*) But then I thought the above might be better. Because, (all) newspapers use column widths for a reason, namely: readability. (Sorry about my read ability.)
Screencast 2014 11 16 18 23 19 mp4 joined (no audio)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eniaRSLiNLk
Screencast 2014 11 17 01 40 08 (no audio)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=glr2hiTFmmE
Warning: the video's are slow. The text used though is Dutch, ánd is of a moral standard. And comparable to Lorem Ipsum in this case.
So it would exactly be like the flowed text moments of the second video. The plugin 'Column Reader' comes close, but it's not a one-button solution (undoing line-breaks and presenting/setting a draggable margin).. and, it's by default not brought along being a plugin, for security reasons.
Let them.. Just fine if users like to use the keyboard like a typewriter; the above could also just re-wrap paragraphs continuously. One column, for everything or just part(s) of the email. Actually functioning a bit like dragging the right window border.
Other ways.. Maybe to select text and a 'preset column' button(s), that's an alternative. Or copy paste in an offline re-wrap text editor. (Maybe I add a reflow button in the basic ahk text editor I use, from iason's "A scripting pad"..) Just an idea.
.* One other word of warning: Autohotkey script went amok trying to create a third video; notepad++ was fine with 'send' command {add paragraphs here}, but MS Notepad made it respan (multiple instances), and problably tried to send the combined forces of garbled text to Google Chrome's dialog Feedback service (for example, and renamed the script itself accordingly).. so I apologised. And resigned. (Definitively not Autohotkey's wrongdoing; send's great, it's just a bug..)
'Fixed width' font example:
_________________________________^ <--^
I think I first explain to people
how to
avoid this. :)
OK that's far enough. Thank you!
Modified by bass7
Chosen solution
Sorry but cannot view video as it is not public, so not exactly sure what you are aiming to achieve.
You can use a Table to set columns and determine the layout of an email. 'Insert' > 'Table' You can create the basic email and save as Template so that you can edit and resuse again and again.
If producing something complicated and lengthy like a newsletter,perhaps it would be better to use a word processing package and attach to email.
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Chosen Solution
Sorry but cannot view video as it is not public, so not exactly sure what you are aiming to achieve.
You can use a Table to set columns and determine the layout of an email. 'Insert' > 'Table' You can create the basic email and save as Template so that you can edit and resuse again and again.
If producing something complicated and lengthy like a newsletter,perhaps it would be better to use a word processing package and attach to email.
Hello Toad-Hall,
thank you for your answer and remark, the video's should be viewable right now, opening them in a browser I'm not logged into.. (weird; I never forgot this to set..)
Though your table suggestion seems promising. I have no time right now, I try it when I get back. Thanks.
(Can't help it, I remember now that MS Notepad adds carriage return by computer bug, thus creating columns also. Thank you Toad-Hall, this is what I probably would suggest. I'll think about it.)
I'm back again.. indeed.. a single cell no border table is the answer. I read your answer yesterday, and surely it caused my to find the same solution just moments ago, reading it back here! Marked your answer as the obvious solution.
Setting it to ~ 600 px width, I'm able to drag it (the right border). I think that's enough to complement my (being) content.
Er, one more question before I forgot; how do I get the cursor above the table, without originally having the table created on the 'second +' line? It's not obvious for me, let alone logic common computer illiterates.
Can't cut and paste the whole table.. hmm, surely an obvious one, I'll search for it.
Got it! Table, select table, so I can cut and paste it. In Thunderbird menu, not via Google search. I'm happy! O wait, can't find a smilie..
Woohoo!
To complement your answer Toad-Hall, this works really well, and it's best shared, featuring the CCS max-width argument.
Insert HTML code: [unmodified, start]
[Your Content Goes Here] |
I have the snippet for you (the reader) with which you can directly copy paste it from Firefox (or Chrome). It works (directly in graphical view/main RTF view pane), and I have also tested it in Outlook.com, where the snippet was generated, and re-accepted.
It's (this) even working in MS Live Mail, where max-width thus is supported it seems. (Even though max-width is added up to an extra 300px +..) Though marginally; I've tried a few html max-width snippets via Signatures to no avail.) OK enough Live Mail, I'm sure it'll catch up!)
Very handy!
My previous post contained html code (in the empty space), and nothing below the link, and it seems that I cannot attach a txt file instead, maybe there's a 'code' quote thingy..
I've combined the information with Notepad++, Firefox, (XnView,) and Inkscape. (Although I'll try 'mediawiki markup' too:)
OK skip the screenshot (note, it, the code, works like discribed)
Shay Erlichmen's snippet.html 'code' and 'pre' doesn't work, so I replaced lt and gt. «!--[if gte mso 9]»«style»
- tableForOutlook {
width:600px;
} «/style»«![endif]--»
«br»«br» «table style="width:98% ; max-width:600px ; border: 1px solid #cccccc ;"» «!--[if gte mso 9]»«table id="tableForOutlook"»«tr»«td»«![endif]--»«tbody»«tr»«td» [Your text goes here as well] «/td»«/tr»«!--[if gte mso 9]»«/td»«/tr»«/table»«![endif]--»«/tbody»«/table» «br»«br»
copy paste directly from browser.html «br»«br»«table style="max-width: 600px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"»«tbody»«tr»«td»[Your text here]«/td»«/tr»«/tbody»«/table»«br»«br»
Forum Preview verified. Have fun!
Erm.. how do I get the cursor below the table, without selecting the table completely, cutting it and pasting it back?
Uploaded image filesize note: Screenshot with white background (fullscreen MS Notepad), with XNView Mosaic effect ('From:' field), image 52KB.
Just a note: Header and footer mention in screenshot is not really necessary to have its own cells.
I created exactly the same as your image. I inserted the two tables. I created several empty lines in the lower table to offer space. Added text per your example. Then copy pasted the first top table into the cell of the lower table and added text as your example. Note: You can also insert a table into a selected cell via the menu 'Insert' > 'Table', but you cannot do it via the Formatting Bar as it seems to think you want to change the original table.
I was able to move the cursor in two ways. Use mouse to click in space below or use the downward arrow key on keyboard.
Test: If you position the cursor at the start of the cell...just before 'Hello' Then use downwards arrow key, you should be able to jump forward to the beginning of next line and then repeat to get to 'Bullets', keep using arrow key to jump downwards. This should move the cursor down the bulletted list and then down through the first cells of table and then appear below table in clear space of same cell.
Hello Toad-Hall,
thank you for responding, and going to all these lengths of recreating the situation (I should have given you my source version, I have done now, in my Onedrive link in the 'email with A4 (..)' thread).
I guess I can compare it a little as not be able to go past the end-of-sentence dot without putting something there beforehand, but.. thanks (to all developers) for the (implementation) table to begin with! Unless it was to resrict of course. But that's inevitable with our concept of power.
So Thunderbird; you lead the way, and infiltrate Microsoft the right way! Thanks Toad-Hall!
I know this forum is not primarily for other email clients, but as for compatibility, and me making a mistake, I rectify that: Live Mail does not support max-width (I mistook it for end-of-line..), although Outlook.com (webmail) does, though with an exception. (Live Mail 2012, Build 16.4.3508.0205)
And this is for Thunderbird, a concept implementation for columns:
Auto (multi*) column mode, max-width at the first case of “…so {enter} he…” (lower case (space) {enter} lower case), and max-width set at: +the space taken by the word “he”, in this example. Drag-able of course to adjust, but not adjusted if the word “he” is replaced by “eventually (this person etc)”. *Multi column if turned on (user permits) and viewport space permits.
Edit: thus when the word “so” is changed into “therefore” after pressing {enter}, the column width is not adjusted, and “therefore” will go to the next line, because it does not fit in the space taken by “so he”. Brain cruncher! But I think I got it right.
Modified December 11, 2014 7:57:14 AM PST by bass7
Edit2: it appears that I've got a 'working Live Mail max width sample'. I have put it with the other files on Onedrive, with the 'email with A4' tread. Tested it, send and receive in above LiveMail 2012 version, almost forgot to remove nowrap tag, which works in Thunderbird.. so there it is.
Modified by bass7
Just to share the answer on how to get the cursor below a table, for example:
You can edit the HTML source of the selection where you want to put a newline, with (via) 'Insert', 'HTML...'
Then below the «/table» type a «br» or a «br/» (with a standard single < and > sign on the keyboard). You may get some generated extra code, but you'll get around it.
Excellent!
Bas