Open Bug 494137 Opened 16 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Better integration with Windows 7 taskbar: New mail notification

Categories

(Thunderbird :: OS Integration, enhancement)

Product:
Thunderbird
Component:
OS Integration
Platform:
All
Windows 7
Type:
enhancement

Tracking

(Not tracked)

People

(Reporter: rimas, Unassigned)

References

Details

(Keywords: student-project, Whiteboard: [ucosp][workaround:comment 20])

Attachments

(4 files)

Screenshot of Win7's taskbar and Media Player's Jumplist
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Details
16x16px image showing number 99
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more 16x16 icons
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GIMP source file for attachment 425693
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Details
Since Windows 7 provides a totally new taskbar, I think Thunderbird could benefit from better integration with it. This bug is about new mail notification: Since the default size of taskbar icons is now pretty big, Thunderbird could probably notify about new mail right in the taskbar, just like in Mac OS X. Also, it could provide access to new messages right from the Jumplist.
I have also created bug 494138 about getting more out of Jumplists.
Severity: normal → enhancement
Flags: wanted-thunderbird3?
The UI changes in Windows 7 Taskbar are described in the ArsTechnica article: http://arstechnica.com/software/news/2009/01/dock-and-windows-7-taskbar.ars/ (page 5)
Given win7 final won't be available until the end of the year or so, I think this is more of a thing for tb4 than tb3. Patches welcome if someone wants to take it on though.
Flags: wanted-thunderbird3? → wanted-thunderbird3-
Bug 474060, which should be landing here in the next few weeks, might help.
Depends on: 515907
This link from the dupe is definately worth mentioning as a good example of what Thunderbird could do with the Win7 taskbar: http://www.neowin.net/news/software/09/06/01/windows-7-gmail-notifier-application
(In reply to comment #3) > Given win7 final won't be available until the end of the year or so, I think > this is more of a thing for tb4 than tb3. Patches welcome if someone wants to > take it on though. Magnus, now that Windows 7 has been released and tb3 is still in beta, perhaps the priority of this should be reconsidered?
Did search (but obviously not enough) before posting 522381 dupe on this subject. Anyway, this integration is something I'd obviously really like to see. More on dynamic overlay icons at the 7 blog: http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/developers/archive/2009/07/28/windows-7-taskbar-dynamic-overlay-icons-and-progress-bars.aspx
I will be working on the first part of this (changing the icon overlays). see https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=515907
Assignee: nobody → mille449
Status: NEW → ASSIGNED
Whiteboard: ucosp
Apparently, the size limit on those overlay icons is 16x16. I don't think there is room to draw numbers on something that size, so this will probably have to be implemented as a 'new mail' status icon without displaying any numbers.
Attached image 16x16px image showing number 99 (deleted) —
I think we could have those numbers: a) either for only up to 9 new emails b) or write them in very small font, such as those seen on http://kottke.org/plus/type/silkscreen/ and http://www.dafont.com/bitmap.php . I'm attaching an icon with "99" written in 04b03 font (http://www.dafont.com/04b-03.font) in 10px size with plenty of space around, and this font can be used in even smaller sizes (shown in 8px on the website).
Attached image more 16x16 icons (deleted) —
I'm not an artist, but here's some possible overlay mockups that are supposed to prove my point. :) I started by trying to make a star, but ended up with something reminding a postal mark. GIMP source file follows.
Rimas, I think we should leave graphics work for the Mozilla creative staff :)
Now that support for taskbar icon overlays has been added to the core, can this be looked into again, please?
Definitely. :)
sid0: any plans to do so? :)
Can this be done as an addon? Don't want to wait forever :)
(In reply to Maik Riechert from comment #19) > Can this be done as an addon? Don't want to wait forever :) Ultimately, your wish was heard. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/thunderbird/addon/unread-badge/
While that's a step in the right direction, it's functionally useless to me since there's no way to ignore certain inboxes. I have quite a few YouTube RSS feeds and several comic feeds with 10+ unread entries, which means that it'll always show 99+ even if there's no new messages at all in my email inboxes, which is what I'm really interested in having show in the taskbar.
(no progress. so let status reflect reality)
Assignee: mille449 → nobody
Status: ASSIGNED → NEW
Whiteboard: ucosp → [ucosp][workaround:comment 20]
Looks like overlay icon feature does not work anymore, with FF 38 and TB 38. With thunderbird, Windows Taskbar Unread Badge add-on (https://addons.mozilla.org/fr/thunderbird/addon/unread-badge/) throws NS_ERROR_NOT_AVAILABLE: Component returned failure code: 0x80040111 (NS_ERROR_NOT_AVAILABLE) [nsITaskbarOverlayIconController.setOverlayIcon] Same exception when trying Sid's test extension - see bug 515907, comment 52 - in firefox.
Now with the Windows 10 anniversary update this bug becomes more important because addons like https://github.com/panique/thunderbird-unread-badge don't work but could deliver useful information.

I think this issue is irrelevant/fixed for Windows 10/11

Flags: needinfo?(vseerror)

(In reply to Meichthys from comment #26)

I think this issue is irrelevant/fixed for Windows 10/11

Because Windows doesn't support it? (Note, this bug is about taskbar, not system tray)

Flags: needinfo?(vseerror)

Actually, I am not using Thunderbird on Windows 10 Pro.
Some icon changes (colour, ...) on Email received would be nice.

The badge icon does change to show the new unread inbox total, but I agree, a flash would be nice.

Severity: normal → S3
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