Thunderbird:2.0 Product Planning

Do not edit this list unless you are on the Thunderbird team. Keep comments to the discussion pages, please.

Thunderbird 2 Feature List Brainstorming

We are currently in pre-planning for Thunderbird 2, and would like to collect all the ideas for front-end, user-facing feature enhancements in a single place. Our goal is to create a single index that lists what sorts of things we're thinking of doing, with links to more detailed ideas about implementation specifics or concerns.

Thunderbird 2 will be happening on the 1.8 branch which is the same branch used for the 1.5 release.

note: mozilla platform feature enhancements are not in scope for this page; please refer to the Draft Gecko 1.9 Roadmap

We've built up a lot of really cool features and technologies in Thunderbird over the last couple of years. We'd like to make Thunderbird 2.0 focus on coming up with creative and innovative ways of exposing a lot of the information and features we've already built.

2.0 Feature Ideas

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Feature	Target	References
Serverbased Adressbook and Tray Icon I would really like two features. First of all the adressbook should be accessible by multiple users, which work on different pcs. E.g. the adressbook file resides on a server, all users in the workgroup can use and edit this file. Second: The Possibility to minimizing TB to the tray would be a nice feature, too.	2.0
Saving more emails with right mouse click I want to select two or twelfe emails and by clicking the right mouse "saving under" store all mails as *txt or*html etc. within the subjectline. Saving emails per drag&drop als *txt to disk: If you drag&drop an email to your explorer, it will automatic store a txt-file	2.0
Folders I want to add labels (color, bold) to folders I want to be able to sort folders manually	2.0
New Mail Alerts Provide more contextual information about new mail in the animated alert. Show the first line of the message body. Show Sender, Subject and Folder Information	2.0	Bug 312940
Maildir support support qmail's maildir format: [1]	2.0	Bug 58308
Folder Summary Tooltips Allow users to quickly see the contents of new messages in unopened folders without forcing them to actually open the folder, and thus losing their current e-mail context.	2.0	Bug 314124
Favorite Folders Support a global list of Favorite folders that can include folders from any account. Support other folder views such as Folders with Unread Messages.	2.0	Bug 251296
Tabbed Messages The ability to have message tabs including the ability to reply, forward and perform all of the usual activities on tabbed messages. Integrated tabbed design with favorite folders across the top of the thread pane per Ben's design ideas.	2.0
Compact Folders The ability to compact (all) folders with one Click.	2.0
Storage of news threads News threads should be saved into a profile directory, if the user likes the old articles should be archived for later access, i.e. doing queries to search for fixes that may have been provided years ago.	2.0
Report view of news threads It would be nice to have a functionality to create a report view of a news thread to be printed or saved into a linear document.	2.0
Message Tags Rebrand message labels as tags. Expand the functionality to include arbitrary number of tags and multiple tags per message. Investigate supporting auto generation of saved search folders for tags.	2.0
Conversations Rebrand message threads as conversations. Also, make it easier to group your message replies into folders other than the Sent folder.	2.0	Bug 301084
Cache Search Results for Saved Search Folders	2.0 / 3.0
UI Face Lift for the 3-pane Window Come up with some fresh user interface changes for the 3-pane. Not sure what we mean here yet. Looking for ideas and mockups.	2.0
Backup of Personal folders All email folders residing in the default directory unter ~/Application Data/Thunderbird/... (Windows) should have a backup/restore function provided. Furhtermore the user profile setting should allow to move the profile folder (and it's content) from the current directory to any other directory (i.e. to move the content off the C: harddisk onto a D: partition where the user data is being saved)	2.0
Storage of news threads News threads should be saved into a profile directory, if the user likes the old articles should be archived for later access, i.e. doing queries to search for fixes that may have been provided years ago.	2.0
Report view of news threads It would be nice to have a functionality to create a report view of a news thread to be printed or saved into a linear document.	2.0
Full Mac OS X Support This could include: Emulation for some Cocoa-standard keyboard shortcuts such as Ctrl-A, Ctrl-E, Ctrl-K, Ctrl-Y, Addressbook support, Services support, AppleScript support, maybe Growl support, Spotlight integration, Metadata support, Slideshow features like mail.app optinal Dashboard Widget, better integration into existing iWork & iLife products	2.0
Support for Gmail-Accounts The ability to get mails from Gmail-Accounts [This is possible via POP3. Please specify what you mean :)]	2.0
setting imap acls, and write in ldap adressbooks this features are a "must" to make Thunderbird groupware featured	2.0
Templates in Adressbook The ability to insert templates for replies and new mails personalized for a contact.	2.0
Add all mail recipients to the addressbook It should be possible to add all recipients listed in the "To" or "CC" header fields of selected incoming emails to an addressbook folder with only few clicks (or drag and drop). Multiple entries with the same email address should be removed optionally.	2.0
Function to export/import preferences For reinstalling the application and installing it on lots of machines, the preferred program settings can be imported/exported. This is especially useful once more preferences come into the program with v2.0, for example custom message tags.	2.0
Function to check for absent attachments A function that could be switched on and off and would check mail body text for signs that an attachment was intended (like "attached" etc.; extensible list might be best to accommodate other languages) but none actually is included. Function could be invoked at every send and display a warning message if criteria for absent attachments are met.	2.0
UI improvement in email display The UI could need some improvement to give the program a fancy feeling. Suggested improvements are: a) make email preview more like print preview so user gets a better WYSIWYG feeling. This helps users to visualize an email as a piece of paper. b) display contents of an email folder not only in a list view, but also in small combined stack like list view (2 to 3 lines per entry, no columns) so the 3 column layout of thunderbird will show more information in the list view. See Outlook 2003 for example.	2.0	Bug 213945
Full IMAP compatibility Using IMAP with www.web.de (the biggest german freemailer) the names of the IMAP-folder seem incompatible. Thats why you always get two trash-folders. If you delete the second one, you get a new one at next reload or visit with thunderbird.	2.0
Support for MS Exchange-Server Support for MS Exchange! This major feature allows a small or medium company to manage their email-system without using microsoft products or any other alternative software (e.g. Pegasus Mail). This feature may open up new resources for TB. (could also be available as plugin/add-on for sale)	2.0+
New Messages Folder When using Imap - Let's have a folder containing folders with new messages. When a new message arrives, the folder is shown in "New Messages" Folder. When the message is read, the folder disapears again from "New Messages"	2.0
Generally more information More information when checking for new mails. How many there are, how big, the connection speed and so on. (Full Header view support)	2.0+
Full support for KDE enviroroment Development of a full supported KDE frontend, inculding an menu-bar that can be moved, excluded or can act in MAC-OSX style. Also please add support for the KDE-Wallet (which is just another approach to a master password) and if possible for the KDE-Addressbook (it's annoying to have to sync data between KDE Calendar etc. and Thunderbird)	2.0	Bug 311293
Addressbook in XML format for better editibility/compatibility Better and more flexible than this old-fashioned format used nowadays.	2.0
Sync Addressbook and Messages with cellphones and mobile devices.	2.0
Account improvement Assign SMTP/identity to accounts/folders (like in TheBat) and not centrally.	2.0
Better group mailing functions Kind of "buddy group list" e.g with forwarding a mail to the group except to sender	2.0
Switching mail folder without loosing quick search Typing a quick search, switching folder, switching back, quick search lost *grr*	2.0
Overview over correspondency history Better overview over correspondency with a sender/senders, over all folders	2.0
Addressbook: Customized presentation of entries Custom representation of entries with having to change the value in "Display", e.g. #Last, #First (#Nick)	2.0
Addressbook: I'd like to see an option for a comfortable exchage of the addressbook in the network.	2.0
Auto-download on read Automatic download in background while reading a new message, stopping on deleting.	2.0
Improved and more efficient search Search often doesn't get the results expected even on local folders and even when a special message should be found. (sorry, no good example present)	2.0
Choose signature for each mail before sending When writing emails the user should be able to select a previously configured signature. This could be useful for the use in companies where users write emails to both colleagues and customers. For internal emails it isn't necessary to append the whole address signature. Currently there is only one signature configurable in the settings for each account. It makes no sense to duplicate an account just for a second signature.	2.0
Mail redirect a.k.a "bounce" Allow to redirect mail messages to other recipients.	2.0
Change From, Fcc on compose Allow to modify your identity for a single mail on the fly.	2.0
QuickMove Extension Define QM folder targets in the context menu.	2.0
Allow Empty Subject on / off	2.0
Implement the "TB New Filter Extension" The new filter actions are autoforward, autoreply, and play sound.	2.0
Remove duplicate messages Removes duplicates by folder context menu e.g.	2.0
Muli messge attachment extractor Store Documents ( e.g. letters ) in the Addressbook Contact Like in Outlook it would be helping, if letters and other files can be stored in the Contact via drag and drop. So it is possible to what you have written to the Contact you can open it directly from the Addressbook	2.0
Birthday-Cell in Addressbook and sync to Sunbird A predefined cell for the birthday of the contact wich is automatically synced with sunbird	2.0
Indexed fulltext search Automatically create a index of all saved messages, to make fast and incremental (already begin to search as you type the pattern) search possible. Search at present is to complicated and especially to "field/header-orientated".	2.0
More possibilities for auto-choosing identity Make rules possible e.g. if a email is in this folder and I press reply, Thunderbird has to take that identity. Also clarify list of identities (e.g. only present those identities for actual account you're working on) and make nicknames for identites possible (e.g. work, private, ...).	2.0
Add more features for Usenet Show indicator on groups that have new replies in watched threads, especially answers on own postings. Use a text-file for abbreviations like in 40tude or scoring for messages like in 40tude.	2.0	Bugzilla 127692
Imap Subscription use IMAP Subscriptions (check for new mails) stored on the IMAP server (i.e. setting up thunderbird it automatically uses the stored folder subscriptons)	2.0
Sieve Interface Interface for centralized Mail Filtering and Vacation settings with a sieve server. Also edit these rules offline and sync them when online	2.0
Imap Offline and subscripton Interface A interface where the whole Folder structure is shown and each folder can be checked if it is subscribed (check for new mails) or offline available.	2.0
Edit sent/received emails Possibility to edit emails that have been sent or received (not just add comments, but actually edit the original message like in Outlook w/ adding and removing text, changing format, etc.)	2.0
Adressbook Store more than 2 mail adresses. Maybe 10?	2.0
Outgoing Mail Filter Enable use of filters for outgoing mails. This would enable users to automatically archive outgoing mails per receiver. E.g. always copy mails sent to domain mydomain.com to a special folder.	2.0
Imap Quota/usage Display the IMAP Quota/usage with configurable alarms when reaching a configured level (2 different levels of warnings) Also interpret the quota Information from the server.	2.0
Fast Full Indexed Search Fast full indexed search over Emails as it is done by the lookout extension for microsoft outlook.	2.0
Automatic deletion from dead emailaddress by example Mail delivery failed: returning message to sender	2.0
Make a fast possibility to enable full headers in a message (e.g. with a Button somewehre or with the context menu). Switching on headers with the main menu and switching it off again is very annoying.	2.0
HTML inserts via clipboard Make a fast way to insert HTML (e.g. tables) from clipboard into a message like it is possible in Outlook Express. Being forced to use OE in these cases is very annoying.	2.0
Google Toolbar for Thunderbird Google Toolbar is cool. It provides quick means for searching and translating words into German just by pointing mouse over a word.	2.0
Filters on Outgoing AND Incoming Folders for an account Like Outlook where you can filter your outgoing and incoming messages of your account. At this point you can only filter the folder INBOX but not Sent OR Sent but not INBOX.	2.0
View index of remote mails on POP3 server and possibility to remove single/multiple mails from remote POP3 server without needing to download them. (e.g. like german T-Online mail client and many other older mail clients)	2.0
Labels Ability to tag messages with an unlimited number of custom labels (like gmail, picasa, ...)	2.0
Integration of Blacklist Server The SPAM Filter of Thunderbird is already very good, but it would be more comfortable if it could access blacklist servers.	2.0
Allow more than one SOCKS connection at a time and select the connection based on the domain of the target server. SMTP and LDAP servers often restrict access to clients in their domain.)	2.0
One click update of unread/total information for all folders	2.0
Allow to monitor more than one folder like the Inbox. This is helpfull if one redirects some mails into seperat Inbox folders (mailing lists etc.).	2.0
Optional server based config information. One could store them in an IMAP folder	2.0
New message storrage system Perhaps database driven. Or at least smaller files. 500MB files (for big folders) are just unhandy for backup (transferring the whole file, just because one message has been added to the folder...)	2.0/3.0
Backup and Exporting of archived Messages or Folders. I like the ability to search my archived emails with firefox. However if my computer ever breaks I won't be able to do that. Ideally the exporting or backup would be in a format that can be searched by google desktop search or copernic desktop agent.	2.0
No picture loading from an email marked as Junk. When I have marked an email as junk and select several of them to delete them the embedded pictures are still shown. This is bad because of a) Pr0n b) remote server can register if I have looked at an email (I suppose this is done)--> MORE SPAM	1.0?
Customize Right click menu with somekind of marco. I'd like to customize the right-click menu. For example I often have to send a mail to an address not in the header and the body for this mail I have in a template. Now instead of right-clicking, copy, open template folder, dubble-click mail, insert address, send, I'd like to use some kind of macro to make a right-click, and send the mail. Best would be if these rightclick menues could be bound to certain search patterns or to folders so that they only show up with mails in this folder.	2.0
delete special folders permanently delete unused special folders (Drafts, Templates, Sent)	2.0	Bug 197228
Enhanced User Management I think a great feature is to integrate a User Management, because so different people can access their mail on just one System accout (a typical Windows configuration), so they have to login to their maildirs on startup and so on.	2.0
Support for mailinglist discussion Very nice would be some functions for managing mailinglist subscriptions. Especially a List Reply would be very nice, and automatic sorting of send messages.	2.0