The font I'm using changes when I reply

[John C.]

Since I started using Thunderbird version 68 and later, when replying to
an HTML email somebody sent me and I insert my reply text between lines
of quoted material, the font I'm using changes from what I have set the
program to use as my default composition font. Instead, it changes to
whatever font the quoted text was using.

I remember it happening in the past several years ago with an older
version of the program. Somebody filed a bug about the issue and it got
corrected.

Bugzilla has become far too difficult to use anymore or I would do that
myself. Also, I'm not a programmer, just an end user.

Is anybody else experiencing this font formatting problem?

--
John C.

[Wolf K]

AFAIK, if you reply in HTML, the font specs for the quoted message will
be used. You _might_ be able to change that if you "Edit as new message"
instead of simply Replying.I haven't tried that, so go ahead, you won't
break anything. :-)

You can change TBird to compose in plain text. Tools - Options -
Composition - General - Send Options _ "Send messages as plain text if
possible."

Also "When sending..." there's a drop-dwon menu that inludes "Convert to
Plin Text."

Of course if you like the flexibility of formatting in HTML, you'll have
to accept some trade-offs. Control over HTML is not absolute.

Best,

--
Wolf K
kirkwood40.blogspot.com
I thought math was useless until I realised decimals had a point

[😉 Good Guy 😉]

On 07/02/2020 08:38, John C. wrote:

Since I started using Thunderbird version 68 and later, when replying to
an HTML email somebody sent me and I insert my reply text between lines
of quoted material, the font I'm using changes from what I have set the
program to use as my default composition font. Instead, it changes to
whatever font the quoted text was using.

It could be that you are not scrolling couple of lines after the quoted text to make sure you are outside the quoted block.   You need to use arrow keys to do that NOT enter keys.  Enter keys keeps you within the block except it inserts line feeds but arrow keys moves you AWAY from the quoted text.

--

With over 1.2 billion devices now running Windows 10, customer satisfaction is higher than any previous version of windows.

[John C.]

Wolf K wrote:
> On 2020-02-07 03:38, John C. wrote:
>> Since I started using Thunderbird version 68 and later, when replying to
>> an HTML email somebody sent me and I insert my reply text between lines
>> of quoted material, the font I'm using changes from what I have set the
>> program to use as my default composition font. Instead, it changes to
>> whatever font the quoted text was using.
>>
>> I remember it happening in the past several years ago with an older
>> version of the program. Somebody filed a bug about the issue and it got
>> corrected.
>>
>> Bugzilla has become far too difficult to use anymore or I would do that
>> myself. Also, I'm not a programmer, just an end user.
>>
>> Is anybody else experiencing this font formatting problem?
>
> AFAIK, if you reply in HTML, the font specs for the quoted message will
> be used.

Yes, that's exactly what I am saying. And that should *not* be the case.
It's clearly a bug in the composition window API.

> You _might_ be able to change that if you "Edit as new message"
> instead of simply Replying.I haven't tried that, so go ahead, you won't
> break anything. :-)
>
> You can change TBird to compose in plain text. Tools - Options -
> Composition - General - Send Options _ "Send messages as plain text if
> possible."

Thanks, but I'm already aware of that capability having been active in
usenet for decades and having been a TB user all of that time. It's not
something I prefer to do though, when replying to an email.

> Also "When sending..." there's a drop-dwon menu that inludes "Convert to
> Plin Text."
>
> Of course if you like the flexibility of formatting in HTML, you'll have
> to accept some trade-offs. Control over HTML is not absolute.

This is the situation that I described in my OP. I'm looking for a
workaround, or failing that, I'll blunder my way through filing a bug
report. Hate to go through the latter route though.

Thanks for replying though, Wolf.

--
John C.

[Wolf K]

On 2020-02-08 06:30, John C. wrote:
> Wolf K wrote:
>> On 2020-02-07 03:38, John C. wrote:
>>> Since I started using Thunderbird version 68 and later, when replying to
>>> an HTML email somebody sent me and I insert my reply text between lines
>>> of quoted material, the font I'm using changes from what I have set the
>>> program to use as my default composition font. Instead, it changes to
>>> whatever font the quoted text was using.
>>>
>>> I remember it happening in the past several years ago with an older
>>> version of the program. Somebody filed a bug about the issue and it got
>>> corrected.
>>>
>>> Bugzilla has become far too difficult to use anymore or I would do that
>>> myself. Also, I'm not a programmer, just an end user.
>>>
>>> Is anybody else experiencing this font formatting problem?
>> AFAIK, if you reply in HTML, the font specs for the quoted message will
>> be used.

> Yes, that's exactly what I am saying. And that should*not* be the case.

> It's clearly a bug in the composition window API.
>

[...]

I believe you are under a misapprehension. When you _quote_ HTML text,
that quote includes any HTML tags that happen to be present in that
quoted text. That's why your reply may show the font of the original
message. AIUI, this has nothing to do with how the Composition Window is
programmed. IOW, it's not a bug, it's just how HTML works.

FWIW, some HTML messages also include colour specs that happen to annoy
my sensitive eyeballs. :-)

[WaltS48]

Have you tried disabling, "When possible, use the default text encoding
in replies" in Tools > Options > Display > Formatting > Advanced under
the *Text Encoding* heading?

--
OS: Ubuntu Linux 18.04LTS - Gnome Desktop
https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/get-involved/

[John C.]

Wolf, I'm aware of what you're saying. However as I mentioned in another
post, this situation has existed in the past in an earlier version of
Thunderbird. A bug was filed about it and the code was corrected so that
the problem went away.

--
John C.

[John C.]

WaltS48 wrote:
> John C. wrote:
>> Since I started using Thunderbird version 68 and later, when replying to
>> an HTML email somebody sent me and I insert my reply text between lines
>> of quoted material, the font I'm using changes from what I have set the
>> program to use as my default composition font. Instead, it changes to
>> whatever font the quoted text was using.
>>
>> I remember it happening in the past several years ago with an older
>> version of the program. Somebody filed a bug about the issue and it got
>> corrected.
>>
>> Bugzilla has become far too difficult to use anymore or I would do that
>> myself. Also, I'm not a programmer, just an end user.
>>
>> Is anybody else experiencing this font formatting problem?
>>
>
> Have you tried disabling, "When possible, use the default text encoding
> in replies" in Tools > Options > Display > Formatting > Advanced under
> the *Text Encoding* heading?

Thanks Walt, I'll give that a try and see what happens.

--
John C.

[John C.]

Well, it's been a while now and that didn't work. And anyway, wouldn't
that be exactly the opposite of what I want to happen? IOW, I *do* want
to be able to use my chosen default text encoding in replies. I'm
assuming that by "text encoding" the devs mean "font" and "font size".

--
John C.

[WaltS48]

I'm a little confused on that setting myself.

I take it to mean use the default text encoding the sender used in the
email we received in our replies, so they can read it in the same text
encoding.

Sorry, I couldn't help.

--
OS: Ubuntu Linux 18.04LTS - Gnome Desktop
https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/get-involved/

https://give.thunderbird.net/en-US/

[Wolf K]

AIUI, when you quote and reply, the quoted text's font governs. To get
what you want, Tbird would have to insert font tags surrounding your
reply text. It seems that's not how it works.

[John C.]

Thanks for explaining your interpretation. Alternatively, that does make
sense as well. The setting is confusingly worded all right.

--
John C.

[John C.]

Yes, Wolf, that is how it works now. At one point though and for a long
time, this is *not* how it worked. That's what I'm having a problem
with. There isn't anything you can say that will convince me that the
composition window is working the way it *should*. You would have to be
able to watch me tediously kludging my way through putting together a
simple reply to an HTML email to understand what a serious PITA the
problem is. And on top of that, I have absolutely no idea what my
replies look like in the recipients' email programs.

Basically, what I see you saying is "This is the way it works, put up
with it."

That ain't gonna happen. This problem was never an issue in Outlook
Express years ago for example, shouldn't be a problem now once again in
Thunderbird. Either I will find a solution to the problem or else I will
reluctantly abandon Thunderbird and try to find something else. There
are only those two logical outcomes possible as far as I can see.

That is the reality of the situation.

--
John C.