Gnome-shell-extension-gsconnect: Multiline SMS input

[bprfh]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
When writting sms via gsconnect, I can't make a newline.
More often than not, this means that I have to use my phone, as the message would look weird otherwise.

Describe the solution you'd like
It would be a really cool feature if the sms text input field would allow newlines, e.g. a textarea or multiline input.

Describe alternatives you've considered
Don't know of any alternatives

System Details (please complete the following information):

• GSConnect version: 31
  
  
  
  • Installed from: extensions.gnome.org
  
  

Additional context
None

[andyholmes]

You can add a newline using Shift + Return, but there are no plans to change the entry widget itself at this point.

[ferdnyc]

Since commit 96d0388, Shift+Enter should insert a newline in the SMS input field. Can you check whether that works for you?
Duplicate of #464

[ferdnyc]

Whoops, too slow.

[bprfh]

Thanks for the quick Response, yes that works.
Can we add this to the wiki maybe under "common problems" or via a new page "Tipps&Tricks"?
Or was I just blind and there was a help where I should have looked?

[andyholmes]

The Features page would probably be the logical place for this in the Wiki, but we should probably add a shortcuts help window to the application at some point.

[ferdnyc]

I'll try to get a mention of Shift+Enter into that page tonight or tomorrow.

When I looked at it earlier, I noticed some other things out of date or missing as well. I've already updated the file manager extension section to mention Nemo in addition to Nautilus, and I'll try to fill in whatever else I spot, or as much as I can.

[ferdnyc]

1. Added the SMS Input section — can anyone think of any input options besides newline entry and emoji input that should be listed there?
2. (Unrelated) Updated the instructions for enabling Legacy SMS mode, with screenshot.

[andyholmes]

can anyone think of any input options besides newline entry and emoji input that should be listed there?

I think we have a keybinding for sending, don't we? Ctrl+Return or something?

[ferdnyc]

Nah, just plain Enter sends (hence Shift+Enter)... though I suppose it couldn't hurt to mention that, anyway.

Edit: Added.

[bprfh]

Sorry for the late reply, thanks for adding that.

[eeshugerman]

there are no plans to change the entry widget itself at this point.

Do you mind if I open an issue to track interest in this? I would really appreciate the feature.

[andyholmes]

We can re-open this one, but I still don't have any plans to do this. Dealing with GtkTextView is not fun at all, and writing a custom widget even less so.

[eeshugerman]

Understood. I just think it can be good to have an issue that people can +1 if they want the feature, as an "outlet" if you will.

So let it be known: :+1: this comment if you want a mutliline SMS input widget (or, better yet, open a PR :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:).

[ferdnyc]

There is, of course, the additional wrinkle that using a multiline widget would _preclude_ the current widget's Enter-to-send mapping, changing the established functionality of the SMS entry field.

[ferdnyc]

(Sure, with a little hoop-jumping you can probably manage a Shift- or Ctrl-Enter binding for newlines, and still use Enter to send the message. But that seems like it risks and a lot of accidental partial sends and confused users, because a multiline widget generally implies the ability to type multiple lines using Enter.)

[eeshugerman]

I can't speak to the technical challenges, as I've never worked with GTK, but I think ideal UX would be:

• keep Enter for send and Shift-Enter for newline
• text box initially has a height of one line, and only grows in height to fit the content
• text wraps
• no scrollbar until the height is 5 or 10 lines or so
• no handle to resize the textbox with the mouse

That's how messages.google.com/web works, for what it's worth.

I think the second point (initial height = 1) and last point (no resize handle) go a long way toward communicating to the user that Enter will send the message.