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Replying to e-mail
 
#1
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I have a few different questions about making replies.

First I would like to find out the secret to locking in a Text format for my reply.
My text is defaulting currently to Consolas 9 (size).

For most of my e-mail replies this is fine. However for a certain person I would like to lock in

Arial 11.
As you can imagine it has become extremely tedious to type out a section, highlight it and then change the font/size.
And then go on to the next paragraph and do the same, etc. etc.

My next question concerns, the method of breaking up the text in the e-mail I am replying to.
I stumbled upon the following method:

At the sentence or paragraph that I want to reply to, I hit (Shift-Enter). I discovered what this does is it
'breaks open' the text I am interesting in replying to.

BUT... it doesn't always work. The paragraph won't always break open, allowing me to type my reply.
What should I do when it doesn't work?

And finally, can I change the key combination from (Shift-Enter) to something else?
Several times when I was struggling with this combination, when it didn't work, I tried
(Ctrl-Enter) instead!

Sadly, I learned that Ctrl-Enter Sends out my e-mail!
So I had to apologize to the receiver saying I sent the e-mail by mistake!
 
 
 
#2
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Quote
Mad Batter wrote:
For most of my e-mail replies this is fine. However for a certain person I would like to lock in Arial 11.

You can create custom message templates for individual contacts from the Address Book. When you double click the contact in the Address Book (I'm using the old interface), go to the Reply tab and check "Use a specific template for replies". There you can sel ect the font and size you want from the toolbar (make sure that HTML is selected in the Format menu). Also, copy-paste the text fr om the account reply template into the text box to get the usual behavior (quotes, etc.).

Quote
Mad Batter wrote:
My next question concerns, the method of breaking up the text in the e-mail I am replying to.I stumbled upon the following method:At the sentence or paragraph that I want to reply to, I hit (Shift-Enter). I discovered what this does is it 'breaks open' the text I am interesting in replying to.

I'm sending text e-mails 99.99% of the time, so I tried Shift+Enter to get that effect in HTML. For me it does not differ than just using Enter. Anyway, my experience was horrible - lines getting lost, text going all over the place... Perhaps you could try the RichText HTML editor if you're using PureHTML, it is known to be less buggy.
Edited: Miloš Radovanović - 21 August 2024 10:47:13
 
 
 
#3
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Quote
Miloš Radovanović wrote:
Quote
Mad Batter wrote:
For most of my e-mail replies this is fine. However for a certain person I would like to lock in Arial 11.

You can create custom message templates for individual contacts from the Address Book. When you double click the contact in the Address Book (I'm using the old interface), go to the Reply tab and check "Use a specific template for replies". There you can sel ect the font and size you want from the toolbar (make sure that HTML is selected in the Format menu). Also, copy-paste the text fr om the account reply template into the text box to get the usual behavior (quotes, etc.).

Thanks for helping out!
I am getting there but it's not quite happening yet.
Thanks for the tip on using <Enter> instead of <Shift Enter>.

I have started to create a template for replying to this friend.
I get his entire message quoted as should be (in HTML).
Nothing is different so far from what I was getting without the template.

In the template I indicated my preferred Font and Size.

But... when I reply to this friend here's what happens.
I go to quote a line of his text. First I hit <Enter> to break up the paragraph.

Then I immediately notice that the font has changed from his font/size, (
which is what I want to keep and have indicated in my template) to another font/size!

So despite my creating a template (and it is being used, sort of),
when I want to quote lines in paragraphs, the font is not being used from the
one I chose in my template.

I could use more specific instructions as to how to lock in my preferred font/size.

Thanks!
Edited: Mad Batter - 23 August 2024 02:05:51
 
 
 
#4
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Playing around some more here is what I have discovered.
(Still not there yet).

If I choose Account/Properties/Template/ReplyFont/size

and then choose my preferred font/size, it won't keep it for the reply to my friend.

If I set my font/size in a template for my friend it also won't use it.

But.. if I go to:


Options/Preferences/Viewer/Editor/Profile Layout/ Font/size

and set my preferred font/size for my friend's emails, it works!

But this is not what I want because it uses it for ALL of my e-mail replies!
 
 
 
#5
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Quote
Mad Batter wrote:
If I choose Account/Properties/Template/ReplyFont/sizeand then choose my preferred font/size, it won't keep it for the reply to my friend.If I set my font/size in a template for my friend it also won't use it.
Try this: when editing the template as I described above, select the whole text in the text box and change the font/size.
 
 
 
#6
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Quote
Miloš Radovanović wrote:
Quote
Mad Batter wrote:
If I choose Account/Properties/Template/ReplyFont/sizeand then choose my preferred font/size, it won't keep it for the reply to my friend.If I set my font/size in a template for my friend it also won't use it.
Try this: when editing the template as I described above, select the whole text in the text box and change the font/size.

Thanks again Milos.

Selecting the whole text doesn't make a difference!

When I go back to reply to this friend's e-mail (who now has a Template devoted to him)
The first thing I see at the top of the reply is the WRONG font/size. It's my standard font/size.
So I know I'm going to have problems.

And sure enough when I start typing my reply I get the wrong font (standard).   :(
 
 
 
#7
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OK, let's try to do this using another approach that just occurred to me.

When I reply to a standard e-mail I can go into:
Options/Message Format

From here I can choose:
Plain text
HTML only
etc.

Is there a way to set a template for all 'Plain text' replies?
ie. use this font/size?

And a way  set a template for all 'HTML only' replies?
ie. use a different font/size?
 
 
 
#8
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Quote
Mad Batter wrote:
I have started to create a template for replying to this friend.
I get his entire message quoted as should be (in HTML).
Nothing is different so far from what I was getting without the template.

Then it might be a good idea to verify that your new reply template for that friend is even being used.

To do so, go to that reply template in his address book entry, and verify that "Use a specific template for replies" is marked. Then, edit the template and write this line near the top: "THIS IS THE INDIVIDUAL TEMPLATE FOR MY FRIEND".

Save the template, then go to a message from your friend and reply to it. If the above all-caps text appears, you'll know that The Bat is applying the template as expected (and you can now remove that line from the template).

Quote
Mad Batter wrote:
If I choose Account/Properties/Template/ReplyFont/size

and then choose my preferred font/size, it won't keep it for the reply to my friend.

Well, that's an account template. It won't be used if your friend has an active individual template. Only one template will be used - the one that's the highest in the template hierarchy. From high to low: Individual templates > Address Book Group templates > Folder Templates > Account templates.
I volunteer as a moderator to help keep the forum tidy. I do not work for Ritlabs SRL.
 
 
 
#9
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Quote
Mad Batter wrote:
Is there a way to set a template for all 'Plain text' replies?
ie. use this font/size?

And a way  set a template for all 'HTML only' replies?
ie. use a different font/size?

No, you can define message templates only for the four categories described by Daniel above (individual contacts, contact groups, (virtual) folders, whole accounts). But you can use these to emulate the effect you want (if I understood correctly): say, make the account templates text-only, and create a contact group for all recipients you want to send HTML messages, and define HTML templates on the group. Or vice versa.
 
 
 
#10
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Quote
Daniel van Rooijen wrote:
Quote
Mad Batter wrote:
I have started to create a template for replying to this friend.
I get his entire message quoted as should be (in HTML).
Nothing is different so far from what I was getting without the template.

Then it might be a good idea to verify that your new reply template for that friend is even being used.

To do so, go to that reply template in his address book entry, and verify that "Use a specific template for replies" is marked. Then, edit the template and write this line near the top: "THIS IS THE INDIVIDUAL TEMPLATE FOR MY FRIEND".

Save the template, then go to a message from your friend and reply to it. If the above all-caps text appears, you'll know that The Bat is applying the template as expected (and you can now remove that line from the template).

Well I tried the experiment you mentioned above (which was a good idea).

The reply had the added text, so we know the custom template IS being used.

BUT... it came with the same problem.
As I mentioned as soon as the reply opens up I see the font at the top has changed to the standard font (not the font I declared in the template).
Also when I take a paragraph from my friend and break it up <Enter> to reply to it.
the font once again changes from his font (the correct one) to the one I don't want!
Edited: Mad Batter - 26 August 2024 07:32:58
 
 
 
#11
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OK I just tried another experiment.

I went into two e-mail accounts, the one we have been working with and a second one.
I checked the default settings for the accounts.
If I recall correctly they both had HTML as the default format for the Reply template.

I changed the second account to Text formatting for the default Reply template.

Then I chose a couple of e-mails to reply to in this account.
The Reply was in HTML instead of Text!!!
And guess what default Font/Size it was using?

Yes the same one that pops up (unwanted) in my friend's reply template.


And just to be complete I reviewed the hierarchy you mentioned above for Template use.

I went into the Folder for the e-mails and checked the Reply Template settings.
It was also set for Text formatting.

So I wasn't using an Individual template, nor an Address Book Group template.
Next in line SHOULD HAVE been the Folder Template.

I hope with this information you can figure out what the problem is.
Edited: Mad Batter - 26 August 2024 07:58:22
 
 
 
#12
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Quote
Mad Batter wrote:
Then I chose a couple of e-mails to reply to in this account. The Reply was in HTML instead of Text!!!

What's probably happening is that the global editor selection in Preferences -> Viewer/Editor has absolute authority on which editor is used. Try changing this setting, or switching editors on-the-fly (status bar of the message editor or keyboard shortcuts).

Quote
Mad Batter wrote:
So I wasn't using an Individual template, nor an Address Book Group template. Next in line SHOULD HAVE been the Folder Template.

Make sure that the address book contact(s) have exactly the same e-mail addresses and name information. They should be triggered first.
 
 
 
#13
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Miloš Radovanović wrote:
Quote
Mad Batter wrote:
Then I chose a couple of e-mails to reply to in this account. The Reply was in HTML instead of Text!!!

What's probably happening is that the global editor selection in Preferences -> Viewer/Editor has absolute authority on which editor is used. Try changing this setting, or switching editors on-the-fly (status bar of the message editor or keyboard shortcuts).

Thanks Milos.
After trying all the other suggestions it seems this is the best solution.

I'm not switching editors, but simply going to the top of the reply screen and changing the font/size there.
It sticks and so each time I do a quote in my reply it uses this new font/size.

It's not ideal, but it's a heck of a lot better than changing the font/size for each quote I make (a dozen+) .

I still would like to know why I am never notified when a new reply is made to any of my posts here?
 
 
 
#14
26.4505  
Quote
Mad Batter wrote:

I still would like to know why I am never notified when a new reply is made to any of my posts here?

So would I, but notifications simply do not work, and neither does direct messaging.
I volunteer as a moderator to help keep the forum tidy. I do not work for Ritlabs SRL.
 
 
 
#15
26.4505  
I never got e-mail notifications since I joined in 2021, and I prefer it that way :)

You can try the RSS feed, the link is on the forum home page. Through TB, of course 8-)  
Edited: Miloš Radovanović - 27 August 2024 11:55:50
 
 
 
#16
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Quote
Mad Batter wrote:
Is there a way to set a template for all 'Plain text' replies?ie. use this font/size?
Note that font/size make no sense for plain text, since formatting is not sent with plain text. In fact, if you are composing an email in plain text and select a font, the editor is changed to HTML.

I have on occasion stooped to setting a font and size because my eyes were acting up, then before sending changing the editor to Plain Text. That way I got to use a large font during composition but still send plain text.

HTML email is a mess, and I mean generally, not just The Bat. Even on websites, getting consistent formatting in the viewer's eyes isn't possible, because of different defaults and device characteristics. Email is even harder because you know so little about the recipient's environment.
 
 
 
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