ctrl-V to paste results in variable width
Hi.
Thunderbird 115.2.0 on Windows 11. User idiocy not ruled out.
Very often when I'm composing an e-mail and swap between windows, ctrl-V to paste doesn't work, but instead sets variable width. (The nearest reference I find online is Ctrl-T to set fixed width.) Thunderbird seems not to remember when I come back to the window that I'm in the composition pane/message pane/ bit where you type the message.
It's almost as if it defaults to the formatting bit of the screen. Except that I've _only_ noticed that arising with pasting; and I do switch between programs for other purposes, so if it were really that, even an idiot user would surely have noticed odd behaviour at other times. (Never underestimate idiocy.)
It's annoying that I can't routinely switch between programs and paste *into the text box I'd just been typing in before switching*. The real problem, though, is that I can click or double-click repeatedly in the message pane of the composition window, moving the cursor between clicks in a hopeful fashion, and still not get the desired result - Thunderbird seems determined that I really want to change formatting and nothing else. So far, right-clicking to paste does work, once I remember it - but 20-odd years of habit are working against me, as is the fact that sometimes ctrl-V does do what I expect first time, so I'm not retraining my habits very well and can take about 5 steps to achieve a simple copy-paste.
No similar problems using Word, etc. I have only recently learned of the wizardry that is ctrl-shift-V, and have never remembered to use it unless reminded by unwanted formatting, so can't swear to its behaviour.
I have tbkeys lite, and can't claim to understand what I'm doing with it, but I can usually follow simple instructions without excessive sobbing. I'd happily disable all formatting functions, if that was necessary, since I send only plain text.
Any help gratefully received.
Chosen solution
Whatever you have selected in the formatting bar eg: Fixed width When you start to type it applies fixed width But then you want to paste some text copied from anywhere, but that copied text will have formatting already applied, so it pastes 'as is' which means 'Variable width' will get used.
So if you do not want to include any formatting that has ben 'copied' you need to use:
- 'Edit' > 'Paste with formatting' or use shortcut keys: 'Ctrl+Shift+V'
But if you always send in plain text, then why are using HTML to write the email ?
- In 'Account Settings' > 'Composition & Addressing' for the account
- uncheck 'Compose messages in HTML format'
then all your email will get composed automatically in plain text and any formatting is auto stripped.
Note : Having swapped over to plain text by default and should you still want to create the occasional HTML email then press 'Shift' whilst you click on 'Write' to get a single use HTML email.
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Correction:
Right-click to paste doesn't consistently work, after all, and the behaviour can occur even when I'm definitely starting in the composition/message pane. Following my original post, I typed Enter Ctrl-V at the end of existing text; that started a new line (so obviously Thunderbird 'knew' I was in the composition/message pane) and set variable width instead of pasting. I then right-clicked and clicked on paste, followed by right-click and paste without formatting, but no success either way in pasting - in a couple of my following experiments, right-click and paste actually changed fixed width to variable width.
tbkeys lite settings are
Main key bindings:
{
"f": "cmd:cmd_forward", "r": "cmd:cmd_reply", "k": "", "u": "cmd:cmd_previousMsg", "d": "cmd:cmd_nextMsg", "n": "cmd:cmd_nextUnreadMsg"
}
Compose key bindings: { "ctrl+w": "" }
I don't understand the syntax, so can realistically only follow instructions unless I want to break things. However, I have just brilliantly tried "ctrl+v": "paste", which seemed to result in ctrl-V doing nothing at all, followed by "ctrl+v": "cmd:cmd_paste", which doesn't prevent both ctrl-V and right-click paste from changing format to variable width.
Chosen Solution
Whatever you have selected in the formatting bar eg: Fixed width When you start to type it applies fixed width But then you want to paste some text copied from anywhere, but that copied text will have formatting already applied, so it pastes 'as is' which means 'Variable width' will get used.
So if you do not want to include any formatting that has ben 'copied' you need to use:
- 'Edit' > 'Paste with formatting' or use shortcut keys: 'Ctrl+Shift+V'
But if you always send in plain text, then why are using HTML to write the email ?
- In 'Account Settings' > 'Composition & Addressing' for the account
- uncheck 'Compose messages in HTML format'
then all your email will get composed automatically in plain text and any formatting is auto stripped.
Note : Having swapped over to plain text by default and should you still want to create the occasional HTML email then press 'Shift' whilst you click on 'Write' to get a single use HTML email.
Thank you for the extra-helpful reply: your afterthought's especially thoughtful. Being unable to paste reliably was driving me bananas. So far, so solved!
- tips hat in appreciation:*
I have the same problem: Ctrl-V sets variable width.
Interestingly, a SECOND Ctrl-V then inserts the copied content.
Actually, this happens only at the end of a mail being composed, i.e., AFTER all formatted text regions, but Ctrl-V or the Paste command works fine (without setting variable width) when I use it between existing text.
So, if I paste at the end of a newly composed mail, it does NOT work (sets variable width), but if I paste within existing text, it works (and preserves formatting of the copied content).
Before the upgrade to Supernova, I never experienced such issues.
OK - I could use Ctrl-Shift-V - but the standard behavior would be much appreciated !
I could also start composing my mails with some final lines (like blank line plus a period) and then start writing at the top and later insert via Ctrl-V (before my extra final lines) - but this sounds nasty ...
I am using StdText to paste various things, very useful extension, but unfortunately it has the sam problem as Ctrl+V. Indeed the standard behavior would be much appreciated !
re : Ctrl-V or the Paste command works fine (without setting variable width) when I use it between existing text.
Yes because you have already set the formatting in that area, so it's using it. Formatting gets extended as you type, so it's not already added to areas you have not actually typed in.
As with anything you paste - it will contain formatting from where ever you copied it from, so if appending to email then you either accept the formatting that came with the paste or you use Ctrl-Shift-V and that is the standard.
Try this. At the end of the text click on Return/Enter key a couple of times to create new empty lines and then use arrow key to go back up a line - then use Ctrl V to paste.