MachV/Mozilla: Mail: Account Setup

UI Specification

Account Setup
Account Setup Wizard and Account Settings Dialogs

Last Modification:

Author: Jennifer Glick
Creation Date: 19 December 2000 

Status: Draft: Clean up of existing dialogs. Changes shown in red.

Quicklinks:

Design Details
Account Setup Wizard
 - Mail
 -
Newsgroups
 -
WebMail
Mail/News Account Settings dialogs

Feature Team

Engineering:

 Scott Putterman, Seth Spitzer, Varada Parthasarathi, Bhuvan Racham

Product Marketing:

 Kevin Murray

QA: 

 Ninoschka Baca

Docs:

 Robin Foster Clark

UE: 

 Jennifer Glick

Please post all comments and suggestions regarding this spec to the newsgroup, netscape.public.mozilla.mail-news.

 

Open Issues

  1.  


Related Bugs

  1. 3610 (BS)- Account Wizard, Netscape Webmail and AOL should be switched. 
  2. 24873 - [wizard] add accelerators for form fields.
  3. 33235 - Shouldn't allow deleting special folders when Acct Setting setup special folders on server.
  4. 42955 - Should explain why the Account Wizard is being opened. 
  5. 45695 - Account Settings: Identity: UI clean up. 
  6. 50362 - Account level names should be equal for Migrated or New accounts.
  7. 61078 - Ability to Change Order of Accounts.
  8. 63633 - add ui to acct manager to allow user to "forget" password for a server.
  9. 64230 - Need to know which account is default when you have multiple mail accounts.
  10. 109162 - Remove "Advanced Account Settings" In Account Manager.
  11. 84692 - Offline UI: Offline panel is too large (to use, for some people).
  12. 113488-Remove group boxes from Acct Wizard Server Info panel
  13.  

 


Summary

This spec covers the Account Setup Wizard and Account Settings Dialogs.

The Account Setup Wizard is used to set up new mail or newsgroup accounts (accounts that were not migrated). It can be run at anytime the user would like to set up a new mail or newsgroup account. It is run automatically at startup of Mail IF no 4.x profile or 3rd party mail applications were found.

The Account Settings Dialogs allow users to manage the detailed settings of their various Mail, WebMail and Newsgroup accounts. The Account Settings Dialogs are a separate set of dialogs from the Preferences dialogs.

 


*Background Information - Process Flow*

  1. User downloads the "stub" installer (a piece of code that downloads the rest of the application)
  2. Stub installer downloads the pieces as necessary
  3. The pieces are expanded on the end user's machine
  4. Activation (Netcenter Registration) is initiated (Netscape only)
    • If user already is a Netcenter member (i.e., a cookie is found) the user is asked to confirm their existing Netcenter membership
    • If not a Netcenter member, the user is asked to "activate" membership
  5. Browser is started
  6. If the user has exactly 1 profile (which most upgrading users will), then their 4.x (or other) data is upgraded (if more than one profile, user will most likely be asked to choose which profile).  The migrated 4.x account should be set to the default account for new software.
    • 4.x data includes preferences (such as email server settings), address book data, and email messages
  7. User can then go to Mail (by selecting Tasks | Mail, or by selecting Mail from the Task Switcher bar. One of 4 things happens:
    • Previous version profile found, no 3rd party mail applications found - Mail starts. Mail account is default account.
    • Previous version profile found, 3rd party mail applications found - user asked if they would like to import from 3rd party mail applications.
      • Yes - Import Tool Wizard run. Mail starts up at completion of wizard.
      • No - Mail starts.
    • No previous Netscape/Mozilla profile found, 3rd party mail applications found - user asked if they would like to import from 3rd party mail applications.
      • Yes - Import Tool Wizard run. Mail starts up at completion of wizard.
      • No - New Accounts Wizard starts up.
    • No previous Netscape/Mozilla profile found, no 3rd party mail applications found - New Account Wizard starts up.

     

    *The items in Bold above are illustrated in a flowchart.

 


Goals

The Account Settings Dialogs and New Account Wizard should allow a user to easily setup and/or modify account information for one or more Mail, or Newsgroup accounts.

Basic

Intermediate

Advanced

  • Use the Account Setup Wizard to create a new default Mail Account.
  • User the Account Setup Wizard to create additional Mail Accounts.
  • Use the Account Setup Wizard to create Newsgroup accounts.
  • Use the Account Setup Wizard to setup a WebMail account (NS).
  • Use the Account Setup Wizard to setup an AOL account (NS).
  • Use the Account Settings Dialogs to modify the settings for an existing Mail or Newsgroup account.
  • Use the Account Settings Dialogs to modify their SMTP server.
  • Use the Account Settings Dialogs to add additional SMTP servers.
  • Use the Account Settings Dialogs to associate SMTP servers with specified Identities.
  • Define Advanced account settings.

 


Target User

The Account Setup Wizard should be straight forward and easy to use for novice users. It should easily and quickly walk them through the necessary steps to setting up a Mail, Newsgroup, Netscape WebMail or AOL account. Only required information is collected here and basic defaults for account behavior are chosen for the user.

The Account Settings Dialogs are aimed at more intermediate and advanced users who want to customize their accounts, change the default settings, add additional SMTP servers or associate certain Identities and SMTP servers.

 


Notes and Assumptions

 


Design Details

Access

The Account Setup Wizard and Account Settings Dialogs are accessible to users as follows:

Account Setup Wizard

Account Settings Dialogs

  • After completing Activation (Netcenter registration), users are asked if they would like to import an existing account or setup a new account.
  • From the Mail File, New menu. "Account".
  • From the Mail "File" menu, users can select "Import...".
  • From the Profile Manager, users are given the option to set up a new Mail or Newsgroup account.
  • From the Mail Launcher Icon (only if no accounts have been set up yet and user selects a Mail related item)
  • User selects any Mail related item (button, menu, etc.) and does not have Mail configured.
  • From the Account Settings Dialogs. Selecting the "New Account" button.

  • From the Edit menu, Mail component, "Mail/News Account Settings..."
  • Context menu in mail folder pane. When an account has focus, "Mail/News Account Settings..." is in the context menu.
  • From the Thread Pane when a top level Account Name is selected, context menu, "Account Properties...".

 

Account Setup Wizard

The Account Setup Wizard is launched automatically the first time Mail is run, if an existing Netscape/Mozilla profile is not migrated. It can also be launched on its own at anytime when the user requests to set up a new account.

The Account Setup Wizard should be straight forward and easy to use for novice users. It should easily and quickly walk users through the necessary steps for setting up a Mail, Netscape WebMail, AOL or Newsgroup account. Only required information is collected here and basic defaults for account behavior are chosen for the user. Fields are pre-populated where ever possible.

 

Mail 

1 - Account Wizard Start (Shared Dialog)

Minor wording change in description

 

Note: If the New Account Wizard is launched automatically (the user didn't request to create a new account) when the user launches Mail for the first time, additional text is displayed on this dialog:  "In order to receive email or newsgroup messages, you first need to set up a Mail or Newsgroup account."  This appears as a separate paragraph above the rest of the dialog (not currently implemented).

 

2 - Name & Email (Shared Dialog)

Changed from "Identity" to "Name & Email". Do users understand (or need to) the concept of Identity? Text describing "Identity" removed.

 

3 - Server Information (Mail specific)

Remove group boxes around items. No other panels in wizard have groupboxes. Change name of label from "Server Name" to "Incoming Server". Easier at a glance to know what info is needed without having to read the text above (WHICH server?).

 

The text entry field for "Outgoing Server" only appears on this dialog if the user has NOT already specified this information for another account.  Otherwise, the following dialog will be displayed instead:

Same as above. Also, descriptive text for existing smtp server is reduced. Its currently too wording and potentally confusing.

 

4 - Name (Mail)

 

5 - Account Name (Shared Dialog)

 This field is pre-populated with a default value:

 

6 - Congratulations (Shared Dialog)

"Download new messages now" checkbox is only visible for POP accounts. It is enabled by default.

 


Newsgroup

1 - New Account Wizard Start (Shared Dialog)

Same as mail

 

 

2 - Name & Email (Shared Dialog)

Same as mail

 

 

3 - Server Information (News)

Change name of label from "Server Name" to "Newsgroup Server". Easier at a glance to know what info is needed without having to read the text above.

 

 

4 - Account Name (Shared Dialog)

 This field is pre-populated with a default value:

 

5 - Congratulations (Shared Dialog)

Note: User Name is not displayed.

 


Netscape WebMail (Netscape Only)

1 - New Account Wizard Start (Shared Dialog)

Same change as mail.

 

2 - Name & Email

Same change as mail.

 

3 - Congratulations (Shared Dialog)

 


AOL Mail (Netscape Only)

1 - New Account Wizard Start (Shared Dialog)

 

2 - Name & Email

 

3 - Congratulations (Shared Dialog)

 

 


Mail/News Account Settings Dialogs

The Mail/News Account Settings dialogs let the user manage the settings of their various Mail, WebMail and Newsgroup accounts.

 Shared buttons

Note: As a user changes from account to account or account property (by highlighting items on the left), any changes made to the current view are not saved until the user clicks "OK".

 

1. Account  - IMAP, POP, Netscape WebMail

The name of the panel should be "Account Settings - <accountname>".

"Advanced" button moved to Server Settings panel ( bug 109162).

 

2. Account  - News

The name of the panel should be "Account Settings - <accountname>".

Same as Mail changes.

 

3. Account - Server - POP

The name of the panel should be "Server Settings - <accountname>".

Add "Advanced" button per bug 109162).

 

3a. Server Settings - POP - Advanced

The name of the dialog should be "Advanced Server Settings - <accountname>".

Name of dialog changed to match new parent window. "Server" label changed to "Outgoing Server".

 

4. Account - Server - IMAP

The name of the panel should be "Server Settings - <accountname>".

Note: When "Use secure connection (SSL)" is checked, the account level icon in Three Pane should include a lock.

 

4a.  Server Settings - IMAP - Advanced

Modify dialog per bug 109162.

 

5. Account - Server - News

The name of the panel should be "Server Settings - <accountname>".

 

Note: When "Use secure connection (SSL)" is checked, the account level icon in Three Pane should include a lock.

 

6. Account - Server - AOL

 

7. Account - Server - Netscape WebMail

Same as ISP IMAP account.

 

8. Account - Copies & Folders - IMAP and POP

The name of the panel should be "Copies & Folders - <AccountName> "

Combine, "Bcc <user's email>" and "Bcc this address" checkboxes into one. 

 

Default settings for "Copies & Folders" preferences

 

9. Account - Copies & Folders - AOL

Not available for AOL accounts.

 

10. Account - Copies & Folders - News 

The name of the panel should be "Copies & Folders - <AccountName>".

Same as mail.

 

Default settings for "Copies & Folders" preferences

 

11. Account - Offline & Disk Space - IMAP

 

12. Account - Disk Space - POP

Shorten descriptive text.

 

13. Account - Offline & Disk Space - News

 

14. Account - Offline & Disk Space - WebMail

 

15. Account - Offline & Disk Space - AOL

 

16. Account - Addressing - IMAP, POP, News, WebMail

 

17. Account - Addressing - AOL

Not available?

 

18. Outgoing (SMTP) Server Settings

 

18a. Outgoing Server (SMTP) - Advanced

 

Note: Netcenter WebMail account will add its SMTP server information to the advanced SMTP list.

 

SMTP Server

Used to add a new, or edit an existing, SMTP server.

 

19. Account - Return Receipts - All

 

20. Account - Security - Mail

 

21. Account - Security - News

 


Issues


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