The only means of achieving this would be to use 'Conversations' addon extension. You can download the *.xpi file from this link:

• https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/thunderbird/addon/gmail-conversation-view/

How to Install Add-on Extension:

• Open the add-ons manager ( then )
• Drag your downloaded XPI file to the add-on manager tab and drop it.

or

• and select 'Install Add-on From File'.
• Locate the *.xpi file you downloaded and click on 'Open'.
• You many need to restart Thunderbird when prompted.

For more detailed instructions and information about installing add-ons please see Installing an Add-on in Thunderbird

see first image as aid.

Once the Conversations addon extension is installed, you can choose to use it or temporarilly not use it via the 'Menu Bar'. To show 'Menu Bar' 'Menu icon' > 'Options' > select 'Menu bar' see second image below.

'View' > 'Conversation View'

One of icons that you will see below list of emails, at top of Message Pane, will allow you to 'expand/collapse all messages'.

Hi Toad-Hall,

Thanks for the idea. I'm giving the gmail-conversation-view extension a try. I'll keep it for a week to see if I like it.

My first impression is that it's overkill for what I wanted, but it does provide me with a quick overview of a conversation. I don't like the <reply> inside the Message Pane that it provides, but that's ok, ctrl+r replies in a normal window. It kind breaks the look and feel I'm used to.

Two questions, are there keyboard shortcuts to : - toggle collapse/expand all messages in the conversation view ? - toggle the View->Conversation View option ?

Thanks

Some info located on conversations: http://en.flossmanuals.net/thunderbird/thunderbird-conversations/

I agree with your sentiments. I prefer the standard Thunderbird view, but found it useful to switch it on and off as required for specific purposes such as seeing all threads and previewing pdf documents.

When you have focus on the messages in message pane,: Ctrl + Shift + n will open new tab to write a message.

Sorry no shortcut keys at the moment. I did do a search and located someone who had also asked for this, but the author did not have time to do at the moment.

Thanks for all the info.

I see why people like gmail conversation view, but since yesterday I've been frequently switching conversation view on and off, as you mention you do. It's helpful but I think that having some configuration options to change the thread preview would have worked better for me.

The shortcuts I mention would have helped too. Also, I'm a big user of Nostalgy but the ctrl+left ctrl+right shortcuts to scroll up and down the message without changing focus from the Thread Pane no longer work. So I find myself without a quick way to toggle conversation view and with less working shortcuts than before.

As I mentioned, I'll try the extension for a week or two to see if it grows on me.

If by any chance you know where in Thunderbird's source code I could change the thread preview code, I'd be willing to give that a try. I'm on Arch Linux and Thunderbird-hg is already in AUR so getting it to compile shouldn't be too hard.

Best regards