Compose window, remove contacts, remove attachments if none

[mathog]

The compose window is currently formatted as follows:
1.  Top of browser window: "roundcube" + row of icons
2.  Left of browser window below (1): pane 1 "contacts",  about 20% of the width of the window, remaining height
of the browser window.
3.  Message header fields, below (1), right of (2).
4. Center of browser window, right of (1), below (3): pane 2 "text entry box", about 50% of the width of the browser window and extending to the bottom of the browser window.
5.  Right of the browser window, right of (4), below (3): pane 3 "attachments", uses remaining browser window width and extending to the bottom of the browser window.

There are width adjustment handles on "contacts" and "attachments". With those I can make them narrow, but I have not been able to make them go away.

I want "contacts" gone always - I never use that.  In a new message I just start typing the address in "to" and it offers matches from the address book to select.  Similar for CC, BCC.

I want "attachments" gone unless there are attachments present.   The paper clip icon is available to start adding them, so there is no reason for the huge empty "attachments" window to be around, just to access the redundant (with the paper clip) "+" in its lower left corner.

How does one do this?  There does not seem to be anything in "settings"/"composing messages" that would change the format of the two extra panes.

Thank you.

[SKaero]

I think you'd need a custom skin.

[ABerglund]

I agree with SKaero, you'd need to customize a copy of the desired skin itself. Start with a copy of the larry skin folder, and staret tinkering with the css and html templates to get the desired results.

For broader acceptance, instead of just doing away with the Contacts and Attachment panes, perhaps a toggle button that could open them on demand might be a better option for most people. You could set the default behavior (open or closed) to suit as a user preference. That would be considerably tougher than simply stripping them out, though.

FWIW, doing away with the Attachment pane eliminates the recently added ability to drag-and-drop attachments. I'd argue that for many casual users, the paperclip button is the redundant attachment method, not the attachment pane.

Similarly, lots of people who have multiple address books use the Contacts pane. I auto-fill from my Personal book only, but have several separate LDAP books to choose from that I use frequently. So eliminating the pane entirely isn't great for all users.

[krelvinaz]

Funny, I was just thinking about making the contacts section disappear when not used (rarely used).  Was going to start looking to see if someone had done this.  As for the attachment area, I never drag and drop attachments myself, in fact, I have been wondering without thinking about what the big arrow thing was until just now.

Note that I may have 3 or more compose windows open at once depending on what I am responding to and the new urgent message that arrives while doing a more mundane message.  So size is everything.

Might take a look at this myself if I get some time.