One Click Conversations

One Click Conversations is a javascript for enhancing GMail. It allows painless access to your recent conversations, in just one click. The demo below should explain things succinctly.

A Demo

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Requirements:

You are using Firefox and have GreaseMonkey plugin installed, or are running a current version of Opera

Install:

If you met the requirements, you’re all ready to click less and expect more. Install One Click Conversations.

About This Version

This is a hybrid release, meant to function during the transition from Gmail V1 -> Gmail V2. As of 12/14/07, there are still lots of users not using V2, and as far as I know, Google Apps for your Domain hasn’t been updated yet to support the new Gmail V2 features.

Features:

Adds icon just to the left of sender name in list view and in message view
Clicking on icon takes you to the recent conversations with that user

Gmail V2 Only:

Option-clicking the icon searches for all messages from the sender’s domain. This is useful for the pile of old mailing lists/notifications that come from [random]@domain.com

Gmail V1 Only:

Rolling over icon in message view pops up menu, as found via the “quick contacts” panel
Adds “Recent Conversations” item to pull down menu in the message view.

Testing:

Works with Firefox 2.0 for Mac or PC with GreaseMonkey

Version history:

1.0 – 12.29.2006: Initial Release
1.1.0 – 12.30.2006: One bug fix turned into major restructuring.
1.1.1 – 01.17.2007: Checks if chat is enabled to prevent icons from showing up without any functionality.
1.1.2 – 04.06.2007: I changed the name from Quicker Contacts to One Click Conversations, a name that better describes what the main use of this script is.
1.1.3 – 04.19.2007: The script now alerts you if chat isn’t enabled, and provides a link to enable it.
1.2.0 – 06.20.2007: Fixed logic after google changed their code.; Added rollover image to icon as well as tooltip, to make it more obvious that it’s clickable.
1.2.1 – 07.03.2007: Fixed slight bug which occurred when clicking “Expand All” in message view.; Changed XPath query to allow Opera Support.
1.2.2 – 08.29.2007: Added more event listeners to ensure that icons get reapplied after an event (deleting a message, for instance)
2.0- 12.14.2007: Rewrote script to add support for GMail V2, using Google’s API.

15 Comments

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Does this work with the new gmail code yet?

Austin 12.04.07 / 2pm
Soon. I have it mostly working, I’m just working on a few performance issues. Should have it out within the next week.

Jeff Keen 12.04.07 / 3pm
I tried to use OcC trough Better Gmail 2 (v0.3) but it doesn’t seem to be working in Firefox 3b2..

FdB 01.18.08 / 11am
@FdB: It only works in Firefox 2 right now, and until FireBug and Greasemonkey are supported in FireFox 3, I don’t really have a good way to develop it.

Jeff Keen 01.18.08 / 11am
I think gmail changed something and your extension doesn’t work anymore (also many other greasemonkey extensions …)

Edo 01.26.08 / 11am
@Edo: Are you using the Firefox 3 beta? If so, that would be the reason. One Click Conversations only works in Firefox 2 currently.

Jeff Keen 01.26.08 / 11am
Google seems to be rolling out changes to gmail, which has broken a number of greasemonkey scripts, one click conversations included. (This is FF2 and not FF3, BTW.)

DW Jones 01.28.08 / 3am
One click conversations mysteriously started to work again. I wonder if google fixed something at their end?

DW Jones 01.29.08 / 4am
You mentioned that you recently updated this script to work with the new API that Gmail is now using, and that the new version of the script would not work with Google Apps because they have not yet updated to the same API…Does that mean then that the previous version of this script would still be compatible with Google Apps, and would still provide the same OCC functionality that current version does for Gmail?

If so, can you please respond back to this post with a link where I can download the previous version of the script from? Thanks!

Micah Diamond 02.01.08 / 6am
@Micah Diamond:
The existing script contains code to support all version of Gmail.

Jeff Keen 02.01.08 / 2pm
I love the functionality of this script! (well, when it’s working…)
Two requests:
1) Please confirm compatibility with FF3
2) I think most people use this script as part of Better Gmail 2 from Lifehacker. But One Click was dropped from the latest version of Better Gmail 2 due to compatibility issues. I’m sure you know about this, but, please, we want it to work again! I think many would share my plea to get it back into Better Gmail 2 asap

Samuel 06.24.08 / 6am
@Samuel: I’ll do some testing and figure out what’s wrong with OCC. I actually didn’t realize that it had been removed from Better Gmail 2 (I’ve been a little out of the loop lately with a new job), so thanks for telling me! I’ll get on this asap.

In my short ‘check this out while I have my morning coffee’ test, it looks like it works in FF3 if you’re using it with greasemonkey. Is that true for you too?

Jeff Keen 06.24.08 / 10am
It seems to work fine with FF3 for me, but it does break the back button functionality in GMail.

Derek Beumer 07.24.08 / 11am
I agree with Derek. I’ve been using it with FF3, but the back button is broken. To reproduce what I mean:
1. Click on a conversation icon
2. This returns the search results for that contact
3. Click back button
4. Same set of search results is reloaded from server.
To actually go back to the previous view, you need to access the history drop-down and select the entry just before the last one.

Samuel 07.28.08 / 11pm
I absolutely love this script and have my fingers crossed for an update… I also use FF3, and the back function is broken.

taltos1 08.05.08 / 8am

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About

I think about interfaces a lot, and occasionally dream about programming. I'm always working on some project, which is why it stays pretty quiet around here.

When I'm doing doing any of that, I take photos, put down funky drum beats, make wicked sandwiches, and hold my own at pub trivia. I do all of the above for fun, and am continually searching for ways to make fun turn a profit.

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Does this work with the new gmail code yet?

Austin 12.04.07 / 2pm

Soon. I have it mostly working, I’m just working on a few performance issues. Should have it out within the next week.

Jeff Keen 12.04.07 / 3pm

I tried to use OcC trough Better Gmail 2 (v0.3) but it doesn’t seem to be working in Firefox 3b2..

FdB 01.18.08 / 11am

@FdB: It only works in Firefox 2 right now, and until FireBug and Greasemonkey are supported in FireFox 3, I don’t really have a good way to develop it.

Jeff Keen 01.18.08 / 11am

I think gmail changed something and your extension doesn’t work anymore (also many other greasemonkey extensions …)

Edo 01.26.08 / 11am

@Edo: Are you using the Firefox 3 beta? If so, that would be the reason. One Click Conversations only works in Firefox 2 currently.

Jeff Keen 01.26.08 / 11am

Google seems to be rolling out changes to gmail, which has broken a number of greasemonkey scripts, one click conversations included. (This is FF2 and not FF3, BTW.)

DW Jones 01.28.08 / 3am

One click conversations mysteriously started to work again. I wonder if google fixed something at their end?

DW Jones 01.29.08 / 4am

You mentioned that you recently updated this script to work with the new API that Gmail is now using, and that the new version of the script would not work with Google Apps because they have not yet updated to the same API…Does that mean then that the previous version of this script would still be compatible with Google Apps, and would still provide the same OCC functionality that current version does for Gmail?

If so, can you please respond back to this post with a link where I can download the previous version of the script from? Thanks!

Micah Diamond 02.01.08 / 6am

@Micah Diamond:
The existing script contains code to support all version of Gmail.

Jeff Keen 02.01.08 / 2pm

I love the functionality of this script! (well, when it’s working…)
Two requests:
1) Please confirm compatibility with FF3
2) I think most people use this script as part of Better Gmail 2 from Lifehacker. But One Click was dropped from the latest version of Better Gmail 2 due to compatibility issues. I’m sure you know about this, but, please, we want it to work again! I think many would share my plea to get it back into Better Gmail 2 asap

Samuel 06.24.08 / 6am

@Samuel: I’ll do some testing and figure out what’s wrong with OCC. I actually didn’t realize that it had been removed from Better Gmail 2 (I’ve been a little out of the loop lately with a new job), so thanks for telling me! I’ll get on this asap.

In my short ‘check this out while I have my morning coffee’ test, it looks like it works in FF3 if you’re using it with greasemonkey. Is that true for you too?

Jeff Keen 06.24.08 / 10am

It seems to work fine with FF3 for me, but it does break the back button functionality in GMail.

Derek Beumer 07.24.08 / 11am

I agree with Derek. I’ve been using it with FF3, but the back button is broken. To reproduce what I mean:
1. Click on a conversation icon
2. This returns the search results for that contact
3. Click back button
4. Same set of search results is reloaded from server.
To actually go back to the previous view, you need to access the history drop-down and select the entry just before the last one.

Samuel 07.28.08 / 11pm