Creating an email view, dark theme Q

[The Mule]

Quick question, I'm running Aquamail on a Samsung Galaxy 4, 4.4.4.  And a Samsung Galaxy tab 8.0 (SM-T310), 4.4.2.

I run the tablet in split screen mode, and the phone in single screen mode.  I use the dark theme on both (including messages).

When I create an email on the phone, everything happens the way that I would expect it to, dark theme the whole way.  When I create an email on the tablet, after I choose the email recipients, and then go to the subject field, the screen goes into light screen mode.  I fill out the subject, and then there's a Done button I have to hit.  I hit that, the screen stay in light mode, and I write the email.  I have to hit another Done button, then the screen goes back to the dark them, the keyboard disappears, and life is good again.  But if I choose to edit the text of the email, for example, the tablet goes back into light screen mode.

Is that normal?  Is there a setting I can change to keep the dark theme the whole time, and not to have to hit the Done buttons?

Thanks!

[mikeone]

>> Done button I have to hit

What's that button? Why do you have to use it?

I guess it's the same 'Done' button when composing a message in landscape mode on the phone:
a)  in subject field
b)  in text body

[The Mule]

I guess it's the same 'Done' button when composing a message in landscape mode on the phone:
a)  in subject field
b)  in text body

Bingo.  I didn't even know that, because I don't write emails in landscape on my phone, but you're exactly right, I just tried it, and saw it there too.  And for a tablet, it's usually landscape mode.  Why the difference between landscape and portrait?

[mikeone]

I'm pretty sure that Kostya will have a look into this "issue" and could bring "some light into the dark"... 

[The Mule]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYrW3yONR44

[Kostya Vasilyev]

From what you've described -- and I expected the youtube link to have a captured video of the issue, but... -- it sounds like "extracted text input".

This is Android's way to deal with limited screen real estate when entering text. The styling is defined by Android itself.

Is this what it looks like?

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12106228/how-to-detect-that-the-soft-keyboard-input-method-will-cover-entire-screen

[The Mule]

Yes, similar to that.

But that mode change didn't happen on my tablet for Cloudmagic though. 

And since it's a tablet, there's still plenty of vertical space when in landscape mode.  How does Android determine when to change into that mode?  Maybe that can be changed or something.

[Kostya Vasilyev]

Similar -- or pretty much the same? Can you post a screenshot?

Android decides on its own, and yes, it's not typical for tablet sized screens.

Perhaps you're using a custom ROM that lets you tweak the DPI and so your tablet's screen is now classifed as "normal" (as opposed to "large"), in terms of its logical size? Pixels / DPI?

[The Mule]

If I follow that link, and then to here, maybe that mode change was disabled in Cloudmagic?

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4336762/disabling-the-fullscreen-editing-view-for-soft-keyboard-input-in-landscape


The picture on this page is exactly like mine, with that "Done" button there, which I have to press after entering the subject, and after entering the body text.  It wouldn't be so bothersome, except when it switches modes like that, it goes back to a white background format.

[Kostya Vasilyev]

Yes it is possible to turn it off in the code, but the real question is -- why is your tablet kicking into "extracted UI" mode at all?

Android decides on its own, and yes, it's not typical for tablet sized screens

Can you try a different keyboard, just to see where the issue is?

Or maybe

Perhaps you're using a custom ROM that lets you tweak the DPI and so your tablet's screen is now classifed as "normal" (as opposed to "large"), in terms of its logical size? Pixels / DPI?

[The Mule]

I use SwiftKey.  OK, I'll report back.  I'll try the stock keyboard.

(There are also different size modes in SwiftKey, I'll try those too.)

[The Mule]

Interesting.  SwiftKey goes into that "small screen" mode with Aquamail, no matter what screen size I choose.  But the native Samsung keyboard doesn't.  So maybe I'll try and pester the SiwftKey people.