it would be great if we have an option to use external mailtemplates, something
like the External Template Loader Add-on.
It must be really comfortable.
In case of ST4 -> per Tab and per each Identity different Mailtemplates and
mybe some specials :)

I don't know that one, but Stationery comes to mind?

I think the main problem is one of User Interface, at the moment all templates
are hard-linked to identities (and stored in about:config).

We have integrated Stationery for this. So for now I am resolving with WONTFIX

I have looked at ExternalTemplateLoader from Kaosmos like you suggested. It
seems to make the same mistake as ST4 in only binding one template to each
identity instead of offering multiple templates.

Apart from this major inconvenience, what is the advantage of using this over
Stationery?

And how should it work as regards UI? Load an external HTML file (like
Stationery) and then replace the variables in that [which is what I have done
for Stationery, with much help of its author] ? 

Or load a html file from instead the template (e.g. with a %file(abc.html)%
variable) ?

(In reply to comment #3)

> Or load a html file from instead the template (e.g. with a %file(abc.html)%
> variable) ?
One correction I meant to type

"load a html file from INSIDE the template"?

(In reply to comment #3)
> I have looked at ExternalTemplateLoader from Kaosmos like you suggested. It
> seems to make the same mistake as ST4 in only binding one template to each
> identity instead of offering multiple templates.
> 
> Apart from this major inconvenience, what is the advantage of using this over
> Stationery?
> 
> And how should it work as regards UI? Load an external HTML file (like
> Stationery) and then replace the variables in that [which is what I have done
> for Stationery, with much help of its author] ? 
> 
> Or load a html file from instead the template (e.g. with a %file(abc.html)%
> variable) ?
>

"Apart from this major inconvenience, what is the advantage of using this over
Stationery?"

> The advantages are you can onload a html file from websource like http://www.example.com/template.html.
Stationery and SmartTemplate handle locally content only like "hardcoded html"
which somes up from our UI or in case of Stationery form locally stored html
files.

"I have looked at ExternalTemplateLoader from Kaosmos like you suggested. It
seems to make the same mistake as ST4 in only binding one template to each
identity instead of offering multiple templates."

> Exactly but this will be enough for the Momment.

"And how should it work as regards UI? Load an external HTML file (like
Stationery) and then replace the variables in that [which is what I have done
for Stationery, with much help of its author] ? "

> currently not on my desk. I know that is really hard to replace variables AFTER compose window is done. A simple onload of an external html will be enough for now.

(In reply to comment #5)
> (In reply to comment #3)
> The advantages are you can onload a html file from websource like http://www.example.com/template.html.
> Stationery and SmartTemplate handle locally content only like "hardcoded html"
> which somes up from our UI or in case of Stationery form locally stored html
> files.

Can ExternalTemplateLoader do it? What happens when you include an external
html file from ExternalTemplateLoader?

Loading a file from a web source is vastly different from loading a local file;
it is basically a major can of worms.

(In reply to comment #5)
> (In reply to comment #3)
> > The advantages are you can onload a html file from websource like http://www.example.com/template.html.
> Stationery and SmartTemplate handle locally content only like "hardcoded html"
> which somes up from our UI or in case of Stationery form locally stored html
> files.
> 
> "I have looked at ExternalTemplateLoader from Kaosmos like you suggested. It
> seems to make the same mistake as ST4 in only binding one template to each
> identity instead of offering multiple templates."
> 
> > Exactly but this will be enough for the Momment.
> 
> "And how should it work as regards UI? Load an external HTML file (like
> Stationery) and then replace the variables in that [which is what I have done
> for Stationery, with much help of its author] ? "
> 
> > currently not on my desk. I know that is really hard to replace variables AFTER compose window is done. A simple onload of an external html will be enough for now.
> 

By the way:

You are quoting "Backwards". The quoted sentences have to be on a deeper level
(behind >) and your replies should be without the >

Just place your replies inline by using [Enter], like in an email.

To consolidate, and send users to a possible solution at least for local files,
I am marking this one as duplicate of [Bug 25871] which deals with external
files.

Usage - HTML files:
%file(localpath,encoding)%

Usage - Images:
%file(localpath,altText)%


use the variables tab to insert the variable to be prompted with a file picker.

Maybe we can eventually support loading these files from a server
asynchronously. But it is very complicated.

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 25871 ***