Controlling a message display in an electronic device

Abstract

A method of controlling a display of an electronic device for displaying a list of electronic messages. The method includes comparing a width of a designated space for a field of the electronic messages to a minimum width to determine if the width is sufficient, and if the width is determined to be sufficient, maintaining the width of the designated space, otherwise increasing the width of the designated space.

1 . A method comprising:
 comparing a width of a designated space for displaying data from a field of electronic messages to a designated column width for displaying the field;   when the width is determined to be sufficient, maintaining the width, otherwise increasing the width; and   displaying a list of the electronic messages with the data displayed in the designated space for each of the electronic messages.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the width is determined to be sufficient when a test case string fits within the designated space. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the comparing comprises comparing a given width of the test case string to the designated column width. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising determining the width of the designated space prior to the comparing. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising, when the designated space for the field is determined to be insufficient, for each electronic message of the list, displaying the field on one line and displaying a further field on a next line. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the displaying the field on the one line comprises displaying an address field on the one line and the displaying the further field comprises displaying a subject field on the next line in the list. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the displaying the further field comprises determining a left edge of the field in the one line in relation to a display of an electronic device on which the list is provided and locating a left edge of the further field on the next line based on the left edge of the field in the one line. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein when the left edge of the field in the one line falls within a predetermined first portion of the display, and the further field is located to align the left edge of the further field with the left edge of the field in the one line. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein when the field in the one line does not fall within the predetermined first portion of the display, the further field is located such that the left edge of the further field is left of alignment with the field in the one line. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein displaying the field in the one line comprises displaying the field in the one line with a first display attribute and displaying the further field on the next line comprises displaying the further field with a second display attribute. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the first display attribute comprises at least one of font family, font size, font style and colour, and the second display attribute comprises at least one of font family, font size, font style and colour. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 5 , further comprising displaying all the fields of one of the electronic messages on a single line in the list after the one of the electronic messages is opened. 
     
     
         13 . An electronic device comprising:
 a processor, a communications device for receiving electronic messages, and a display, the processor enabled to:
 compare a width of a designated space for displaying data from a field of the electronic messages to a designated column width for displaying the field at the display; 
 when the width is determined to be sufficient, maintain the width, otherwise increase the width; and 
 display a list of the electronic messages at the display with the data displayed in the designated space for each of the electronic messages. 
   
     
     
         14 . The electronic device according to  claim 13 , wherein the processor is further enabled to determine that the width is sufficient when a test case string fits within the designated space. 
     
     
         15 . The electronic device according to  claim 13 , wherein the processor is further enabled to: when the designated space for the field is determined to be insufficient, for each electronic message of the list, display the field on one line and display a further field on a next line. 
     
     
         16 . The electronic device according to  claim 15 , wherein the field comprises an address field and the further field comprises a subject field. 
     
     
         17 . The electronic device according to  claim 15 , wherein the processor is further enabled to display the further field by determining a left edge of the field in the one line in relation to a display of an electronic device on which the list is provided and locating a left edge of the further field on the next line based on the left edge of the field in the one line. 
     
     
         18 . The electronic device according to  claim 17 , wherein when the left edge of the field in the one line falls within a predetermined first portion of the display, and the further field is located to align the left edge of the further field with the left edge of the field in the one line. 
     
     
         19 . The electronic device according to  claim 18 , wherein when the field in the one line does not fall within the predetermined first portion of the display, the further field is located such that the left edge of the further field is left of alignment with the field in the one line. 
     
     
         20 . A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method comprising:
 comparing a width of a designated space for displaying data from a field of electronic messages to a designated column width for displaying the field;   when the width is determined to be sufficient, maintaining the width, otherwise increasing the width; and   displaying a list of the electronic messages with the data displayed in the designated space for each of the electronic messages.