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The size of the chat message composition area in the bottom of the chat room is too small by default, and it doesn't shrink when the page gets too small. Both problems are easily solvable.

Current Default Width

The current default is 540 pixels. Here is a picture of a message one character shy of the limit. It's too small to hold what it was created for.

enter image description here

Proposed Default Width

Make it 820 pixels. This is the smallest width that holds the maximum message length without clipping. On a 1920 by 1080 monitor, this still leaves half of the entire bar unused.

enter image description here

Add a Maximum Width

As the page shrinks, the entire page adjusts, but the chat box stands strong! It floats off into nothingness, and your message gets clipped. Add a maximum width that shrinks with the page. Add a minimum width that keeps it from shrinking into ugliness.

enter image description here

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  • It's fine as it is. Using the entire message length limit should be rare.
    – Lightness Races in Orbit
    Commented Sep 2, 2014 at 23:57
  • 3
    @LightnessRacesinOrbit Rare is a relative term. Even if this only occurs once every hundred messages, this still means I am ever so slightly annoyed every once every hundred messages.
    – Rainbolt
    Commented Sep 3, 2014 at 1:37
  • And for the other ninety-nine messages, the box is taking up far too much space on the screen and wastes space. Do not optimise for the 1%: optimise for the 99%. Basic UX.
    – Lightness Races in Orbit
    Commented Sep 3, 2014 at 10:02
  • 3
    @LightnessRacesinOrbit Let me educate you on wasted space. Here is a screenshot of my chat bar set to the default. i.imgur.com/XvSP7yO.png
    – Rainbolt
    Commented Sep 3, 2014 at 13:45
  • 4
    @LightnessRacesinOrbit I'm sorry, but it was you who began the pointed educational retorts with "Basic UX." 1920 by 1080 is not a "stupid" resolution. It is the second most common resolution according to W3Schools, and the third highest according to Wikipedia (who collected their statistics from Steam). You could cut my resolution in half, and still have room for this proposal.
    – Rainbolt
    Commented Sep 3, 2014 at 14:27
  • What's the point in 1920 pixels width of SO chat? LOL. Shrink your window and free up space for other activities.
    – Lightness Races in Orbit
    Commented Sep 3, 2014 at 14:49
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    @LightnessRacesinOrbit I prefer using a big resolution for SO chat, then more messages fit on your screen and you can see more starred messages than if you shrink your window.
    – ProgramFOX
    Commented Sep 3, 2014 at 15:11
  • @ProgramFOX: How do more messages fit on your screen? Typical chat messages are not that long, and you only get a maximum of one message per line.
    – Lightness Races in Orbit
    Commented Sep 3, 2014 at 15:50
  • 1
    @LightnessRacesinOrbit Larger resolution => more lines.
    – Rainbolt
    Commented Sep 3, 2014 at 15:58
  • @LightnessRacesinOrbit: Most messages in the chatroom of Programming Puzzles & Code Golf are a bit longer than messages in other chatrooms might be, so if I would shrink my window when I'm in that chatroom, most messages would fill more than one line.
    – ProgramFOX
    Commented Sep 3, 2014 at 15:58
  • @ProgramFOX Then at best the OP is asking for a change that optimises for one chatroom at the expense of all the others.
    – Lightness Races in Orbit
    Commented Sep 3, 2014 at 16:01
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    @LightnessRacesinOrbit What expense? What do you lose by taking up space that is not currently used by anything else?
    – Rainbolt
    Commented Sep 3, 2014 at 16:06
  • @Rainbolt: The expense is making me write in one long, straight, horizontal line instead of a reasonably-proportioned rectangular box of auto-wrapping text.
    – Lightness Races in Orbit
    Commented Sep 3, 2014 at 16:07
  • 1
    @LightnessRacesinOrbit Well, it's not just that chatroom. There are others in which the messages are longer, such as the Moderators.SE chatroom and there might be others. And even if it's just an optimization for a few rooms, it doesn't hurt for other rooms. If the box shrinks if it is too large for your window, there is no reason for not making it bigger.
    – ProgramFOX
    Commented Sep 3, 2014 at 16:10
  • 3
    @LightnessRacesinOrbit It comes out in one long, straight, horizontal line anyway because the actual output box is twice the size of the input box. How is 820 pixels the full width of a 1920 width screen?
    – Rainbolt
    Commented Sep 3, 2014 at 16:15

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