Will Instructure Be Improving Syntactic Limitations of Canvas Inbox?

[lbm]

Please do guide me in the right direction should my concern be misplaced, but I've been in correspondence with many peers and professors through Canvas Inbox as the preferred mode of communication. However, I find that the messaging system is limiting in expression and organization as one is unable to use emphasis techniques nor can they number or bullet point text. While email obviously offers such means, many professors prefer (or simply refuse to respond if not) the use of Canvas Inbox over email. I do wonder why Canvas Inbox cannot also have such formatting? 

[ARD2]

Canvas should at least support **markdown**

[james_whalley]

@lbm I agree that the Inbox should have more formatting features. It makes no sense that there is not at least a minimalist version of the Rich Content Editor available there. I would recommend putting this in as a feature idea.

[ARD2]

@james_whalleyI know you are trying to be helpful but I don't think this is an issue of how users are asking for the feature. I think this is an issue of Instructure not prioritizing users.

[Gabriel33]

Indeed, this has been requested since 2015: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Ideas/Inbox-Add-rich-content-editor-to-Conversations/idi-p...

Also, it looks like it was in beta in 2022 and delayed: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Releases/Canvas-Deploy-Notes-2022-09-14/ta-p/536505#toc-hI...

Is there a point in making it into a new idea if they are still ignoring the 2015 one?

[james_whalley]

Well, putting in a new one will make them aware this is still an issue and that hasn't changed. It is frustrating that the idea has been around for 10 years and the new RCE is available practically everywhere else.

[chriscas · Accepted solution]

Hi @lbm  and others here,

Now that there is a "lite" rich content editor (RCE) that was developed for SpeedGrader comments, this seems to me like more of a possibility now.  I think having the full RCE in the inbox was likely a challenge because many components of the RCE may not work outside the context of a course (integrations, uploads, images, etc).  The Lite RCE provides some much-needed formatting without all of the other features of the full RCE that could be more problematic.  With that being said, I'll note here that when the RCE came to SpeedGrader comments, it did mess up the display of all existing comments, which would probably be an even bigger issue with the Inbox.  That;s not to say it's impossible to code, but it's also not just a simple addition when all of the different things are factored in (web canvas, canvas mobile apps, email notifications, app notifications, etc).

I do hope some basic formatting eventually comes to inbox though.  As @james_whalley said, submitting a new idea specifically referening the Lite RCE may help, but I do also know the ideas process is being revamped right now and a change like thius wouldn't be a quick one, just for full transparency.

-Chris