232702 - "Save link as..." doesn't prompt for location to save to

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Toolkit :: Downloads API, defect)

Description

[Myk Melez [:myk] [@mykmelez]]

The "Save link to disk..." context menu item doesn't prompt me for the location
to save the link to, although I frequently want to save text file links (e.g. to
Bugzilla patches) to a different location than my downloads folder.

I can already download binary files to my downloads folder by left-clicking on
their links, but I can't do that with text files (since Firebird displays them),
so it seems like the context menu item is mostly useful for downloading text
files, which don't tend to go into my downloads folder.

Of course, there are cases where the context menu item makes sense for binary
links, such as when Firebird mistakenly thinks it can display a binary file, but
a recent checkin by bzbarsky supposedly fixed a lot of that.  If that's now the
less common use of the item, then it would be better to prompt for location
(perhaps offering a modifier key alternative for not prompting).  In lieu of
that, the ellipses should be removed from the item at least.

Comment 1

[Bill Mason]

Under Tools -> Options -> Downloads, you probably have Download Folder set to
save all files to one specific folder.  Just change the setting.

Comment 2

[Myk Melez [:myk] [@mykmelez]]

(In reply to comment #1)
> Under Tools -> Options -> Downloads, you probably have Download Folder set to
> save all files to one specific folder.  Just change the setting.

Sure, but that setting is useful for the binary file case (which i never use
"Save link to disk..." for since I can just click the link to download it), just
not for the text file case (which I always use "Save link to disk..." for
because otherwise Firebird would display the link instead of downloading it).

Comment 3

[Jesse Ruderman]

See also bug 229547, *opposite* bug for "save image as".

Comment 4

[Jesse Ruderman]

*** Bug 241279 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 5

[Asa Dotzler [:asa]]

updating OS, targeting to 0.9 and setting blocking flag.

Comment 6

[Jesse Ruderman]

This should not be fixed.

Argument from votes: bug 229547 (saving images *shouldn't* prompt for a
location) has 2 votes.  This bug has 0 votes.

Argument from "options should do what they say": The options are "Ask me where
to save every file" and Save all files to this folder".

Argument from consistency: Users would have to figure out which Save commands
follow the pref and which don't.  That's bad.

Argument from "don't try to be smarter than the user": We can't predict how
likely it is that the user wants to select a location based on what Save command
the user gives.  Therefore, we should respect the user's option for all Save
commands.  Examples showing why it's hard to predict:

* Myk wants to select locations for text (patches) but not anything else.  He
only uses "Save Link [As...]" for text.  So Myk wants "Save Link [As...]", but
nothing else, to prompt.

* I want to select locations for everything but images and videos.  I only use
"Save Link [As...]" for videos (because left-clicking it starts playing it,
often in Winamp).  So I want everything but "Save Image [As...]" and "Save Link
[As...]" to prompt.

Comment 7

[Dave Miller [:justdave]]

Why not have both "Save Link..." and "Save Link As..." in the menu if the
"Download all files to this folder" is set?  Only power users would likely want
both (like Myk and myself), thus I'd be happy if there was something in
about:config that you could tweak to enable both instead of having to clutter
the preferences UI for it.

Comment 8

[timeless]

If the menuitem does not trigger user interaction before its action then the
dots (...) should be removed from the menuitem [Save link].

Comment 9

[Ali Ebrahim]

taking qa

Comment 10

[Mike Connor [:mconnor]]

so the options are:
a) have a separate label to be used depending on the pref.
b) have a separate context menu item that is used depending on the autodownload
pref, and have a hidden pref that enables the prompt for location menuitem even
if autodownloading would work.

this can be done with some refactoring of code, I'm sure

Comment 11

[Ben Goodger (use ben at mozilla dot org for email)]

fixed, branch and trunk

Comment 12

[Samir L. Boulema]

Can a pref be added to change back to the old behaviour? I liked the old style
where it didn't ask for anything and just saved.

Comment 13

[Jesse Ruderman]

That pref could look something like:

( ) Ask me where to save every file
(o) Save all files to this folder: [_______|v]

Comment 14

[Christopher Aillon (sabbatical, not receiving bugmail)]

If you want a pref, file a new bug.  But please keep in mind that menu items
with an ellipsis imply a context-specific dialog will be presented to the user.

Comment 15

[Stian Jordet]

I do understand that this bug was fixed because it made it easier to download
text-files. But if you want to download several files from one page, you can't
just left click them all and wait for them to download, because the download
doesn't start immediately. If you choose "Save link as", they get saved anyway,
but I get lot's of dialog boxes asking me where to save...

Comment 16

[Stian Jordet]

I just read at http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=4824#182 that I
can press alt while clicking on a link to get the old behaviour. That's just
perfect :) But wouldn't it be better keep the old default, and use the alt key
for the new behaviour? Anyway, some more information about it, for instance in
the release notes would have been fine.

Comment 17

[Ben Goodger (use ben at mozilla dot org for email)]

Hold down Alt while you click the link to get it to autodownload. 

Comment 18

[doctor_cogent]

(In reply to comment #17)
> Hold down Alt while you click the link to get it to autodownload. 

This doesn't work on thumbnails pointing to images. It does nothing.