Closed
Bug 61473
Opened 24 years ago
Closed 24 years ago
The menu item |Tasks|Tools|Java Console| does not indicate the absence of the Java plug-in or JRE access.
Categories
(Core Graveyard :: Java: OJI, defect, P3)
Tracking
(Not tracked)
People
(Reporter: LlelanD, Assigned: edburns)
Details
From Bugzilla Helper: User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.0; en-US; m18) Gecko/20001127 BuildID: 2000112720 Build ID: 2000112720 on Win2Kpro 5.00.2195 SP1 IE5.5, and WinMe 4.90.3000 IE5.5 There is no indication as to whether the Java plug-in is installed. The menu item |Tasks|Tools|Java Console| is NOT disabled when the plug-in is not installed. When it is chosen, nothing happens. As there is no documentation or instruction available to a user, no hint that a plug-in is needed for an Applet to access Java, and given that all browsers in the past have installed their own JVM which gave automatic access to Java, the user is left with no idea as to what could be wrong or what to do about it. Two solutions are needed. 1. All UI functions which depend on an installed component must visually indicate that the function is unavailable if the component is absent. 2. The release notes available from the |Help|Release Notes| menu item for each release must contain a list of the optional components that are not installed by default, what browser functions they affect or enable, and instructions and/or links as to how to install them. A better remedy: My preferred solution to this type of situation is to design the UI with a proactive stance and not depend on the documentation. For menu items I define a visual state seperate from disabled to indicate that the function would be available but for a missing component. The visual cue I use is to display the menu item as enabled and stricken (with the font attribute "strike-through" which adds a horizontal line through each letter). The menu item also displays a tooltip to indicate the missing component (An MSWindows thing, the status bar might be used if a tooltip system is not available). If the menu item is chosen, a dialog box comes up describing the missing component(s) and providing a link or button to an installation instruction or process for the missing component(s). This allows your UI to still work clearly, independent of any missing documentation, but it should never be seen as an excuse to lower the priority of or not provide the related documentation. I submitted this bug after being verbally backhanded when I misinterpreted it in a related bug report as a Java Console failure in the presence of a working Java environment since I had no idea, reference, or indication that a plug-in was needed or missing. I only managed to finally confirm the true source of this problem through a third-party FAQ via a general web search. Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: Close all the instances of the Mozilla browser. Remove the Java plug-in DLLs (like npjava11.dll, npjava12.dll, and npjava3s.dll) from the installation "plugins" directory (typically "c:\Program Files\Mozilla\Seamonkey\plugins"). Start a new browser instance. Note the state of the |Tasks|Tools|Java Console| menu item. Actual Results: The menu item |Tasks|Tools|Java Console| is still normally enabled. When you choose it, nothing happens. In the absense of any related documentation in the release notes, the user is left with no clue as to what is wrong. Expected Results: At the very least, any UI function disabled by the lack of an optionally installed component or a failed or disabled component should be visually indicated. Optional components, their default state, and access and installation instructions should be present in a file available from the Help menu, such as the release notes.
Comment 1•24 years ago
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*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 61474 ***
Status: UNCONFIRMED → RESOLVED
Closed: 24 years ago
Resolution: --- → DUPLICATE
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Description
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