1175646 - Typing a string that matches a visited hostname doesn't provide option to search

Status: RESOLVED INACTIVE

(Firefox :: Address Bar, defect)

Description

[Gregory Szorc [:gps]]

If you type a word or phrase in the location bar and it doesn't match anything in your history, there is a "Search with Yahoo" option available to you. You press enter and a search is performed. It's a good user experience because search is always at your fingertips.

Contrast with:

1) Open a fresh profile
2) Type "taskcluster.allizom.org" in the location bar and hit enter (simulates a visit to an old site from your history)
3) Type "taskcluster" in the location bar

The only option after #3 is "Visit taskcluster.allizom.org." There is no search option.

This behavior is frustrating because I want to be able to search from the location bar for *any* set of words typed in. This is important because I want to type something in the location bar, see if there are any relevant results from my history/profile, and effortlessly fall back to search if I don't see what I want. As it is currently implemented, I have to type in the location bar, see there aren't any matches, then *re-type* my query in the search bar. So frustrating.

I think there should *always* be an option to search from the location bar results list. FWIW, Chrome does things this way. Although, they don't have a separate search bar, so they must surface search in the location bar results to make search available.

Comment 1

[Lii Tii]

It's worse than Gregory explains because, in his situation the autocompleted remainder of the domain is shown as selected in the location bar, so pressing the Delete key removes the selection leaving behind the single word. Hence it is still possible, though awkward to search for that word.

The real issue is that typing anything that looks like a domain, e.g. "window.location" (without quotes) refuses to offer a search option even though the dot is part of a legitimate search term.

As Gregory suggests, sure, provide a "visit" option first, but only in addition to the "search" option.

Comment 2

[BMO Automation]

Per policy at https://wiki.mozilla.org/Bug_Triage/Projects/Bug_Handling/Bug_Husbandry#Inactive_Bugs. If this bug is not an enhancement request or a bug not present in a supported release of Firefox, then it may be reopened.