1226546 - [tracking] Support Tab Mix Plus as a webextension

Status: REOPENED

(WebExtensions :: General, defect, P5)

Description

[Erik Vold]

Kev Needham (https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/08/21/the-future-of-developing-firefox-add-ons/) and Bill McCloskey (https://billmccloskey.wordpress.com/2015/08/21/firefox-add-on-changes/) have stated that Mozilla wants to support existing add-ons and not abandon support for existing popular add-ons.

Tab Mix Plus has almost a million daily users, and obviously should not be abandoned, especially since the add-on sdk would have provided a means for this add-on to exist, before Kev made that impossible with the plan stated in https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/08/21/the-future-of-developing-firefox-add-ons/

It would be nice if someone above would describe how webextensions are going to support this add-on.

I don't think saying it will "use the native.js idea" is good enough.  This bug will need some real information.

Comment 1

[Andy McKay]

Many of the tab mix plus APIs are supported in the new WebExtensions APIs. Some aren't and similar to bug 1232178 I'm not sure how useful this bug is. What would be really helpful is a list of APIs that we need to add to make this add-on usable in WebExtensions. Perhaps the add-on author would be able to help with that.

Comment 2

[Ed Morley [:emorley]]

Reopening+adding whiteboard tag since this addon is under the "most widely adopted" section on https://arewewebextensionsyet.com/ and is not yet a web extension.

Comment 3

[ffalphauser]

I'm using Firefox from 0.2 alpha.
I'm using TabMixPlus since it has succeeded the TabMix extension which I've been using from its first version.
I cannot imagine FF without multirow tabs, it's the main feature I'm using in TMP.
You must implement this feature in FF 57 directly, or in WebExtensions API.

Comment 4

[Thomas S.]

I'm also using Firefox since the beginning (I changed from Netscape as firefox seems to be the future). 
With Tabmixplus Firefox got not only a better Tab System, but also a session management - which made it possible to restore all open tabs after a crash or a (program/computer) restart. 
Years later firefox also implemented an internal session management - and I thought I will use the internal one. But a lot of times after a new restart of firefox (after crash or new program restart) all the tabs and sessions were lost. Therefore I changed again to the session management of tabmixplus - till now. For me the session management in my work is existential because it stores not only the url but the real session (where on the page you where positioned and so on). I'm using it since more than 15 years often with 80+ tabs and it never (!) has disappointed me (it worked every time)
Please provide a possibility that tabmixplus can exits further or implement the real working session management from tabmixplus  into firefox - I think this should be possible...
Thanks!

Comment 5

[Jorge Villalobos [:jorgev] (he/him)]

This bug is not actionable in its current state. If there are any specific APIs that are needed for TMP to be ported to use WebExtensions, they should be filed as individual bugs and added as dependencies to this bug.

Comment 6

[jomo]

I don't think there's an API that allows to open new tabs for history, bookmarks, address/search bar, which is one of the Tab Mix Plus features.

Comment 7

[Hlsg]

(In reply to jomo from comment #6)
> I don't think there's an API that allows to open new tabs for history,
> bookmarks, address/search bar, which is one of the Tab Mix Plus features.

The ability to open new tabs from everywhere(history, bookmarks, address/search bar) should ba a native feature IMHO. There should be an option an about:config that reverses the roles or normal click/enter and CTRL + click/enter.

Comment 8

[Yuri Khan]

Depends on: 1393349

Comment 9

[u600681]

The Tab Focus feature is vital to me for accessibility reasons.

Comment 10

[u600681]

IMO, the tab focus on mouse hover should also be a native accessibility feature.

Comment 11

[fireattack [:fireattack]]

Could we also add "depends on" for 1335108? It was a feature removed from Firefox but achievable with TMP.

Comment 12

[Gordon Dexter]

(In reply to Hlsg from comment #7)
> (In reply to jomo from comment #6)
> > I don't think there's an API that allows to open new tabs for history,
> > bookmarks, address/search bar, which is one of the Tab Mix Plus features.
> 
> The ability to open new tabs from everywhere(history, bookmarks,
> address/search bar) should ba a native feature IMHO. There should be an
> option an about:config that reverses the roles or normal click/enter and
> CTRL + click/enter.

The about:config key 'browser.search.openintab' does this for search already, but I haven't been able to find corresponding ones for bookmarks or the URL bar. I relied on this behavior heavily in my normal browsing habits, so having it missing is the most substantial grievance I have with 57.

Comment 13

[[e-mail]]

(In reply to Thomas S. from comment #4)
> I'm also using Firefox since the beginning (I changed from Netscape as
> firefox seems to be the future). 
> With Tabmixplus Firefox got not only a better Tab System, but also a session
> management - which made it possible to restore all open tabs after a crash
> or a (program/computer) restart. 
> Years later firefox also implemented an internal session management - and I
> thought I will use the internal one. But a lot of times after a new restart
> of firefox (after crash or new program restart) all the tabs and sessions
> were lost. Therefore I changed again to the session management of tabmixplus
> - till now. For me the session management in my work is existential because
> it stores not only the url but the real session (where on the page you where
> positioned and so on). I'm using it since more than 15 years often with 80+
> tabs and it never (!) has disappointed me (it worked every time)
> Please provide a possibility that tabmixplus can exits further or implement
> the real working session management from tabmixplus  into firefox - I think
> this should be possible...
> Thanks!

aggred!  I'm using Firefox since version 0.2 and TMP has a lot of features I use every day. Now I'm kind of lost without them. I keep using the same Tab by mistake all the time.

Comment 14

[Masatoshi Kimura [:emk]]

(In reply to Gordon Dexter from comment #12)
> The about:config key 'browser.search.openintab' does this for search
> already, but I haven't been able to find corresponding ones for bookmarks or
> the URL bar. I relied on this behavior heavily in my normal browsing habits,
> so having it missing is the most substantial grievance I have with 57.

For bookmarks, "browser.tabs.loadBookmarksInTabs".
For the URL bar, bug 1394304 (that is, not possible yet unfortunately.)

Comment 15

[Christoph Gizewski]

(In reply to Gordon Dexter from comment #12)
> (In reply to Hlsg from comment #7)
> > (In reply to jomo from comment #6)
> > > I don't think there's an API that allows to open new tabs for history,
> > > bookmarks, address/search bar, which is one of the Tab Mix Plus features.
> > 
> > The ability to open new tabs from everywhere(history, bookmarks,
> > address/search bar) should ba a native feature IMHO. There should be an
> > option an about:config that reverses the roles or normal click/enter and
> > CTRL + click/enter.
> 
> The about:config key 'browser.search.openintab' does this for search
> already, but I haven't been able to find corresponding ones for bookmarks or
> the URL bar. I relied on this behavior heavily in my normal browsing habits,
> so having it missing is the most substantial grievance I have with 57.

Aren't we allready able to open tabs from everywhere using the middle-mousebutton?

Comment 16

[[e-mail]]

> Aren't we allready able to open tabs from everywhere using the
> middle-mousebutton?

I found these 3 settings that solved my problem for the moment:

browser.bookmarks.openInTabClosesMenu	 ON A MENU, I CAN CTRL-CLICK A BOOKMARK AND THE MENU REMAINS OPEN
browser.search.openintab	
browser.tabs.loadBookmarksInTabs	     This is really useful

Comment 17

[Yuri Khan]

(In reply to Christoph Gizewski from comment #15)
> > (In reply to Hlsg from comment #7)
> > The ability to open new tabs from everywhere (history, bookmarks,
> > address/search bar) should be a native feature IMHO. 
>
> Aren't we allready able to open tabs from everywhere using the
> middle-mousebutton?

Technically, yes, you could enter “mozilla.org” in the address bar, move your hand to the mouse, move your mouse cursor to the Go button, and middle-click. That might work if you opened, say, a single new page a day.

That feature request, however, is about being able to open several new tabs in mere seconds. Without also having to remember to hold down Alt when pressing Enter.

It is about being able to open new tabs without slowing down to *think* “careful now, I want to open a new tab”. We want new tabs *by default*, and only replace the previous page by conscious thought.

Comment 18

[Eddie Carswell]

> That feature request, however, is about being able to open several new tabs in mere seconds. Without also having to remember to hold down Alt when pressing Enter.

I didn't even know Ctrl+Enter opened the typed URL in a new tab. I've been using Ctrl+T to open a tab, then typing the URL.

I don't think middle-clicking is too much of a hassle for opening links, since I have to click on them anyway. That said, a setting of "Open in new tab" as the default for the address bar as well as for clicked links would definitely be a handy thing to have.

Comment 19

[Hlsg]

(In reply to Yuri Khan from comment #17)
> (In reply to Christoph Gizewski from comment #15)
> > > (In reply to Hlsg from comment #7)
> > > The ability to open new tabs from everywhere (history, bookmarks,
> > > address/search bar) should be a native feature IMHO. 
> >
> > Aren't we allready able to open tabs from everywhere using the
> > middle-mousebutton?
> 
> Technically, yes, you could enter “mozilla.org” in the address bar, move
> your hand to the mouse, move your mouse cursor to the Go button, and
> middle-click. That might work if you opened, say, a single new page a day.
> 
> That feature request, however, is about being able to open several new tabs
> in mere seconds. Without also having to remember to hold down Alt when
> pressing Enter.
> 
> It is about being able to open new tabs without slowing down to *think*
> “careful now, I want to open a new tab”. We want new tabs *by default*, and
> only replace the previous page by conscious thought.

Nailed it!

Comment 20

[digdis]

The logics of browser.search.openintab option is reversed for me. Setting it to false actually opens a new tab from search, while if true it doesn't.
And I second everything Yuri Khan says. This should be the default behavior, or at least configurable. I, for one, never use middle click for anything, as in Linux it's used for pasting text. Having to think whether I use it in terminal for one purpose or in FF for another purpose is too much of a hassle.

Comment 21

[Antunisio]

I have been using Tab Mix Plus since 2006 and its absence has been catastrophic to my productivity. It is not an exaggeration to say TMP was the reason that kept me from moving to the competition on several occasions. 

These are the features I miss a lot since the upgrade to Firefox 57:

* Possibility to set the browser to open a new tab from addresses typed in the omnibar, by default;
* Possibility to open a new tab, by default, upon clicking a link that points to another site;
* Possibility to open a new tab, by default, upon clicking a bookmark, including those from the bookmarks bar;
* Possibility to set which tab to focus once the current is closed;
* Possibility to stylize to better highlight the current tab; and
* Possibility to select a tab hovering the cursor, without necessarily clicking it.

Comment 22

[[e-mail]]

> * Possibility to open a new tab, by default, upon clicking a bookmark,

for this we have:
  browser.tabs.loadBookmarksInTabs

Comment 23

[fiveNinePlusR]

> * Possibility to set the browser to open a new tab from addresses typed in the omnibar, by default;
> * Possibility to open a new tab, by default, upon clicking a link that points to another site;
> * Possibility to open a new tab, by default, upon clicking a bookmark, including those from the bookmarks bar;
> * Possibility to set which tab to focus once the current is closed;
> * Possibility to stylize to better highlight the current tab; and
> * Possibility to select a tab hovering the cursor, without necessarily clicking it.

Most of those are possible with the webextension model or preferences as it stands. the only exceptions are the ominbar and tab cursor hovering.

Comment 24

[Yuri Khan]

Should we open a new bug for multi-row tab bar or reopen and reconsider bug 293593? Having a tab bar 6000px long and scrolling it through a 960px window just does not cut it.

Comment 25

[Antunisio]

(In reply to fiveNinePlusR from comment #23)
 
> Most of those are possible with the webextension model or preferences as it
> stands. the only exceptions are the ominbar and tab cursor hovering.

Well, the tab cursor hovering is exactly *the* key feature :( But how can I go about the other ones besides the hovering? Thanks!

Comment 26

[Antunisio]

(In reply to Antunisio from comment #25)
> (In reply to fiveNinePlusR from comment #23)
>  
> > Most of those are possible with the webextension model or preferences as it
> > stands. the only exceptions are the ominbar and tab cursor hovering.
> 
> Well, the tab cursor hovering is exactly *the* key feature :( But how can I
> go about the other ones besides the hovering? Thanks!

I've just read all about:config entries containing the substring "tab" and I couldn't find what would be the other options above :(

Comment 27

[[e-mail]]

>Antunisio
> I've just read all about:config entries containing the substring "tab" and I
> couldn't find what would be the other options above :(

did you check these ones?

browser.bookmarks.openInTabClosesMenu
browser.search.openintab
browser.tabs.loadBookmarksInTabs

Comment 28

[crazymykl]

A feature which was very helpful to my workflow which is now gone is "tab flipping": (left-)clicking on the active tab switches to the previously active tab for that window.

Comment 29

[containsmeat]

(In reply to crazymykl from comment #28)
> (left-)clicking on the active tab switches to the previously
> active tab for that window.

Yes, this is one of the most essential features of TMP, in my opinion. Is there any way to make this work in 57+?

Comment 30

[Antunisio]

(In reply to [e-mail] from comment #27)
> >Antunisio
> > I've just read all about:config entries containing the substring "tab" and I
> > couldn't find what would be the other options above :(
> 
> did you check these ones?
> 
> browser.bookmarks.openInTabClosesMenu
> browser.search.openintab
> browser.tabs.loadBookmarksInTabs

Sorry, I was looking at this list here, which seems to be outdated:

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Firefox_:_FAQs_:_About:config_Entries

Some of the entries you pointed are new to Firefox 57, like the first. But that isn't exactly any of those on my list :(
The second, browser.bookmarks.openInTabClosesMenu, only works for the search bar, not the address bar. The third one was already mentioned above.

Comment 31

[Yuri Khan]

Please add Depends: bug 1416545 and/or bug 1397372, and help convincing the right people to reconsider the WONTFIX on them.

Comment 32

[Robert AB]

Depends on: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1378647  (unassigned)
Depends on: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1378651  (unassigned)
Depends on: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1381922  (unassigned)
Depends on: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1413525  (unassigned)
Depends on: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1284886  (fixed FF57)
Depends on: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1322485  (fixed FF58)
Depends on: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1322060  (fixed FF57)

Depends on: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1330638
Depends on: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1427007

Comment 33

[randalhoctor]

Tab Mix Plus and DTA! have been integral components to Firefox that they are indefeasible. Firefox Quantum is fast, but Mozilla is forgetting the basis for their success! And they are getting real no-brainers wrong. For example, Close Tabs to Right is less useful than Close Tabs Left. Without stating a litany of what seem to be obvious things to fix, add, or facilitate the development of, I'll just close by saying: the engine is better but the niceties are lacking. At this point I'm parking by using Firefox ESR and Opera.
*Nameable save session manager
*Tab focus
*Close tab left and right
*tab size and appearance
and others are essential capabilities.
Let use know when these are fixed

Comment 34

[doug.strain]

Hi! 

I want my TabMixPlus back! 
  tab flipping
  multi-row
  un/read styles
  undo close tab list
  reload right tabs
  etc

What's the point of firefox if _I_ can't have the extensions _I_ want and HAVE PAID FOR? 

Firefox, so secure even its users don't use it.

Comment 35

[beelze]

FF without TMP is not usable for me. More to say, for me it's the only vital addon. Multirow tabs, styles, undo close + list, close-to-the-right, modifier+click on tabs, session manager.

Comment 36

[patrickn123]

I want TabMixPlus back. It is the only addon that supports multirow tabs, which I need for my daily work (as many other people apparently). I changed from Google Chrome to Mozilla years ago, because Chrome stopped supporting the addon. Now I find Mozilla running into the same misery and I'm stuck with slow ESR just to use TabMixPlus. Please, listen to the people and get this fixed.

Comment 37

[Yuri Khan]

Depends: bug 1422509, bug 1436738.

Comment 38

[Gina.PhilsPhan]

I don't understand what it means to "vote" for a bug? But I miss Tab Mix Plus so much that I'm ready to ditch Firefox and hope chrome or Edge has a similar add-on.

Comment 39

[Adam Katz]

(In reply to Yuri Khan from comment #24)
> Should we open a new bug for multi-row tab bar or reopen and reconsider
> bug 293593 [sic]? Having a tab bar 6000px long and scrolling it through
> a 960px window just does not cut it.

Bug 292593 (note corrected number) asks for multi-row tabs in Firefox itself (see also bug 139272, which requests it in Seamonkey).  I think it's probably better to open a new bug that asks for the *ability* to implement tab rows in the Webextensions API rather than asking tab rows to be implemented in Firefox directly.  That new bug could then be listed as a blocker for this tracking bug.

Comment 40

[Yuri Khan]

(In reply to Adam Katz from comment #39)
> I think it's
> probably better to open a new bug that asks for the *ability* to implement
> tab rows in the Webextensions API rather than asking tab rows to be
> implemented in Firefox directly.  That new bug could then be listed as a
> blocker for this tracking bug.

That’s probably covered by bug 1215064 + bug 1332447.

Comment 41

[larabe]

is anyone working on allowing user to decide what tab to focus after current is closed?

Comment 42

[Will Elwood (:Will)]

(In reply to larabe from comment #41)
> is anyone working on allowing user to decide what tab to focus after current
> is closed?

See bug 1422509, which was marked as a dependent of this bug 8 days ago.

Comment 43

[klorinczi]

I stopped upgrading Mozilla Firefox to latest release (downgraded to Firefox ESR), because it dropped compatibility with "Legacy" Add-ons.
But "Legacy" means more something like "Standard".

I use Tab Mix Plus and Session Manager add-ons since years, so they became "STANDARD" for me.
These are functionalities, which SHOULD be part of Mozilla Firefox by default. 
And now Mozilla, the company following the strict industry standards, ignored these "LEGACY->STANDARD" add-ons, and made them incompatible with latest Firefox. 
No backward compatibility. Gone.
No industry standard sensitivity. Gone.
Not a user friendly decision. This is true.

Currently I use Firefox ESR v52.7.3 (64-bit), because this is the last supported/developed version, which provides compatibility with standard Add-ons like Tab Mix Plus and Session Manager.
Once Firefox ESR development will stop, I will look for another browser, which will be likely based on the same browser engine and will provide similar features like Firefox had.

I'm a user.
I'm a developer. 
You lose both.

And likely thousands of actual Firefox users will think the same way.

There is one way to keep your users:
Provide them backward compatibility with "LEGACY->STANDARD" add-ons, while you implement new technologies like web extensions.

Comment 44

[Guy_M]

(In reply to klorinczi from comment #43)
> I stopped upgrading Mozilla Firefox to latest release (downgraded to Firefox
> ESR), because it dropped compatibility with "Legacy" Add-ons.
> But "Legacy" means more something like "Standard".
> 
> I use Tab Mix Plus and Session Manager add-ons since years, so they became
> "STANDARD" for me.
> These are functionalities, which SHOULD be part of Mozilla Firefox by
> default. 
> And now Mozilla, the company following the strict industry standards,
> ignored these "LEGACY->STANDARD" add-ons, and made them incompatible with
> latest Firefox. 
> No backward compatibility. Gone.
> No industry standard sensitivity. Gone.
> Not a user friendly decision. This is true.
> 
> Currently I use Firefox ESR v52.7.3 (64-bit), because this is the last
> supported/developed version, which provides compatibility with standard
> Add-ons like Tab Mix Plus and Session Manager.
> Once Firefox ESR development will stop, I will look for another browser,
> which will be likely based on the same browser engine and will provide
> similar features like Firefox had.
> 
> I'm a user.
> I'm a developer. 
> You lose both.
> 
> And likely thousands of actual Firefox users will think the same way.
> 
> There is one way to keep your users:
> Provide them backward compatibility with "LEGACY->STANDARD" add-ons, while
> you implement new technologies like web extensions.

So Do I, I post with a Firefox 54.0.

Comment 45

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Can 1246706 please be re-opened.

TMP has a number of features that rely on receiving mouse clicks on tabs, including:

* Click current tab to switch focus to the previously-used tab
* Click current tab with a modifier key held to lock, protect etc (stop the tab being closed, prevent navigation away etc)

Comment 46

[villeneuve]

Yep, I agree, those are unique features of TMP that need to come back.

Comment 47

[Firefox Bug Husbandry Bot]

Bulk move of bugs per https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1483958

Comment 48

[patlarkin]

I began using mozilla browsers under Netscape, because of multi-platform and extensions.   I was exclusively Firefox until Quantum broke TabMixPlus and a few other essentials.   Now I use Chromium and Waterfox (which is a pre Quantum branch that still supports most of the essential (to me) firefox extensions.   TabMixPlus gave me power to bend tabs to my will and I truly miss its features.

Comment 49

[Webmaster33]

I stopped using Firefox because the developers dropped the support of legacy add-ons, like TabMixPlus.
I used a lot legacy add-ons.
Sad, that Firefox did not keep backward compatibility with legacy add-ons. 

So actually I switched to Chrome.
Bye Firefox...

Comment 50

[Alexander Gerasimov]

Nobody cares. Firefox passed < 9% of market share now.
They **** off power Firefox users that used FF from 0.x versions and they are loosing their most loyal auditory who loved FF and recommended it to others.
R.I.P. Firefox.

Comment 51

[Caitlin Neiman [:caitmuenster]]

Hi everyone, this bug has a lot of off-topic and advocacy chatter. As a reminder, Bugzilla is an environment for tracking and implementation issues. Please see the etiquette guide for more details: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/page.cgi?id=etiquette.html

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