1450599 - Remain the focus of tab after choosing its tab.

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(DevTools :: General, enhancement)

Description

[Mantaroh Yoshinaga[:mantaroh]]

Currently, an all of tool panel steals focus its panel after choosing it from a tab. This behavior happens the first time, it has not happened from the second time.

STR:
1) Open devtool.
2) Choose any tool panel

AR:
A selected panel steals the focus at the first time.
e.g. webconsole focused own text box.

ER:
A focus should remain selected tab.

Comment 1

[Mantaroh Yoshinaga[:mantaroh]]

MarcoZ,
Bug 1444300 makes toolbox be able to select with the enter key or space key. But tool panel will steal the focus from toolbox tabs. We can confirm this behavior by using Nightly build. I think that Firefox should remain the tab focus even if opening the tool panel.

What do you think about this behavior for accessibility?

Comment 2

[Marco Zehe (:MarcoZ)]

I think focus shhould remain on the button, and the user specifically tab to the panel. For example, when I select console, focus jumps straight into the input box down at the bottom of the console. So if I want to do a search first, I have to shift-tab all the way to the start. I think the more efficient way is to keep the focus on the tab after it has been selected. We do not really know what the user wants to do next.

Comment 3

[Mantaroh Yoshinaga[:mantaroh]]

(In reply to Marco Zehe (:MarcoZ) from comment #2)
> I think focus shhould remain on the button, and the user specifically tab to
> the panel. For example, when I select console, focus jumps straight into the
> input box down at the bottom of the console. So if I want to do a search
> first, I have to shift-tab all the way to the start. I think the more
> efficient way is to keep the focus on the tab after it has been selected. We
> do not really know what the user wants to do next.

Thanks!

Currently, the toolbar will set focus to the selected panel when selecting tools[1].(i.e. click tool tab)
However, some panel will steal the focus by process of initialization and onFocus.

* WebConsole: JSTerm will get focus when finishing to mount component[2].
* StyleEditor : StyleSheetEditor will get focus when showing own window[3].
* ScratchPad: scratchpad will get focus when initializing component[4].
* Performance: performance view ill get focus when initializing component[5].

I think we need to modify these codes and address the related tests.

[1] https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/f65d7528e34ef1a7665b4a1a7b7cdb1388fcd3aa/devtools/client/framework/toolbox.js#1868
[2] https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/f65d7528e34ef1a7665b4a1a7b7cdb1388fcd3aa/devtools/client/webconsole/components/JSTerm.js#269
[3] https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/f65d7528e34ef1a7665b4a1a7b7cdb1388fcd3aa/devtools/client/styleeditor/StyleSheetEditor.jsm#497
[4] https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/f65d7528e34ef1a7665b4a1a7b7cdb1388fcd3aa/devtools/client/scratchpad/scratchpad.js#1666
[5] https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/f65d7528e34ef1a7665b4a1a7b7cdb1388fcd3aa/devtools/client/performance/performance-view.js#207

Comment 4

[Mantaroh Yoshinaga[:mantaroh]]

Attachment: screen.mp4

I tried modifying the behavior of focus when selecting a tool. This attachment is prototype implementation. If I select the tool tab, devtool remains the focus of the tab.

My concern is that a user who wants to input script into the bottom text area of the webconsole might feels that a step is increased.

Comment 5

[Mantaroh Yoshinaga[:mantaroh]]

(In reply to Mantaroh Yoshinaga[:mantaroh] from comment #4)
> Created attachment 8968817 [details]
> screen.mp4
> 
> I tried modifying the behavior of focus when selecting a tool. This
> attachment is prototype implementation. If I select the tool tab, devtool
> remains the focus of the tab.
> 
> My concern is that a user who wants to input script into the bottom text
> area of the webconsole might feels that a step is increased.

Marco,

What do you think about this behavior?

Comment 6

[Marco Zehe (:MarcoZ)]

Honestly, I am torn. On the one hand I see the point of a user quickly wanting to input script code, on the other I think that automati focus jumps are normally considered bad UX. Dragging in jamie for a second opinion.

Comment 7

[James Teh [:Jamie]]

(In reply to Marco Zehe (:MarcoZ) from comment #6)
> Honestly, I am torn. On the one hand I see the point of a user quickly
> wanting to input script code, on the other I think that automati focus jumps
> are normally considered bad UX. Dragging in jamie for a second opinion.

They would be bad UX for sure if they just happened when the user selected a different tab with the arrow keys. However, in this case, as far as I can see, the user has to press the button before the tab is activated and the focus change happens. I think that's useful and appropriate for the console. The inspector doesn't seem to land in a useful lace, though. Also, this really should be consistent; i.e. it shouldn't change depending on whether this was the first time the panel was switched to or the second, etc.

Comment 8

[Mantaroh Yoshinaga[:mantaroh]]

Sorry for my late reply.

As mentioned Marco and James, devtools of Firefox will not switch tool panel when pushing left or right arrow key.  The devtools will change the tool panel only when pushing the enter key. So current behavior might be reasonable. 

I will close this bug, however I'll work on it if someone feel this behavior is odd.