1490445 - Request to bring back new tab context menu

Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 1692840

(Firefox :: Menus, enhancement)

Description

[larabe]

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; Win64; x64; rv:63.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/63.0
Build ID: 20180906162647

Steps to reproduce:

The "new tab" context menu item was taken off in v4 of firefox due to the fact that it was considered redundant. At that time there were 2 more methods to opening a new tab using the mouse but since then many things have changed. Now the is no "new tab" on the firefox button so there is only one way to open a new tab using the mouse also now firefox is trying to improve and surpass it's competitors while learning from them and the most successful browsers all have that convenient way of opening a new tab next on context menu. It's also important to consider that when using the command the tab opens next to the tab that was right clicked and currently there is no way of doing that it's only possible to open it at the end of the tab strip or next to the current tab so I would like you to consider all this and bring that capability back. Thank you.

Comment 1

[Rob Wu [:robwu]]

> It's also important to consider that when using the command the tab opens next to the tab that was right clicked

If you want new tabs to always appear next to the current tab, set the following pref:

1. Visit about:config
2. Set browser.tabs.insertAfterCurrent to true.


If you want a context menu item to open a new tab next to the current, use an add-on.
This add-on has not been updated in 5 years, but it did what you wanted: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/new-tab-in-tab-context-menu/
Here is the code for the extension that works in modern Firefox versions: https://github.com/gialloporpora/newtabintabcontextmenu/issues/1

That extension only had 99 users after 5 years, so there is probably little demand for such a context menu.

Given these alternatives, there is no need to reintroduce the New Tab context menu item.

Comment 2

[Gingerbread Man]

(In reply to Rob Wu [:robwu] from comment #1)
> 2. Set browser.tabs.insertAfterCurrent to true.

That affects all new tabs, including those opened from links on web pages or the bookmarks manager.

> If you want a context menu item to open a new tab next to the current, use an add-on.

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/new-tab-context/


This was previously rejected in bug 623159 and bug 1382929. I don't see why these are kept separate. Maybe it's not intentional.

Comment 3

[larabe]

Like I said on the OP the context menu creates a new tab next to the tab that was right clicked NOT necessarily current tab. So I can position the new tab wherever I want which is different than using "browser.tabs.insertAfterCurrent"

Also you said only based on a quick look at AMO that the menu was not used by many people but not only that addon had the functionality pre quantum. One of the most used addons Tab mix plus had that functionality and post quantum there are 2 addons that surfaced that I know of that include a similar functionality (the one mentioned by gingerbread and this one https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/new-tab-beside/ ) but that have stopped working properly (they cant focus the url bar anymore) after firefox 63.

Also I don't see why something so basic like opening a new tab on context menu has to be evaluated so hard. Like I said all the major browser have that functionality and makes mouse browsing a lot more dynamic. I don't see why users should require an addon to obtain something that basic. I also don't understand how one person has the authority to completely dismiss a request like this.

Comment 4

[Gingerbread Man]

(In reply to larabe from comment #3)
> addons [...] have stopped working properly (they cant focus the url bar anymore)
> after firefox 63.

Bug 1485307

Comment 5

[Rob Wu [:robwu]]

(In reply to larabe from comment #3)
> they cant focus the url bar anymore) after firefox 63.

This is a bug, bug 1485307

> Also I don't see why something so basic like opening a new tab on context
> menu has to be evaluated so hard. Like I said all the major browser have
> that functionality and makes mouse browsing a lot more dynamic. I don't see
> why users should require an addon to obtain something that basic.

Not everything can be part of Firefox by default. If some functionality is only used by a small number of users, and that functionality can completely be provided by an add-on, then install that add-on and be done.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/new-tab-context/ looks like what you're looking for.


> I also don't understand how one person has the authority to completely
> dismiss a request like this.

This feature request has been posted many times before. Gingerbread has linked to some recent bug reports.
I'll ask a UX team member for additional review.

Comment 6

[Rob Wu [:robwu]]

Emanuela, what does UX think of this feature request? Should the "New Tab" context menu be brought back?

Comment 7

[Kestrel]

Chrome's tab context menu has "New tab" as the very first item, surely that would suggest it is not entirely useless, if not extremely useful. Critically, it works relative to the tab that was right-clicked on which is not possible with other forms of new tab creation. It is also very convenient and appears exactly where you would expect. The alternatives, like middle-click/ctrl+click on the new tab button are not as intuitive and limited in where the new tab is created.

The duplicate tab context menu item was recently added for similar reasons but still does not create the duplicated tab in the correct position next to the contextual tab (Bug 1396375).

Comment 8

[larabe]

(In reply to Rob Wu [:robwu] from comment #5)

Thank you for asking more people to review this. You keep saying a small amount of users want this but like I said before and Bug 1485307 makes you notice there are other very popular addons like Tree Style Tab addon (114k users) Conex addon (1,25k users) and before quantum Tab Mix Plus (356k users) and probably other addons with tab managing capabilities that include the "new tab context menu" functionality so there is a lot more people using this feature.

Comment 9

[emanuela [ux]]

While this could potentially be useful, we have a prominent mouse-driven way to create new tabs (new tab "+" button), and we try to avoid adding redundancy where possible.

Saying this, I suggest closing this bug for now and try to learn more about how Firefox's users use the contextual menu on tab.

Comment 10

[Kestrel]

(In reply to emanuela [ux team] from comment #9)
> While this could potentially be useful, we have a prominent mouse-driven way
> to create new tabs (new tab "+" button), and we try to avoid adding
> redundancy where possible.

It's no more redundant than the "Reload tab" or "Close tab" menu items which also have other more prominent mouse-driven buttons in the UI. The context menu is unique in allowing actions to be performed on inactive tabs, so the user can reload any tab, close any tab or (potentially) create a new tab anywhere they want in the tab strip without first having to change the active tab. Chrome would not have it as the very first context menu item if it was redundant.

Comment 11

[emanuela [ux]]

(In reply to Kestrel from comment #10)
> (In reply to emanuela [ux team] from comment #9)
> > While this could potentially be useful, we have a prominent mouse-driven way
> > to create new tabs (new tab "+" button), and we try to avoid adding
> > redundancy where possible.
> 
> It's no more redundant than the "Reload tab" or "Close tab" menu items which
> also have other more prominent mouse-driven buttons in the UI. The context
> menu is unique in allowing actions to be performed on inactive tabs, so the
> user can reload any tab, close any tab or (potentially) create a new tab
> anywhere they want in the tab strip without first having to change the
> active tab. Chrome would not have it as the very first context menu item if
> it was redundant.


Hey Kestrel, doing something just because Chrome does it it's just not a good argument at this point. As I said, I'd like to get more insights about how Firefox's users use the contextual menu in this context. Only after it, we can maybe come back to something similar of what is proposed in this bug.

Comment 12

[larabe]

Allowing users to have more than one way of doing thing is a staple in all the software now at days and like Kestrel said there are already multiple ways of doing the same thing using the mouse for many things in firefox. I don't see why "BEING REDUNDANT" it's the main argument against this. At this point just sounds like repeating what it was said more than 10 years ago just to quickly dismiss it and avoid the hassle. A lot has changed since then and like I said on the OP methods of opening a new tab have been removed since then so it's not redundant anymore is just one alternative that like I said before has extra functionality (position the tab wherever you want) that the "+" button does not provide so how is that redundant?. Also it's not just chrome all the most used browsers have it: Opera Internet explorer Vivaldi Safari MS Edge etc Why do you think they all have it? It's not just pure coincidence. Imagine a user trying to migrate from those browsers; the right click left click is probably a habit they had for years they won't be able to get the same effect and will get frustrated. Like it was discussed on the mozilla blog many new users just install a few well known addons and never spend time on AMO searching for new addons so most users won't ever know that there is an addon that adds that command to the context menu and even if they ever get their hands on it they would need to know how to modify userChrome.css to be able to reposition the menu item at the top which I'm guessing less than 1% of firefox userbase ever messes with that.

Comment 13

[Kestrel]

(In reply to larabe from comment #12)
> all the most used browsers have it: Opera Internet
> explorer Vivaldi Safari MS Edge

Edge and Safari do not have it.

(In reply to emanuela [ux team] from comment #11)
> doing something just because Chrome does it it's just not a
> good argument at this point. 

I agree that it should not be implemented just because Chrome does it, I just used it as an example that it is not redundant. But the Chrome argument still has some merit, most recently in Quantum the minimum tab width was made smaller to be more familiar to Chrome users (Bug 1404465 Comment 1) and also the "Duplicate Tab" menu item was added based on Chrome usage data (Bug 455722 Comment 79). The UX for new users coming from other popular browsers needs to be carefully considered.

> I'd like to get more insights about how Firefox's users 
> use the contextual menu in this context.

This is usage data from Chromium:

- Duplicate: 23.21%
- Reload: 22.74%
- Pin / Unpin tab: 13.12%
- Close tab: 9.68%
- Reopen closed tab: 8.92%
- New tab: 6.63%  
- Close tabs to the right: 6.06%
- Mute tab: 5.38%
- Close other tabs: 2.20%
- Unmute tab: 1.41%
- Bookmark all tabs: 0.64%

https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=515930#c7 

6.63% usage is not insignificant and more popular than several existing menu items.

Comment 14

[emanuela [ux]]

> This is usage data from Chromium:
> 
> - Duplicate: 23.21%
> - Reload: 22.74%
> - Pin / Unpin tab: 13.12%
> - Close tab: 9.68%
> - Reopen closed tab: 8.92%
> - New tab: 6.63%  
> - Close tabs to the right: 6.06%
> - Mute tab: 5.38%
> - Close other tabs: 2.20%
> - Unmute tab: 1.41%
> - Bookmark all tabs: 0.64%
> 
> https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=515930#c7 
> 
> 6.63% usage is not insignificant and more popular than several existing menu
> items.



Thank you for sharing this data, this is really insightful. As soon as we have of how we can move forward on this feature request, I will reopen this bug.

Comment 15

[Kestrel]

2021 update: New Edge has it too and now so does Nightly 89.