1524948 - (mult_sessions2) [meta] Introduce Session Groups to allow to manage multiple sessions at the same time

Status: NEW

(Firefox :: Session Restore, enhancement, P4)

Description

[Robert AB]

Current concept of sessions could be replaced by session groups and sessions. Session group could contain multiple sessions. Session (containing one or more browser windows) would contain information about windows and tabs (and their state - like today), and session group would have information only about IDs of sessions being a part of it (no information about windows and tabs). Session would be corresponding to today's definition of session (with small changes), and session group would be completely new concept. Firefox or its extension should remember names (given by user) of opened session group and sessions (and use these names during automatic savings of session group or session together with information about time of saving; or suggest these names during manual saving of session group or session).

Different sessions could be saved and opened independently from session groups. Both session groups and sessions could be saved and restored automatically by Session Restore or session manager extension after Firefox restart (multiple previous saved versions should be remember, not just the last version). And both session groups and sessions could be saved manually by user; manual saving could be done for single session group or session at the time. Finally and most importantly, sessions could be added or removed from current session group; and the names of opened session group and sessions should be remembered by Firefox/extension, and these names should be suggested by Firefox/its extension during manual saving of session group or session.

More information about this proposal is described in comments 1-6.

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=> Alternative simpler proposal is shown in Bug 1528598 (bug description + comments 1-6).
=> Bug 1528604 - WebExtension API based on one of two alternative Session Restore bugs: Bug 1528598, or Bug 1524948.

Comment 1

[Robert AB]

Simple example of new workflow possible after session group introduction is shown below and it consists the following actions:

• adding sessions with multiple windows,
• adding new windows to particular session,
• closing entire sessions,
• closing/saving session groups, and
• opening other session groups.

group1[A(A1,A2,A3)]
group1[A(A1,A2,A3),B(B1),C(C1,C2,C3)]
group1[A(A1,A2,A3),B(B1),C(C1,C2,C3),D(D1,D2)]
group1[A(A1,A2,A3),B(B1),C(C1,C2,C3,C4,C5),D(D1,D2)]
group1[C(C1,C2,C3,C4,C5)]
group2[E(E1),F(F1,F2)]
group2[E(E1),F(F1,F2),D(D1,D2)]

Firefox should remember which windows belongs to particular session, and names of session group and sessions. Closing of chosen session should cause also closing of windows being a part of particular session.

Description:
group1[], group2[], ... - session groups
A(), B(), C(), D(), ... - are example sessions which could correspond to: A - work, B - things to do; C - interests; D - other activities
A1, A2, A3 are example windows in session A

Comment 2

[Robert AB]

The major benefits of this future would be:

• sessions could be added or removed to/from current session group;
• different sessions could be saved independently from each other and
• the names of opened session group and sessions should be remembered by Firefox/extension, and these names should be suggested by Firefox/its extension during manual saving of session group or session.

Example in comment 1 is just showing what this new future could provide us.

Comment 3

[Robert AB]

Firefox or its extension should remember multiple previous session groups / sessions. And it should be possible to recover any of earlier session groups / sessions. Please, see Bug 1298912 as an example here.

Comment 4

[Robert AB]

Bug 1524955:

Firefox windows belonging to particular session could be marked by distinct color or icon (with short name) placed next to "List all tabs" (or in other place of windows belonging to particular session), and taskbar buttons corresponding to Firefox windows from the same session could be marked by the same color.

Comment 5

[Robert AB]

Bug 1235231:

Currently, windows in session are restored in random order. It makes more difficult to navigate in Firefox windows and tabs. This bug should be fixed.

Comment 6

[Robert AB]

Bug 1524959:

It should be possible to assign entire session*/window to particular container, and to make all tabs opened in particular session/window a part of specific container.

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Footnote:
(*) - session being part of session group

Comment 7

[David Durst [:ddurst]]

Leaving priority blank so this will be caught in triage.

Comment 8

[larabe]

Well this is what we been asking since firefox 57. It's sad to see that only certain people pushing bugs matter in bugzilla while other normal user's request have been open for more than 10 years and never given a yes/no answer but on the other part since now someone with some influence here is asking for it, it will probably be implemented.

Comment 9

[David Durst [:ddurst]]

Moving this and bug 1524959 to sessionrestore.

Comment 10

[Graham Perrin]

Groups

Bug 1357214 for a tab groups API could be a sane essential for tabs to be grouped within sessions.

Bug 1509350 comment 15 there's my plea for bug 1357214 to be reopened.