2015071 - Tab notes should not be saved when input contains only spaces

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Firefox :: Tabbed Browser, defect, P2)

Description

[Raluca Popovici, Desktop QA]

Attachment: Screenshot 2026-02-06 at 17.20.48.png

Note

• The user should not be able to save a note when input contains only space(s). This could be an improvement.

Found in

• Nightly v149.0a1

Affected versions

• Nightly v149.0a1

Tested platforms

• Affected platforms: all
• Unaffected platforms: none

Steps to reproduce

1. Load any website
2. Right-click to add a note
3. Press the "Space" key and save the note
4. Hover the tab and observe the note

Expected result

• Tab notes should not be saved when input contains only space(s).

Actual result

• An empty note is displayed on hovering.

Regression range

• Not a regression.

Comment 1

[Stephen Thompson [:sthompson]]

I believe our spec indicated that tab notes should not be saved when the text is empty, so I consider this a bug. Thank you.

Comment 2

[Stephen Thompson [:sthompson]]

In the following two places, we check the length of the text in the note textarea in order to determine whether to allow a note to be saved:

1. https://searchfox.org/firefox-main/rev/1427c88632d1474d2653928745d78feca1a64ee0/browser/components/tabbrowser/content/tabnote-menu.js#179-190 to disable the "Save" button when note text is empty
2. https://searchfox.org/firefox-main/rev/1427c88632d1474d2653928745d78feca1a64ee0/browser/components/tabbrowser/content/tabnote-menu.js#261 to skip saving a note if the note text is empty

In both of these cases, if the note text is " " (5 spaces), then the note will be saved. However, we do not want to save empty notes!

Instead of using the character count of the textarea element as this.#noteField.value.length, we should use the character count of the textarea element after trimming beginning and ending whitespace from the text. https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/String/trim is a built-in way to trim whitespace from a string value.

We should add a new test case next to this existing test https://searchfox.org/firefox-main/rev/1427c88632d1474d2653928745d78feca1a64ee0/browser/components/tabnotes/test/browser/browser_tab_notes_menu.js#354-396 When the note textarea contains only whitespace (spaces, newlines, etc.) then the Save button should be disabled.

Comment 3

[japandi]

Hi, please choose me

Comment 4

[japandi]

my first bug please !!

Comment 5

[japandi]

Attachment: Bug 2015071 - Do not save tab note when input contains only whitespace. r?sthompson

Comment 6

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/526ca6df071b
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/dd5e80fd37f4
Do not save tab note when input contains only whitespace. r=tabbrowser-reviewers,nsharpley

Comment 7

[Sandor Molnar[:smolnar]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/dd5e80fd37f4

Comment 8

[BugBot [:suhaib / :marco]]

Since nightly and release are affected, beta will likely be affected too.
For more information, please visit BugBot documentation.

Comment 9

[BugBot [:suhaib / :marco]]

The patch landed in nightly and beta is affected.
:chimaifeanyi29, is this bug important enough to require an uplift?

• If yes, please nominate the patch for beta approval.
  • See https://wiki.mozilla.org/Release_Management/Requesting_an_Uplift for documentation on how to request an uplift.
• If no, please set status-firefox150 to wontfix.

For more information, please visit BugBot documentation.

Comment 10

[Kelly Cochrane [:kcochrane]]

Checking with :sthompson on if this should be uplifted to beta or not