Closed Bug 201827 Opened 21 years ago Closed 6 years ago

Alt+click in inspected document to select element (without clicking a button each time)

Categories

(Other Applications :: DOM Inspector, enhancement)

Product:
Other Applications
Component:
DOM Inspector
Platform:
x86
Windows XP
Type:
enhancement
Priority:
Not set
Severity:
normal

Tracking

(Not tracked)

Status:
RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

People

(Reporter: jruderman, Unassigned)

Details

It would be nice if there were a modifier to allow selecting an element without
clicking a button in the DOM Inspector window first.  I propose:

* Add a menu item, "Select Element by Alt+click", which is checked by default
and stays checked when it's used.
* Whenever a document is being inspected and that menu item is checked,
Alt+click selects elements (instead of doing Save Link As, etc).

Alex Vincent is worried about conflicts with Alt+click, but I think the blinking
red outline is distinct enough that users would figure out what to do in the
rare case that they really want to Alt+click something in an document while
inspecting it.
To clarify: the conflict I'm worried about is in Phoenix, based on commentary 
by jruderman.  Bug 193486.

cc'ing tangent for Phoenix feedback (I don't hack on Phoenix; he would know 
more about what Phoenix would and wouldn't allow, and what it should and 
shouldn't allow.)
What rare case would Alt+click be used in an inspected document? It seems to be
a noop for links and everything else. Unless I am wrong, a menu option to enable
this would be unnecessary.

I don't see any reason to believe there would be any conflicts with this in
Firebird/Phoenix.
Alt+click saves links in Phoenix.
I was considering only the browser pane of the inspector. Sorry for the confusion.

There would, obviously, be a conflict with remapping alt+click for Phoenix.

It seems that the "find a node..." button is broken with Phoenix in that click
events are bubbled unlike with Mozilla. This should be fixed in any case (and
should have its own bug I presume), but I haven't yet determined how the event
is handled with Mozilla.
Mass re-assigning bugs to dom.inspector@extensions.bugs
Assignee: caillon → dom.inspector
Product: Core → Other Applications
I've just had another thought that may make this bug really difficult to
implement.  The ALT key gives us a key event; the click gives us a mouse event.
 I don't think the Events model anticipates having both at the same time.  jst?

If it doesn't, then the only way we could possibly implement this would be ugly:
(1) Set event listeners for onKeyDown (or whatever it's called), onKeyUp and
onClick.
(2) Watch for a sequence of events where the onClick happens after an onKeyDown
with ALT modifier, but before an equivalent onKeyUp event (I think).  Even then,
the ALT key may still be depressed (hold down ALT, hit TAB, let TAB go but keep
ALT pressed).
Alex, try checking the boolean event.altKey in the onclick function.
Assignee: dom-inspector → nobody
QA Contact: timeless → dom-inspector
Bulk close. This component is no longer supported or maintained.

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1499023
Status: NEW → RESOLVED
Closed: 6 years ago
Resolution: --- → INCOMPLETE
Bulk close. This component is no longer supported or maintained.

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1499023
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