222399 - Make highlighted objects or links on a web page more visible when they are selected.

Status: NEW

(SeaMonkey :: UI Design, enhancement)

Description

[mystilleef]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.4) Gecko/20031001 Epiphany/1.0.2
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.4) Gecko/20031001 Epiphany/1.0.2

I use tabs a lot to browse web pages. When I'm browsing web pages, the tab key
is used to move from link to link around the web page. As I move from link to
link using the tab key, the links selected is highlighted. My problem is the
highlighted links are barely visible to see. In fact, to avoid loosing the
highlighted links, I need to visually follow them when I press the tab keys.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Launch Mozilla

2. Via the URL locator, visit www.slashdot.org
 
3. Use the tab keys to move from one link to another.

4. Move to an arbitrary link some where in the middle of the page.

5. Do not activate the link by pressing enter or other means.

6. Leave the browser or web page  open for 5 minutes or so and go about doing
other chores.

7. Return to open web page after the duration time above.

8. Now no cheating. :-) Search for the last selected link. 
Actual Results:  
Okay, you might have remembered exactly the link you selected, but I'm pretty
confident you searched real hard for it if you didn't remember it. My point is,
the highlighted links are hard to identify especially in complex web pages with
a lot of links lurking in obscure places.

Expected Results:  
I think rather than highlight the borders on a link with little dashes as it is
currently done, the background of the links should be highlighted for easier
recognition. In safari for example, the background of links selected are
highlighted in light blue while the border of the selected link is a shade
darker. So recognition of the selected links is much more easier and faster, and
so also is browsing and moving through the web page via the tab key. It goes a
long way in making browsing the Internet enjoyable, especially for those of us
who browse using the keyboard and tab keys.

This feature is largely becoming a usability strength. You can have a look at
Ximian's version of open office. You'll observe that the objects and links on
the tool bars when selected are highlighted and bordered in a light blue shade.
Not only is the feature visually and aesthetically appealing, it is also
tremendously useful to users.

Comment 1

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

Not a selection issue, really...  Just a matter of how we indicate focus. Over
to XP Apps for lack of a better place.

Comment 2

[mystilleef]

Ooops, sorry about that.

Comment 3

[Jesiah S]

You can add the following lines to your
~/.mozilla/$profile/$salt/chrome/userContent.css file
*:-moz-any-link:focus {
        background-color:#0cf;
        -moz-outline:1px solid #07F;
}
*:-moz-any-link:focus img {
        background-color:#0cf;
        -moz-outline:1px solid #07F;                                           
                    }

This should make all links have a blue background and a dark blue outline.  Also
it will add the same to linked images.  Some websites will set link background
color, but if you want to force your settings add " ! important" at the end of
each declaration ie. "background-color:#0cf ! important".

Comment 4

[Serge Gautherie (:sgautherie)]

Filter "spam" on "guifeatures-nobody-20080610".