280631 - Enter follows links after FAYT but Finds Next after Ctrl+F (inconsistent)

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Toolkit :: Find Toolbar, defect)

Description

[TGOS]

The search behavior of CTRL+F find and type-ahead search is inconsistent!

If I search via type-ahead and find a link, clicking enter makes the browser go
where the link points to (it is like clicking on the link). I like that, this is
desired behavior. To search again, you have to use CTRL+G, which is also
desired, because I'm used to that from other applications, too.

If I search via CTRL+F find and it finds a link and highlights it, hitting enter
will lead to "search again" action, just like CTRL+G. It is not possible to make
the browser following the link as it is in case of type-ahead. This is undesired
IMHO.

In both cases the searching appears in the new search bar (which is extremely
cool, BTW!), but the same key (Enter) leads to two different results. That is
especially confusing if you can't remeber whether you just started the search
using CTRL+F or type-ahead search.

I personally like the ability to find a link and to "click" on it, without even
toching the mouse, so I would prefer to have this behavior in both cases. CTRL+G
 is the shortcut for "find again" or "find next" and it also works in case of
CTRL+F find.

Regardless if you follow my preference or make enter the default for search
again (even in case of type-ahead), the behavior should at least be consistent.

I have only tested the behavior today on the Mac, but I assume it is the same on
all platforms.

Comment 1

[Jesse Ruderman]

It is intentional that Enter follows links after FAYT but does "Find Next" after
Ctrl+F.

Comment 2

[TGOS]

Inconsistent behavior confuses people. Especially those who use both, normal
search and FAYT. 

While in an active search, how can you say what kind of search you are in? Often
enough I do a normal search (out of habit; other browser have to FAYT), find the
link I was looking for and hit enter to active it. Instead I do a "find again".

Why can't you activate links using CTRL+F? Or why can't you find-again using a
FAYT search? If it is intenionally, there must be reason why the behavior has
been chosen either way.

Comment 3

[Masayuki Nakano [:masayuki] (he/him)(JST, +0900)]

We designed so.

Ctrl + F and FAYT are not same function.
If a link is found by FAYT, the link has pseudo focus(Fx1.5). But in Ctrl + F mode, the link doesn't have pseudo focus. Because Ctrl + F mode is not for finding link. It is for finding "text". If you want to both "text" and "link", please use FAYT by starting "/" key.

-> INVA

Comment 4

[TGOS]

What if I don't know if that what I'm looking for is a link? What I just want to find something (CTRL+F) in the page and found it, see that it is a link and want to go there? Then I have to find it again, typing the same again using to go to the already selected link? Or have to move my hand away from keyboard to mouse, move my mouse there and click on it?

There is also no way to distinguish a FAYT search of the other one. They both look identical! If I just see a search field below, how can I know which kind of search I am running? Both behave abosultely equally. The second you start typing (either directly or after CTRL+F) the page jumps to the match and selects it. But one let me proceed, the other one not. That makes no sense!

And I never doubt that this was a design decision, but it was a bad one and it was one that should be changed.

Comment 5

[Masayuki Nakano [:masayuki] (he/him)(JST, +0900)]

> What if I don't know if that what I'm looking for is a link? What I just want
> to find something (CTRL+F) in the page and found it, see that it is a link and
> want to go there? Then I have to find it again, typing the same again using to
> go to the already selected link? Or have to move my hand away from keyboard to
> mouse, move my mouse there and click on it?

Ah, not so on Firefox 1.5. Please test on RC build.
Now, Firefox sets the focus to found link the find toolbar is closed by Esc key in nomal find mode(Ctrl + F).
See bug 296720.

We are providing two functional for finding.
1. normal find mode(Ctrl + F)
2. FAYT("/" or "'")
These funcsions are not same feature. This is our design.

Comment 6

[TGOS]

To comment #5:

Yes, it is nice that it sets the focus, but that was not my point. You seem to always miss my point.

See my attached screen shot please, what happens if I hit Enter now? What happens? Does it search again for the term or does it go to the select link? Huh? Make a guess? You can't tell? So if *you* can't tell, how's the user supposed to tell? See, THAT is my point!

As both searches look exactly the same, they should also behave the same. There is a shortcut for search-again, it is CTRL+G. There is no need to have another one, being Enter, that only works if you started search like that ... but if you start it like that ... A shortcut should always work the same, regardless of how you started the search. This is a very simple, yes very strict design paradigm.

I know that both systems have developed in a different manner. I was one of the first people using the FAYT hack, before it was even an officially supported feature. I know that both have been implemented independly and that both do not work the same internally. But that is exactly the problem, they do not work the same internally, yet you present both to the user with *same* interface!

I know that their different behavior is a design decision, I was never in doubt of that. I just question that it is a very good design decision!

Comment 7

[TGOS]

Attachment: Search - is it FAYT or CTRL+F???

What is it? Can you tell me? No, so what happens if I hit enter now? It searches again or follows the link. I can't tell without hitting enter. This is so inconsistent!

Comment 8

[Masayuki Nakano [:masayuki] (he/him)(JST, +0900)]

(In reply to comment #7)
> Created an attachment (id=201929) [edit]
> Search - is it FAYT or CTRL+F???
> 
> What is it? Can you tell me? No, so what happens if I hit enter now? It
> searches again or follows the link. I can't tell without hitting enter. This is
> so inconsistent!

If "Autos" is a link, the screenshot is using Ctrl+F. Because the link doesn't be set pseudo-focus. If it is not a link, we cannot know witch mode by this screenshot. If found link doesn't get the peudo focus, and actual focus is set to the editor of Find Toolbar, "Enter" key is working for Find Next(or Find Previous). In FAYT mode, we are using pseudo-focus mechanism. It's set to found link. In this time, "Enter" key is working *on* a link element. If any links is not found in FAYT text mode, the "Enter" key event does nothing.

Comment 9

[Masayuki Nakano [:masayuki] (he/him)(JST, +0900)]

And additional info:

If you use Find Next or Find Previous after closing the Find Toolbar, the found link is always set actural focus. "Enter" key event is always happen on a found link element.

Comment 10

[Dave Townsend [:mossop]]

*** Bug 322571 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***