291075 - No discoverable way to create new entry in about:config

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Firefox :: Settings UI, defect)

Description

[Aaron Leventhal]

In about:config, if you want to create a new pref entry, you have to right click
on a row and select new. For usability & discoverability there should instead be
a button for this operation. It should not be necessary to look for this in a
context menu for a tree item row, especially since it is not an actually
operation that's occuring on the row you're getting the context menu.

Comment 1

[Mike Connor [:mconnor]]

We basically treat about:config as hidden/unsupported, but if someone wants to
hack this, go nuts.

Comment 2

[Adam Stiles]

Attachment: Adds row of buttons to surface "new" functionality

One way to surface these functions is a row of buttons, one for each of "New String", "New Integer" and "New Boolean", positioned under the tree view. The attached patch does this.

Comment 3

[Mike Connor [:mconnor]]

sorry for bugspam, long-overdue mass reassign of ancient QA contact bugs,
filter on "beltznerLovesGoats" to get rid of this mass change

Comment 4

[Mike Connor [:mconnor]]

Comment on attachment 229277 [details] [diff] [review]
Adds row of buttons to surface "new" functionality

Don't presume that you can glue existing strings together.  You can't in all languages.

about:config is hidden as-is, and is a useful tool for those who know what they're doing.  Making it easier to discover doesn't really seem important at all, and any cycles spent on discovability inside of a hidden seems like an obvious waste.