337945 - Open new tab should not shift focus to the URL bar if the search bar is currently focused

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Firefox :: Tabbed Browser, defect)

Description

[dolphinling]

Two cases of the same thing I run into often are as follows:
1) I hit Ctrl-T, Ctrl-K, then start typing in the search box. The tab loads midway through my typing and focus switches to the URL bar
2) I hit Ctrl-K and type my search, then realize I want it in a new tab, so I hit Ctrl-T, and focus switches to the URL bar

In both cases, the focus change is bad. And it would rarely ever be good, since if someone has the search box focused, the next thing they're going to do probably is search.

This could be a subset of bug 337215, but doesn't have to be.

Comment 1

[Henrik Skupin [:whimboo][⌚️UTC+2]]

You can use Alt+Enter to start the search in a new tab. There is no need to manually open a tab before and to refocus the search box. 

AFAIK the current behavior is expected. Wontfix?

Comment 2

[:Gavin Sharp [email: [e-mail]]]

(In reply to dolphinling from comment #0)
> Two cases of the same thing I run into often are as follows:
> 1) I hit Ctrl-T, Ctrl-K, then start typing in the search box. The tab loads
> midway through my typing and focus switches to the URL bar

This shouldn't occur, and no longer does on trunk AFAICT.

> 2) I hit Ctrl-K and type my search, then realize I want it in a new tab, so
> I hit Ctrl-T, and focus switches to the URL bar

As Henrik suggests, Alt+Enter is probably a better solution here. Being consistent about new tabs having the URL bar focused is important, I think. It's also possible to search from the URL bar.