387550 - about:config - advanced mode - show load order and over-written values

Status: NEW

(Toolkit :: Preferences, enhancement)

Description

[benc]

(this bug was dupe checked, component was selected based on bug 339720).

Since bug 339720 made the feature a bit more safe from pilot error, I guess it is time to propose the next level of functionality, to encourge really dangerous hacking.

Since the actuall prefs data structure is loaded from many files in a certain order, I think it would be nice to have about:config display:

1- which files set the pref.
2- what values each file set the pref too.

This probably would require a whole new code path, because about:config would need to go back and look at the files.

For people that are doing a lot of investigative work about why prefs are working, esp as the tree is being modified, this would be a boon for two reasons:

1- looking at the two locations by hand is slow. In unix I need to have two terminal windows open. In Windows, it is is even more time consuming.

2- people forget the load order of the prefs files. I wrote the original "brief guide to prefs", and I can't keep it straight in my head.

On the other hand, maybe this should be a set of platform specific scripts or an extension? I bow to the wisdom of owners to decide.