423826 - Form autocomplete should be inline

Status: RESOLVED INACTIVE

(Toolkit :: Autocomplete, defect)

Description

[Andrés Delfino]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.9b5pre) Gecko/2008031903 Minefield/3.0b5pre
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.9b5pre) Gecko/2008031903 Minefield/3.0b5pre

If one auto-completion option matches what has been entered, then the entry should be filled with that option. With the auto-completed part selected.

If more than one auto-completion option matches what has been entered, then the list is should be shown like is done now; and we should complete as far as we can (using what the selected options have in common). When the entry has enough information to select only one auto-completion option, the behavior should be like the mentioned above.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
In Firefox:

1. Go to Google.
2. Search for "x".
3. Go to Google.
4. Search for "xul".
5. Go to Google.
6. Type "x".

Actual Results:  
An auto-complete list appears, showing "x" and "xul".

Expected Results:  
Text entry should be like the screenshot, having the completion selected ready for:

A) Deletion, if not the case, with most of the keys pressed (like other letter, or space).
B) Use of the auto-completion with <Enter>
C) Use of the auto-completion with right arrow to continue editing the entry
D) Select one of the matching options with up/down arrow.

Comment 1

[Andrés Delfino]

Attachment: Native auto-completion (part 1).

I typed "/i" and the two relevant options apeared:

initrd/
initrd.img

nitrd is selected, because both options share that.

Comment 2

[Andrés Delfino]

Attachment: Native auto-completion (part 2).

After pressing the right arrow, the entry is cleared, and if I type "." I get the rest auto-completed.

Comment 3

[Jesse Ruderman]

This is intentional.  Inline autocomplete is annoying, since it often completes things you don't want it to just before you press Enter.  It's also a security hole waiting to happen.

Comment 4

[Andrés Delfino]

(In reply to comment #3)
> This is intentional.  Inline autocomplete is annoying, since it often completes
> things you don't want it to just before you press Enter.  It's also a security
> hole waiting to happen.
> 

My proposal is because of nativeness, you say it is annoying, annoying to whom? To you?

Why would it be a security hole? Password fields wouldn't be auto-completed.

Comment 5

[Jesse Ruderman]

> My proposal is because of nativeness

I don't think Linux "nativeness" is a good argument.  Windows and Mac also have autocomplete fields with inline autocomplete; that doesn't mean all autocomplete drop-downs have to use inline autocomplete.

> you say it is annoying, annoying to whom? To you?

Yes.

> Why would it be a security hole?

It would be a security hole because simply typing '4' into a textbox could reveal your credit card number.  As it is now, you have to type '4' and then select your credit card number from the autocomplete list.

Comment 6

[Andrés Delfino]

(In reply to comment #5)
> I don't think Linux "nativeness" is a good argument.  Windows and Mac also have
> autocomplete fields with inline autocomplete; that doesn't mean all
> autocomplete drop-downs have to use inline autocomplete.

Why?

If your argument is: because they don't inline autocomplete _always_, then I'll ask you _when_ they don't inline autocomplete. Other way, operative system behaviour should be followed.

> > you say it is annoying, annoying to whom? To you?
> 
> Yes.
> 
> > Why would it be a security hole?
> 
> It would be a security hole because simply typing '4' into a textbox could
> reveal your credit card number.  As it is now, you have to type '4' and then
> select your credit card number from the autocomplete list.

If your issue is with Internet, you can screw your life pretty much at each step. So you better get smart if you want to navigate it.

Plus, this would help offline applications to feel native.

Also, this isn't for Firefox. This is for XUL. Even if I can understand the security "hole" you are talking about, Firefox should fix it, not XUL. XUL has to limit itself to the behavior native applications offer.

Comment 7

[Jesse Ruderman]

Safari uses inline autocomplete in form textboxes if you type a letter, but not if you type a number.  I wonder if that's their solution to the "credit card number problem" in mentioned in comment 5.

Comment 8

[Andrés Delfino]

(In reply to comment #7)
> Safari uses inline autocomplete in form textboxes if you type a letter, but not
> if you type a number.  I wonder if that's their solution to the "credit card
> number problem" in mentioned in comment 5.
> 

A reasonable implementation.

Comment 9

[BMO Automation]

Per policy at https://wiki.mozilla.org/Bug_Triage/Projects/Bug_Handling/Bug_Husbandry#Inactive_Bugs. If this bug is not an enhancement request or a bug not present in a supported release of Firefox, then it may be reopened.