434968 - Download History cleared on 'Clear Private Data' even if 'Download History' unchecked in options dialog

Status: VERIFIED DUPLICATE of bug 456395

(Toolkit :: Downloads API, defect)

Description

[Bernie Zimmermann]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9) Gecko/2008051206 Firefox/3.0
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9) Gecko/2008051206 Firefox/3.0

Since the upgrade from Firefox 3 Beta 5 to Firefox 3 RC1, I've noticed that choosing the "Clear Private Data" option under Tools now clears my Download History, even though Download History is not one of the checked options in the Clear Private Data dialog available via Tools -> Options.

I have Browser History, Cache and Authenticated Sessions checked in that dialog, but *not* Download History.  Nevertheless, the Download History is cleared any time I run "Clear Private Data," either from the menu or from the Options dialog itself.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1.  Make sure there is at least one download in the Download History.
2.  Make sure "Download History" isn't checked in the "Clear Private Data" settings.
3.  Choose either Tools -> Clear Private Data or "Clear Now" in the Options dialog to clear private data.
4.  Notice that the Download History has been cleared even though it isn't supposed to be.
Actual Results:  
Download History is cleared even when it isn't set up to be in the Clear Private Data settings.

Expected Results:  
Download History should persist after Clear Private Data if it isn't one of the checked options to be cleared.

This looks similar to Bug 431729, but that was apparently fixed and verified before Firefox 3 RC1 was released.

Comment 1

[Shawn Wilsher :sdwilsh]

Note that the resolution of that bug was to make it more obvious in the UI that download history is cleared when browsing history is.  This change was intentional.

Comment 2

[Ria Klaassen (not reading all bugmail)]

So you can never keep your download history if you use the sanitize function, this is intended?

Comment 3

[Shawn Wilsher :sdwilsh]

Yes, because download history is still part of your browsing history.

Comment 4

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

Shawn: we shouldn't be clearing the history when the checkbox is unchecked (if we're forced to clear it, we should be checking the disabled checkbox).

That being said, this sounds like a duplicate of bug 432427, which was fixed and should be fixed in the build you reported this in - what's different?

Comment 5

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

Oh, actually, I see what's different. If you have the "don't ask me before clearing private data" checkbox set, you don't see the dialog that includes the checked "download history" box. That means that this is essentially a duplicate of bug 432724.

Bernie, do you agree?

Comment 6

[Bernie Zimmermann]

If the intention is to clear download history whenever you clear your browsing history, as seems to be indicated above, then yes, I agree that this will be addressed by the fix to bug 432724.

It may just take me a while to get used to download history being a subset of browsing history, but I can see the logic behind it.  I just happen to be a user who clears items from the download history on an item-by-item basis and clears the browsing history separately.

Comment 7

[Wayne Lemon]

The function to clear download history when clearing browser history has changed.
On 5-7-08  Bug 432724 now makes it a bug, Why?  I prefer to have them separate where download history is preserved like all previous versions!  

As in the error noted above with Steps 1 2 3 and 4 but if you close firefox 3 the box will pop up with browser history and download history unchecked.
1.  If you check browser history download is also checked.
2.  Now uncheck browser history download history  *can NOT be unchecked*. 

One is a bug I would fix it but can't or know if I am allowed to.

Thanks to each person for the GREAT work of Firefox 3!!!  I can't use any thing else I am addicted.

Wayne

Comment 9

[NSchuster]

Since, in FF 2, the browsing history and the download history were separate, why were they linked in FF 3?  Since I found the 'old' arrangement much more valuable to the way I work, I'm curious to know what problems were solved by the change.