448399 - Location bar at small width is unusable, URL text not shown

Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 870463

(Firefox :: Toolbars and Customization, defect)

Description

[Alexis BIETTI]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.1) Gecko/2008070208 Firefox/3.0.1
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.1) Gecko/2008070208 Firefox/3.0.1

When the location bar has small width, it continues to show the favicon, RSS icon, star icon, Go button. URL is completely hidden.

This behaviour is subject to discussion, as it is cosmetic, but there is a usability issue: when the URL is completely hidden, it becomes impossible to click in the address bar to enter a new URL. Even if you reach the location bar with Ctrl-L, then you don't even see what you're typing.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Reduce window width
Actual Results:  
URL in the location bar is hidden. the location bar favors showing the favicon, RSS icon, star icon, Go button.

Same remark applies to the search bar.

Expected Results:  
URL should be shown even at small width. Less important elements (favicon, RSS icon, star icon, go button) should be hidden to save place for the URL text input area.

It happens to me often because I'm using a customized toolbar layout (I will attach a screenshot) and I often use the browser at small window size. So this problem may not concern a lot of people.

Comment 1

[Alexis BIETTI]

Attachment: Screenshot showing the bug

Comment 2

[Ria Klaassen (not reading all bugmail)]

Hiding the star and go button would mean that you won't be able to bookmark the site anymore, except by dragging.

Comment 3

[Ria Klaassen (not reading all bugmail)]

If you have no problems with always hiding them, you can use this as userChrome.css:
 
#go-button, #star-button, #feed-button, #identity-box  {
  display: none !important;
}

Comment 4

[Alexis BIETTI]

Thanks for the tip. Not exactly what I wished but it's a nice workaround.

Comment 5

[Henrik Skupin [:whimboo][⌚️UTC+2]]

This will be fixed when the location bar gets a minimum width which is handled on bug 408263.

Comment 6

[Tyler Downer [He/Him]]

Reporter, are you still seeing this issue with Firefox 3.6.13 or later in safe mode or a fresh profile? If not, please close. These links can help you in your testing.
http://support.mozilla.com/kb/Safe+Mode
http://support.mozilla.com/kb/Managing+profiles

Comment 7

[Tyler Downer [He/Him]]

This bug has had the CLOSEME tag for several weeks and the date in the tag is
far gone. If the reporter can still see this issue, Please retest with Firefox
3.6.x or later and a new profile
(http://support.mozilla.com/kb/Managing+profiles). Then please remove the
closeme tag in the whiteboard, mark the bug against the proper version and
comment on the bug.

Comment 8

[Henrik Skupin [:whimboo][⌚️UTC+2]]

Well, still valid. Trying to get some input from UX while waiting for bug 408263.

Comment 9

[Matthew N. [:MattN]]

Bug 870463 added a minimum width for the location bar.