Closed Bug 468704 Opened 16 years ago Closed 16 years ago

Option to autohide tab bar

Categories

(Thunderbird :: Mail Window Front End, enhancement)

enhancement
Not set
normal

Tracking

(Not tracked)

RESOLVED FIXED
Thunderbird 3.0b2

People

(Reporter: brian, Assigned: beckley)

References

Details

Attachments

(2 files, 2 obsolete files)

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.1b2) Gecko/20081201 Firefox/3.1b2 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.1b3pre) Gecko/20081204 Thunderbird/3.0b1

There should be an option to autohide the tab bar when only the three-pane tab is open - e.g. a mail.tabs.autoHide setting analogous to Firefox's browser.tabs.autoHide.  

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1.
2.
3.
Not a duplicate, confirming despite the response to bug 218999 comment #98:

> re: prefs / auto-hide.  since we're using tab shortcuts as a way to get to the
> calendar and tasks auto-hiding the tabs would collapse those buttons until at
> least 2 tabs were open.  There might be a way to get this done, especially for
> people who don't want calendar; however it's a bunch of extra work so someone
> else would need to step up.  Everything has been done (AFAIK) with ideas like
> this in mind such that an extension could easily be written to make this change
> happen.

Apparently this was intended in bug 218999 already, but not implemented, if I understand correctly. This is a rather basic functionality, not just in terms
of being consistent with Firefox and SeaMonkey tabbed-browsing features, but also to avoid using up valuable screen real estate if tabbing is not needed.

Deferring a completion of the original implementation to an extension doesn't seem to be the right way to go, especially if it can be considered a deficiency of it, as in this case. If it's reasonable to assume that with some effort such an extension could be written, it is equally feasible to spend the same effort for making it part of the regular release, thus resolving it at the source.
So, this is a valid request.
Status: UNCONFIRMED → NEW
Component: Preferences → Mail Window Front End
Ever confirmed: true
OS: Windows Vista → All
QA Contact: preferences → front-end
Hardware: PC → All
Version: unspecified → Trunk
Also Firefox has now enabled tabbed mode by default to improve the discoverability of tabbed browsing. Perhaps clarkbw would like to comment from the UE perspective?
Attached patch Implementation for new pref (obsolete) — Splinter Review
Here's an implementation of mail.tabs.autoHide.  Off by default so that users get exposed to tabs, but users who really don't like them can prevent them from taking up extra screen real estate.
Assignee: nobody → beckley
Status: NEW → ASSIGNED
Attachment #352561 - Flags: superreview?(bienvenu)
Attachment #352561 - Flags: review?(bienvenu)
Attached patch Rename field name (obsolete) — Splinter Review
Just noticed that I didn't rename the internal field name when I renamed the pref to match the Firefox pref.  This patch fixes that.
Attachment #352561 - Attachment is obsolete: true
Attachment #352569 - Flags: superreview?(bienvenu)
Attachment #352569 - Flags: review?(bienvenu)
Attachment #352561 - Flags: superreview?(bienvenu)
Attachment #352561 - Flags: review?(bienvenu)
Yes, we wanted to expose the tabs to users initial for a number of reasons.  Thunderbird has never had a default tab implementation before, so we need to showcase this in the TB3 release.  Calendar and Tasks are now opened in tabs and use the tab bar for their shortcuts, which hiding the bar will also hide.  Also there is a tremendous amount of room to do interesting things in the blank tab page, especially for Thunderbird.

Having a hidden tab doesn't prevent any of these tab elements from happening, but does make it all less discoverable for people who aren't aware of the changes.  This needs to be an advanced user feature.

This patch looks fine to me.  I'd like to look into alternate ways of adding UI for this other than preferences.
Added the ability to dynamically update the tab.  Now the solo tab will be hidden/shown if the either the field or the pref is changed.
Attachment #352569 - Attachment is obsolete: true
Attachment #352580 - Flags: superreview?(bienvenu)
Attachment #352580 - Flags: review?(bienvenu)
Attachment #352569 - Flags: superreview?(bienvenu)
Attachment #352569 - Flags: review?(bienvenu)
> Created an attachment (id=352580) [details]
> Added functionality

If you are going to make whitespace cleanups. Could you provide a diff -w for the reviewer(s).
I hope, as part of the fix for this, it will be possible to relocate the calendar and task buttons from the tabbar to the toolbar.
(In reply to comment #9)
> I hope, as part of the fix for this, it will be possible to relocate the
> calendar and task buttons from the tabbar to the toolbar.

This fix has nothing to do with what can/can't be put in a tab.  All it does is provide an option for whether a window with only one tab in it shows or hides that one tab.
But I hope you do realize that hiding the tabbar, without also having the ability to relocate those buttons, will mean no toolbar buttons for calendar and tasks

I'm fine with being able to hide the tabbar, but I would also like to be able to access those two buttons when the tabbar is hidden.
(In reply to comment #11)
> But I hope you do realize that hiding the tabbar, without also having the
> ability to relocate those buttons, will mean no toolbar buttons for calendar
> and tasks
> 
> I'm fine with being able to hide the tabbar, but I would also like to be able
> to access those two buttons when the tabbar is hidden.

The pref hides the tab bar only when there's one tab (like how Firefox <= 3.0 does it), so your point is completely irrelevant.
(In reply to comment #12)
> (In reply to comment #11)
> > But I hope you do realize that hiding the tabbar, without also having the
> > ability to relocate those buttons, will mean no toolbar buttons for calendar
> > and tasks
> > 
> > I'm fine with being able to hide the tabbar, but I would also like to be able
> > to access those two buttons when the tabbar is hidden.
> 
> The pref hides the tab bar only when there's one tab (like how Firefox <= 3.0
> does it), so your point is completely irrelevant.

Errm no. His point is completely relevant. Start up Thunderbird - how many tabs do you have by default? => one, tab strip would be hidden. Look for way to open the calendar/task view => not found because the buttons are on the tab strip.

You'd have to open a message/account/folder in a new tab for you to get at those buttons.
(In reply to comment #13)
> 
> Errm no. His point is completely relevant. Start up Thunderbird - how many tabs
> do you have by default? => one, tab strip would be hidden. Look for way to open
> the calendar/task view => not found because the buttons are on the tab strip.
> 
> You'd have to open a message/account/folder in a new tab for you to get at
> those buttons.

Oh. Sorry, I misunderstood.
(In reply to comment #13)
> Start up Thunderbird - how many tabs
> do you have by default? => one, tab strip would be hidden. Look for way to open
> the calendar/task view => not found because the buttons are on the tab strip.

Yes, this is why I think this needs to stay as a hidden option for now.  If you opened about:config and set autohide to true you'll have to use the menu items to open up the calendar and task tabs via the mouse; no icon buttons, that's the rub right now.

> You'd have to open a message/account/folder in a new tab for you to get at
> those buttons.

Or the menu items, or (accel/ctrl)+(3,4)
trying this out right now.
Attachment #352580 - Flags: superreview?(bienvenu)
Attachment #352580 - Flags: superreview+
Attachment #352580 - Flags: review?(bienvenu)
Attachment #352580 - Flags: review+
Comment on attachment 352580 [details] [diff] [review]
Added functionality

this patch doesn't let me close the first tab, ever - is that by design? I realize we have issues getting back to the three pane ui if we do allow closing of that tab, so I'll mark it r/sr. Thx for the patch! If you want, I can try to land it tomorrow.
I thought you couldn't close the first tab /anyway/ even without this patch.
Even without the patch you can't close the first tab.
Keywords: checkin-needed
ah, sorry, nm then. I should note that this patch didn't quite apply cleanly for some reason, so I had to apply one chunk by hand. I'll try to land it tomorrow.
Whiteboard: [c-n: see comment 20]
checked in, thx, Jeff - changeset:   1458:5f5daeb943c8
Status: ASSIGNED → RESOLVED
Closed: 16 years ago
Resolution: --- → FIXED
Keywords: checkin-needed
Whiteboard: [c-n: see comment 20]
Target Milestone: --- → Thunderbird 3.0b2
Blocks: 486168
Hello,

Please consider Bug 520151... I know a huge amount of work has been put into TB to get Tabs working, but I really, really would like the option to not use them, ever.

Everything that opens in a new Tab by default should have the option to open in the current Tab. This way, when I enable the Autohide option when only one Tab is open, I'll never, ever see the Tab bar.

Thanks for your consideration...
it would have saved some if one could read:

to disable the (****) tabs edit all-thunderbird.js and set "mail.tabs.autoHide" to "true".
Re: comment 25
But again this only hides the tab bar if there is one tab open. It doesn't kill tabs completely.
what I wanted to point out is that the way to do this (possibly half solution) is hidden (obfuscated) in the "diff" link. 
comments of some ppl lead to the wrong conclusion that there is no solution at all.

my problem was solved "good enough", it actually aligns the behavior with firefox to show tabs only if there are two or more.
currently i don't know get a second tab (and i don't care).
To turn on tab auto-hide you can also open the Preferences, go to the Advanced Tab and then the General Tab.  Click the ( Config Editor... ) button.  In the filter enter the text: mail.tabs.autoHide  When you see the preference listed just double click it and it should change from false to true.
There should be an easy-to-find UI option for this, such as a checkbox. It would also be more consistent with Firefox, which surely is a Good Thing.
(In reply to comment #28)
thanks bryan. didn't know that.
but apart from the fact that it requires 10+ clicks (including ridiculous "This might void your warranty" - "I'll be careful, I promise!" confirmation), i (oddly!) searched for this option in the "customize..." dialog.
(i count this as yet another obfuscation to avoid someone turning of this space wasting "feature")
Re comment 27:

Currently, the Calendar will only open in a new tab.

Also, for some idiotic reason, the calendar toolbar buttons are *married* to the tab bar, with no way to move them to any other toolbar. Hopefully this will change, either in the main code (it really makes ZERO sense and is totally counter-intuitive, so I *hope* this is fixed in the core code) or through an extension.

So, right now, if you (like me) have set this option, the only way to open the calendar is through the menu ('Events and Tasks' > 'Calendar', or Ctrl-Shift-C), which then opens in a second tab, causing the tab bar to appear.
See Also: → 1871995
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