469440 - Failure to action programming events in proper sequence for window writing.

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(Firefox :: General, defect)

Description

[John Middlemas]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.16) Gecko/20080702 SeaMonkey/1.1.11
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.16) Gecko/20080702 SeaMonkey/1.1.11

If you write to a window or say append to the window DOM any changes should be visible right away but aren't in this test at http://www.webneurons.com/delaybug.htm. A window is opened and written to, then followed by a 3 second programmed delay, and finally a second window is opened and written to. However with Firefox the text written to the first window does not appear until AFTER the delay and at the same time as the text to the second window appears. SeaMonkey also does the same.

IE does not do this, nor does Netscpe 4.79. For these browsers the text is displayed in proper order.

The same problem occurs too if writing several times to the same window with delays between writes. All text always appears right at the end rather than in sequence.

This means that javascript logging routines don't show output in real time and ruins this important feature of logging.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Please go to http://www.webneurons.com/delaybug.htm 
2. Try it with IE, then try it with Firefox.
3.
Actual Results:  
Firefox displays an empty first window, then after a delay of 3 seconds displays the text "First Window" in the first wiondow and displays the second window with the text "Second Window". IE displays in the proper sequence.

Expected Results:  
Firefox should displays the first window with the text "First Window", then after a delay of 3 seconds display the second window with the text "Second Window". IE displays in the proper sequence.

There is something strange going on that causes Firefox to hold all the written information to a window until the very end of the program rather than displaying it as it happens.

I could find no way round this.

Comment 1

[John Middlemas]

Workaround
----------

Having a small INPUT text box in the window and writing a random number to that every time stops the locking.

Consider using the following to open the window rather than w1= window.open( '', windowName, features )

netscape.security.privilegeManager.enablePrivilege("UniversalXPConnect")
winOb = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/embedcomp/window-watcher;1"].getService(Components.interfaces.nsIWindowWatcher)
w1 = winOb.openWindow( window, null, windowName, features, null )

Also, instead of w1.document.writeln(html) this could be better:-

w1.document.body.innerHTML += html + "\r\n"

Comment 2

[Tyler Downer [He/Him]]

This is a mass search for bugs which are in the Firefox General component, are
UNCO, have not been changed for 500 days and have an unspecified version. 

Reporter, can you please update to Firefox 3.6.10 or later, create a fresh profile, http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/managing+profiles, and test again. If you still see the issue, please update this bug. If the issue is gone, please set the status to RESOLVED > WORKSFORME.

Comment 3

[Tyler Downer [He/Him]]

No reply from reporter, INCOMPLETE. Please retest with Firefox 3.6.12 or later and a new profile (http://support.mozilla.com/kb/Managing+profiles). If you continue to see this issue with the newest firefox and a new profile, then please comment on this bug.