532572 - Add single-window Firefox mode

Status: NEW

(Firefox :: General, defect)

Description

[Vladimir Vukicevic [:vlad] [:vladv] (needinfo me, slow to respond)]

An idea I've been toying with, and that should get filed.

It would be handy if Firefox had a single-window mode, where we enforced 1 main browser window.  This is useful on netbooks and any other small screen devices, where having one maximized window (perhaps even without window chrome) is the best web browsing experience.  Right now you can mostly get there, but if you ever open a new window, things get confusing especially if the OS doesn't have a really good way to switch between windows.

Optionally, we could also enforce that the main browser window is always below any dialogs, even modeless dialogs, to make sure that they can never get lost below the window.

Comment 1

[Mike Beltzner [:beltzner, not reading bugmail]]

So basically we're talking about docking/redoing modal dialogs and popup windows so that they're always attached or otherwise part of the main window frame.

List of UI popups that I can think of:

 - preferences
 - download manager
 - bookmark and history manager (aka: "library")
 - add-on manager
 - error console
 - about window
 - application updater dialog
 - add-on updater dialog
 - clear recent history dialog
 - save and quit dialog
 - make firefox default dialog
 - JS alerts
 - view-source windows
 - save as dialog
 - print dialog
 - open dialog (when location bar is hidden)
 - search dialog (when search bar is hidden)

I'm sure I'm missing a few.

Comment 2

[Vladimir Vukicevic [:vlad] [:vladv] (needinfo me, slow to respond)]

Nope, actually I'm not referring to the dialogs at all -- those can remain dialogs, but I'd add the bit that they're always on top.  Like right now, the download manager is a window in its own right, and can appear below the Firefox window; I'd make it so that it's always on top.

The main option I'm suggesting here is to enforce having just one main content-viewing Firefox window, with no ability to open any others.

Comment 3

[Alex Faaborg [:faaborg] (Firefox UX)]

Vlad's approach sounds good for now, but I think an increasing number of single window devices might result in us wanting to reduce the number of separate windows we have.

On an aesthetic level loading a Win 95 style Windows CS preferences window when the rest of the UI is heavily themed immediately feels out of place.  And on an interactive level having windows when there isn't really a window manager obviously isn't ideal.

Comment 4

[Vladimir Vukicevic [:vlad] [:vladv] (needinfo me, slow to respond)]

(In reply to comment #3)
> Vlad's approach sounds good for now, but I think an increasing number of single
> window devices might result in us wanting to reduce the number of separate
> windows we have.

Sure -- but that should probably be a separate effort from this, I think (and would probably have value on the desktop as well!).  It's definitely related and would have benefit, but I think the core piece is the main browser window.