562396 - Tabs should be a movable object like all other toolbar objects

Status: NEW

(Firefox :: Toolbars and Customization, defect)

Description

[Damian Shaw [Quan]]

Bug 457187 made the tab toolbar customizable, but the tab object itself is still uncustomizable. This is inconsistent with all other Firefox toolbar objects.

STR:

1. Open Firefox. View > Toolbars > Customize...
2. Attempt to drag any object off it's respective toolbar, either on to another or in to the Customize toolbar pane
3. This fails for tabs

Expected Results:

1. Should be able to move tabs on to any bar you wish

Comment 1

[u88484]

This will most likely be WONTFIXed.  What need would you have to drag and drop tabs onto a different toolbar.  Also, I don't even think this would be possible since the way everything is coded.

Dao?

Comment 2

[Damian Shaw [Quan]]

I think talking about "need" for a product like Firefox with as many users and use cases as there are is very dubious and narrow line of rationale. As it goes this was the original way bug 347930 was implemented, so it's clearly "possible" somehow... 

And I found those test builds to be really nice, I particularly liked reducing the number of bars I had and moving the tab objects to the same bar as the menu bar.

What kind of priority, the effort it will require and who and when someone will be willing to fix this bug I completely understand is a rather variable determination. But just for internal consistency of UI alone I don't think this should be a WONTFIX bug.

Comment 3

[Dão Gottwald [:dao]]

Doing this would conflict with the "Tabs on Top" option.

Comment 4

[Damian Shaw [Quan]]

It only conflicts with "Tabs on Top" because that's an even more inconsistent UI. I'll write up some bugs later and attach them as dependencies to this so that taken as a whole it wouldn't conflict with any current UI features.

Comment 5

[Paul [pwd]]

Doesn't this support the idea that the tab-toolbar should be free-positioning? There was a bug filed for it. At that point, you could then amend the "Tabs on Top" option to "Tab Direction" (pointing inwards OSX style or outwards Windows/Linux style). It would allow users that have been so desperately craving, to position tabs on the sides or bottom.

Comment 6

[Markus Stange [:mstange]]

http://www.stephenhorlander.com/images/dev-usability/ has some ideas about mixing customization and tab bar positioning.

Comment 7

[Vova Olar]

Why we can not just make toolbars draggable? This will eliminate the need for a "Tabs on top" option. User can create toolbar, move it to top and place tabs on it.

Comment 8

[Paul [pwd]]

I'm all for making them draggable. At least one other major browser has managed it, so I see no reason Firefox shouldn't feature the same ability. As I said, it should be a question of tab direction rather than location that is toggled.

Comment 9

[Jim Jeffery not reading bug-mail 1/2/11]

Bugzilla is not the place to have this discussion.  I would suggest you start a thread here to discuss the merits of having tabs strewn all your UI:

http://groups.google.com/group/mozilla.dev.apps.firefox/topics?lnk=lr

Comment 10

[Andreas Eibach]

"Bugzilla is not the place to have this discussion."

Well...actually yes, provided the "bug" is marked as an enhancement. That clearly falls in the "enhancement" category, IMHO.

Comment 11

[Damian Shaw [Quan]]

This trio of bugs now: bug 562396, bug 553389 and bug 562702 would remove all UI customization inconsistencies from the tab toolbar that I am aware of. This also now represents an internal consistency for UI customization change which this bug alone did not represent.

Comment 12

[Damian Shaw [Quan]]

Google Groups discussion http://groups.google.com/group/mozilla.dev.apps.firefox/browse_thread/thread/bdd0f02806dffad6#

For all discussion that extends beyond the validity or implementation of this bug.

Comment 13

[Damian Shaw [Quan]]

Perfect example of where a moveable tabs object would be useful: http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/04/29/latest-firefox-nightly-adds-tab-bar-cramping-customization/

Why should you be stuck with the tab toolbar to do this? It just makes it more awkward than needed.