608579 - Inconsistant and Non-Intuitive UI Function On Add-On Manager Between Applications

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Core :: General, enhancement)

Description

[KitchM]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.9.2.12) Gecko/20101027 Firefox/3.6.12
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.9.2.12) Gecko/20101027 Firefox/3.6.12 and Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.9.2.11) Gecko/20101019 Lightning/1.0b2 Lanikai/3.1.5

The add-on manager functions differently between T-bird and F-fox.  When selecting an .xpi file in F-fox, it will allow multiple selections before install, but not in T-bird.

The button bar buttons are different or non-existent in the different sections.  One example is the Install button is available under Extensions, but not under Installation.

There appears no reason for these oddities, and it doesn't help the user.  It should be made more intuitive.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1.See above
2.
3.
Actual Results:  
See above

Expected Results:  
It would be good to have the buttons on the button bar always available, and for the applet to work the same in all applications it services.

Comment 1

[KitchM]

I should have mentioned that it never opens in a tab as it should.

Comment 2

[Jo Hermans]

Note that these are 2 different products by different teams (Thunderbird is made by mozillamessaging.com) - there will always be differences. Firefox for instance, has currently a redesigned add-on manager (open in a tab) in the forthcoming FF 4.0. Thunderbird does not. They might adopt the same style later on, but I don't know when that will happen (if ever). Some changes were ported (the tabs for instance), but not all of them. Also note that Thunderbird currently shares common code with Firefox 3.* branch, but is not yet based on the 4.0 branch (the trunk) - changes resulting from FF 4.0 will not be in this version, but in a future one.

I repeat, they are different products, unfortunately.

Comment 3

[KitchM]

Please check out bug #567127 and particularly note comment #21, #25, #26 and #28.  In these you will note that the participants clearly state that the same add-on manager is used in all apps by Mozilla.

Either the add-on manager is a separate application that is tied into all Mozilla applications that need it, or it is an applet (like Windows device manager) that each application designs for its own use.  (I personally would find it surprising that code is not reused between programs.)

Now, someone is mistaken.  Maybe you can determine who it is.

Comment 4

[Jo Hermans]

There's a difference between the backend code and the GUI, in particular how that GUI is patched into the rest of the application (that mostly visible in menu bar code and keyboard shortcuts). Yes, there could be differences like you mention in comment 0. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes on accident.

Bug 567127 is for Gecko 2.0, which is used in Firefox 4.0, but not yet in Thunderbird 3.1.*. Bug 571759 is the one that will update Thunderbird for the changes in the Add-On Manager (in particular, the possibility of running it in a tab), but that's for a version based on Gecko 2.0 (I can image it will be used in a future Thunderbird 4.* version, but don't quote me on that). Keep that in mind, you are NOT currently seeing that GUI in Thunderbird 3.1.* !

Comment 5

[KitchM]

Ok, why don't we start with some definitions.

First, what is the name of the application?  Isn't the whole thing the Add-on Manager?

Second, isn't it called the same thing in all applications?

Third, what does Gecko 2.0 have to do with it?

Fourth, I assume the backend is the actual database of information (because a list of add-ons probably requires it), and the frontend is the GUI that allows the user to use that database.  Plus all that, the front end also connects the user's control to the parent program by some means of program-to-program communication.  At that point, the only difference between utilizing the program with one particular appplication versus another one is that communication interface and the details of it as it is changed to adapt for another program's use.  Does that describe it all adequately?

Thanks.

Comment 6

[Jo Hermans]

(In reply to comment #5)
> Ok, why don't we start with some definitions.
> 
> First, what is the name of the application?  Isn't the whole thing the Add-on
> Manager?

It's not an application. Why do you keep calling it that ? It's just a piece of code (Javascript code, C++ classes) that is linked in the applications and/or loaded when starting up.

> 
> Second, isn't it called the same thing in all applications?
> 
> Third, what does Gecko 2.0 have to do with it?
> 

Gecko is the backend of all Mozilla applications. Both Firefox and Thunderbird are based on it.

> Fourth, I assume the backend is the actual database of information (because a
> list of add-ons probably requires it), and the frontend is the GUI that allows
> the user to use that database.  Plus all that, the front end also connects the
> user's control to the parent program by some means of program-to-program
> communication.  At that point, the only difference between utilizing the
> program with one particular appplication versus another one is that
> communication interface and the details of it as it is changed to adapt for
> another program's use.  Does that describe it all adequately?

No. The backend (here) is the piece of code that is used that implements the add-on manager. The frontend is the GUI. There's no special program-to-program communcation at all. Each application can implement their own GUI on top of the backend, which might be different from another application. Thunderbird has a different Options Dialog box for instance, which is different from Firefox (I'm not talking about the actual preferences, but the GUI). Large parts of the GUIs are actually shared between applications, it's not that everything is implemented twice.

As you noticed, Thunderbird has indeed some differences in the add-on manager compared to Firefox (most of the code is indeed shared). The install button is actually on purpose, since you can't use Thunderbird to browse for add-ons on the website (that's why there's now a "Get Add-on" tab !), so you would have to do it in Firefox, save it as a file, and then go to Thunderbird and load it. Firefox would not need such a load button.

The Installation tab would only appear when you're trying to install an add-on.

Comment 7

[KitchM]

> Why do you keep calling it that ?

I guess it was because of the lack of clarity used and/or implied.  There is a very strong implication thru-out Mozilla that all of the apps are modular in design, with little applications that are plugged into the main code as needed.  It is often assumed that such are standalone.

I understand now that they are not, and that the groups of code are actually adapted for each application into which they are plugged.  However, this does not preclude those groups of code from having their own names, even though they take different forms based upon the parent program code.

(I sure wish that simple fact was explained simply at the outset in a way that all users could understand.  Oh well.)

Therefore, the rest of your explanation is very clear and straight forward.  And that is why there are some differences in UI design by nature.

Jo, you have done a magnificent job of explanation.  Thank you very much.  We need more people like you.  I will change the status of this bug.