63198 - [RFE] about:<h1>test</h1> should work like data:text/html,<h1>test</h1>

Status: VERIFIED WONTFIX

(Core :: Networking, enhancement)

Description

[Azrael AOD]

When IE comes across an 'about' that it doesn't have data for, it handles the 
request as source for a webpage. That is it renders it on screen.
Doing: about:<h1>This is a test</h1>
Makes a webpage with that text - try it out in IE if you haven't done this 
before.
WOuld be nice if Mozilla could do this, essentially the 'about' request checked 
for existing entries, and then instead of just failing when none are found, it 
could return: 
javascript:document.write('<whatever was typed in>')

I could see this as being very very simple indeed to add, and adding (as far as 
I see it) a little bit more depth to the 'about' function.

Anything has got to be better than Mozilla just sitting there doing nothing, 
not even spitting out an error message or changing to a page saying 'about not 
found'. taking up my suggestion would allow the user to know something had 
happened, as well as add in a funky, simple, non complicated feature.

Comment 1

[timeless]

We already have a datasource: protocol, I don't think we need to support 
someone else's interpretation of about:, about: is not for general use.

Comment 2

[Azrael AOD]

Well one learns something new every day!!
Didn't know about the datasource.
Still.. is it not easy to implement the 'about' or you objecting on 
moral grounds couse it'd be like 'the other browser'? :)

Comment 3

[Azrael AOD]

I just tried datasource:text/html,<h1>test</h1> and it didn't work.
is it not yet implemented, did you make a typo on how it's used, or am I using
it wrong?

Comment 4

[timeless]

yes i made a big typo. s/datasource/data/g

Comment 5

[Hixie (not reading bugmail)]

Given that we already implement this with data:, which is a standards-compliant
way of doing it, why should we do this for about:?

I recommend wontfix. If we do this we'll be opening ourselves to possible 
problems should people rely on this feature, and if they don't rely on it then
I don't understand why we should bother... 

Another way of getting this behaviour is javascript:"Hello World", btw.

Comment 6

[Azrael AOD]

Actually that would be:
javascript:document.write('hello world')

Perhaps you're right, that implementing it would cause problems.
My only suggestion is, if it won't cause problems, and it's easy to do, is 
there any reason not to do it?
You seem to think there are good enough reasons, and I take your point.
Seeing as it's two against one.. I'll gracefully bow out? :)

Comment 7

[timeless]

Gagan: please mark this as wontfix. 

I just filed bug 63395 for about:http://www.mozilla.org/ netscape4 gives page 
info for that url IE on the other hand gives the url.

Comment 8

[Hixie (not reading bugmail)]

Azrael: no, I meant javascript:"Hello World", although your way works too.

Marking WONTFIX per previous comments.

Comment 9

[Tom Everingham]

verified wontfix

Comment 10

[Aaron Kaluszka]

Actually, its not just IE that renders the HTML, Netscape 2, 3, and 4 (Windows)
do this too.  If about:foo isn't rendered, can we at least have something like
Netscape 1?  "Whachew talkin' bout Willis?"
The same should go for javascript:foo.

Comment 11

[timeless]

nc4.78 does _not_ do this. specifically about:<h1>test</h1> results in '?'
ng3.04 does do this (what is requested here)
n2.02 does this (what is requested here)
n1.1n does _not_ do this. about:<h1>test</h1> results in 'Yeah, whatever...'

Again, this is Verified WontFix.