701950 - Add an advanced tab config menu to accomodate the diverging needs of FF users

Status: UNCONFIRMED

(Firefox :: Tabbed Browser, enhancement)

Description

[Kevin Ar18]

Firefox has been tweaking/changing tab behavior in the last few months (some I really like; some I don't).  The result is the inevitable situation where people don't like that behavior because it does not fit their use of a browser.  Having read some comments recently, it seems the desired behavior is getting more and more divergent -- with one person wanting a subtly nuanced or even a drastically different behavior.  To add insult to injury, many of these behaviors were either default or a config option in Firefox at some point, but have since been changed or the config option removed completely.  I believe someone else brought up how important tab configure is to Firefox (it sets it apart from Chrome).

Thus, I would like to suggest adding an advanced tab option to the UI itself -- one that includes the ability to switch on or off many of these historical tab features people have been using (but may have been disable or removed recently).
I wonder how receptive the UI/UX people would be to doing something like this (adding config options back into Firefox for these historical behaviors and then putting them into the tabs advanced UI)?



First, off, here are relevant problems:
Bug 440093 changed tab behavior; I consider a good choice, but some don't like it.
Bug 683146 brought out many comments about different behaviors people don't like that have changed in Firefox (there are many different opinions mentioned in the comments than just the one in the subject).
Bug 597564 presents another change that makes Firefox more difficult to use for research purposes (when using many tabs).
Another major change to tabs was making browser.tabs.loadFolderAndReplace=false the default behavior and removing this config option completely.



Details.
Based on the comments I've read, I have tried to suggest a config option that would be able to accomodate the many different styles users want/need.  Most are related to the changes in bookmark folders.

Notes: ( ) = radio options
       [ ] = checklist
       indentation = means part of that group/related; the options only apply/show up if the parent item (is checked)


>>Style Options<<
* Minimum tab width (before scrolling)  [-----|||-----] (200)
/*Note: this is a slider you can set anywhere from (1 to max_window_width) */
[  ] Open new tabs at end
[  ] Show close (x) button on tabs

>>Opening Bookmark folders<<

____Left clicking on the folder or the "Open All in Tabs" command____
( * ) Open in new tabs only
      [  ] Switch to the first new tab from folder
      __How should the current (visible) tab be handled?__
      [  ] Always replace the current tab with first folder entry
      [  ] Replace the current tab if it's blank (about:blank)
      [  ] Replace the current tab only if it is a new browser window (and also blank)
(   ) Replace the current tab and all tabs after that with the links from the folder.
      __How should remaining tabs (not opened from the folder) be handled?__
      ( * ) Leave remaning tabs OPEN.
      (   ) Close any remaining tabs after current one.
      (   ) Close ALL other tabs.

____Middle clicking on the folder or the "Open All in Tabs" command____
( * ) Open in new tabs only
      [  ] Switch to the first new tab from folder
      __How should the current (visible) tab be handled?__
      [  ] Always replace the current tab with first folder entry
      [  ] Replace the current tab if it's blank (about:blank)
      [  ] Replace the current tab only if it is a new browser window (and also blank)
(   ) Replace the current tab and all tabs after that with the links from the folder.
      __How should remaining tabs (not opened from the folder) be handled?__
      ( * ) Leave remaning tabs OPEN.
      (   ) Close any remaining tabs after current one.
      (   ) Close ALL other tabs.

____CTRL+clicking on the folder or the "Open All in Tabs" command____
( * ) Same as middle click
(   ) Same as left click
/* Note: it appears that 2 different behaviors would be enough to fit most people needs (instead of configuring 4 different styles*/

____SHIFT+clicking on the folder or the "Open All in Tabs" command____
( * ) Open tabs in a new window
(   ) Same as middle click
(   ) Same as left click
/* Note: it appears that 2 different behaviors would be enough to fit most people needs (instead of configuring 4 different styles*/



Extra details... what is required; let me try to give a rundown of the config options (say in about:config) that all of this relates to:

* Minimum tab width - related to Bug 597564 - I am suggesting that the user can set any # they want between 1 pixel and max_width_of_window.  Reason: this was a change made to Firefox in recent months and causes problems for many people who like using many tabs, who do research, etc....
* Open new tabs at end - this is config option: browser.tabs.insertRelatedAfterCurrent
* Show close (x) button on tabs ... or whatever other relevant styles you want to add
* Open in new tabs only - this the new default FF behavior; not sure when it was added; but the old behavior used to be browser.tabs.loadFolderAndReplace=true
* Replace the current tab and all tabs after that with the links from the folder - this behavior seems to be removed from FF recently; although I think it was a great idea to do this; there are people who want the option to get it back.  This would mean adding support for config option browser.tabs.loadFolderAndReplace=true back into FF
* [  ] Switch to the first new tab from folder - requires a new config option, but some people want it one way, some the other when opening a folder
* [  ] Always replace the current tab with first folder entry - this was changed in Bug 440093; some people want an option to enable it again
* [  ] Replace the current tab if it's blank (about:blank) or [  ] Replace the current tab only if it is a new browser window (and also blank) -- this was requested in Bug 683146 and Bug 411029
* __How should remaining tabs (not opened from the folder) be handled?__ -- it seems there is various nuances regarding how people want this done; this requires a new config option

* differences between left, middle, CTRL, & SHIFT - needs a way to configure this again; but it's obvious some people want left to work differently than forced CTRL or forced SHIFT


Key Points:
* Many of these behaviors were once default in Firefox and used by people; some have been completely removed and people want/need them back.
* It was suggested that tab config is a big and useful feature of Firefox; maybe we should actually put these into the default UI for all the power users of Firefox (a UI is easier to use and find than a config option).

Comment 1

[Kevin Ar18]

Severity: normal ➔ enhancement
Thanks, totally forgot about that; it's been a while :)
Version: 11 Branch ➔ Trunk
Oh, wasn't sure about it; thanks again.


Might as well add a keyword while I'm posting this....
Keywords += uiwanted

Comment 2

[Kevin Ar18]

I think I can drastically simplify this (and still keep a wide range of options).  So I am proposing a new UI


>>Style Options<<
Minimum tab width (before scrolling)  [-----|||-----] (200) [1]
Close Buttons on tabs [ --dropdown list of current config options-- [-] [3]
[  ] Open new tabs at end [3]
[  ] Hide tabs bar if there is only 1 tab [4]


>> Opening Bookmark folders<< [5]
____Left click____(applies to left clicking on folder, "open all in tabs" button inside folder or on context menu")
    Replace first tab:  [ never (default)                   [-]
                        | if it's a new blank browser window|
                        | if the tab is blank               |
                        | always                            |
                        +-----------------------------------+
    Replace other tabs: [ never (default)                   [-]
                        | if they are blank                 |
                        | replace as many as needed         |
                        | replace and close all others      |
                        +-----------------------------------+

____Middle click____(applies to clicking on folder or the "Open All in Tabs" command)
    Replace first tab:  [ never (default)                   [-]
    Replace other tabs: [ never (default)                   [-]

____CTRL+click____(applies to clicking on folder or the "Open All in Tabs" command)
    Replace first tab:  [ never (default)                   [-]
    Replace other tabs: [ never (default)                   [-]

____SHIFT+click____(applies to clicking on folder or the "Open All in Tabs" command)
    (*) Launch tabs in a new window (default)
    ( ) Launch in same window
        +-------------------------------------------------------------+
        | Replace first tab:  [ never (default)                   [-] |
        | Replace other tabs: [ never (default)                   [-] |
        +-------------------------------------------------------------+

>>Explanation<<
[1] See Bug 597564. I am suggesting that FF actually make the feature configurable by setting the width and about:config
[2] browser.tabs.closeButtons -- I suggest making it a labeled drop-down.
[3] browser.tabs.insertReleatedAfterCurrent
[4] browser.tabs.autoHide

[5] This is a new config option I am suggesting to be added to Firefox.  Details about the config option can be found in Bug703435#c4.

Comment 3

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

Sadly, I think that while your efforts to provide full control (and revision to simplify!) are laudable, they don't meet the product description of Firefox which is to provide reasonable defaults to users, options for commonly altered settings, and a simple and straightforward UI that isn't festooned with options in dialogs. Indeed, there is more often talk about how to *remove* preferences than to add them at this juncture.

That said, our extensibility allows you to create add-ons to provide these sorts of functions.

Alternatively, you can propose different defaults if you think the ones we have now aren't appropriate.

Comment 4

[Kevin Ar18]

Yeah, guess so...
What are the chances we could at least bring back settings because FF changed the defaults and didn't provide a way to revert the changes?


Bug 703911 describes 1 setting that cannot be reversed:
Allow minimum tab width to be set (config option)

Bug 703435 describes 2 FF changes that cannot be reversed:
1. browser.tabs.loadFolderAndReplace - the default in FF is now "false" - support for this config was removed recently, some people want it back so they can re-enable it.
2. browser.tabs.loadFolderAndReplaceCurrent - This is a new made up config.  The default in FF is now "false" - this config would let people replace the current tab only when opening a tab folder (This is separate from the loadFolderAndReplace config option.)

In fact, if you wanted me to simplify things as much as possible, then those 3 config options.