702774 - Dropdown menus not working since Fx 4 (Coolmemus over Flash content)

Status: VERIFIED INCOMPLETE

(Core :: Web Painting, defect)

Description

[Terry R.]

Not sure if this is Flash related or Firefox related, so filing bug here for now.

Steps to reproduce:
1. Open URL w/Flash enabled in Firefox version 4 through 8
2. Click menu item (VMC's HMC's...) drop down items do not display properly (v4-v8)
3. Open URL w/Flash enabled in Firefox version 3
4. Menu items display correctly

Comment 1

[j.j.]

> Not sure if this is Flash related 
There is no Flash.

Tis uses an outdated DHTML library. Surely no bug in Firefox. 
Moving to "Tech Evangelism".
Please contact the webmaster and refer to this bug. Close it when fixed. Thanks!

from coolmenus4.js :

// Coolmenus Beta 4.06 - Copyright Thomas Brattli - www.dhtmlcentral.com
// Last updated: 11.13.02

This is November 2002 ?! I fond no update at www.dhtmlcentral.com. See also this comment:

// In theory we should use object detection, 
// but this script needs work-arounds for almost every browser...

Comment 2

[Terry R.]

> There is no Flash.
There is Flash used on the page.

My question is, why does it work correctly in FF3 and not FF4 and up?

Comment 3

[Terry R.]

Website owner also states everything works fine in IE and Chrome, as well as FF3.

Comment 4

[j.j.]

I tryed to explain this in comment 1.
The menu effects are created by javascript,
using the DHTML library "Coolmenus", version Beta 4.06
from November 2002, created by Thomas Brattli - www.dhtmlcentral.com

This is the javascript file "coolmenus4.js", located here:
http://www.dynamicmachinetool.com/html/coolmenus4.js

Inside this file you find this comment:
// but this script needs work-arounds for almost every browser...

This means that different browsers execute different code.
So it's not surprising that any random change in Fx4 (e.g. supporting new standards or removing old, deprecated behaviour) can break this script. 
This script would need steady maintaining for new browsers, but no updates are available.

The solutions for the webmaster are either:
1. Kick out coolmenus4.js at all and do it much better by CSS
2. Update coolmenus4.js yourself or ask in a good web developer forum 
   or ask an qualified javascript engineer 
   or ask Thomas Brattli - www.dhtmlcentral.com

Comment 5

[Chris Lawson (gone)]

(In reply to Terry R. from comment #2)

> My question is, why does it work correctly in FF3 and not FF4 and up?

Probably because that nine-year-old script is depending on a bug that was present in Gecko 1.9.x and earlier versions that has been fixed in Gecko 2 and later.

Which, considering the fact that it's nine years old and hasn't been updated since then, isn't exactly surprising.

Assigning this to the reporter, since he's the one who uses the site and has the most pull with the webmaster to get it fixed.

Comment 6

[j.j.]

> > There is no Flash.
> There is Flash used on the page.
Yes, but not used for menus and therefore unrelated

Comment 7

[j.j.]

Hmm, indeed, the menu is working without the Flash content it overlaps.
Should more competent people look on this.  -> moving to Core:Layout

Comment 8

[j.j.]

confirming on XP
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:11.0a1) Gecko/20111113 Firefox/11.0a1

Comment 9

[Chris Lawson (gone)]

This could easily be another case of bug 334321, given that it only happens when the Flash is loaded.

Comment 10

[Chris Lawson (gone)]

(Although that wouldn't explain why it happens only in Firefox 4-8 and not in Firefox 3, so maybe it's something else.)

Comment 11

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

Can someone create something like a minimal testcase here?

Comment 12

[j.j.]

<embed src="images/NEW_MACHINES.swf" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"  wmode="opaque" menu="false" width="964" height="400"></embed>

Seems just changing |wmode="opaque"| to |wmode="transparent"| in the HTML file "fixes" the reported problem without hurting other browser.
Terry, can you inform the webmaster?

Comment 13

[j.j.]

> Seems just changing |wmode="opaque"| to |wmode="transparent"| in the HTML file "fixes"

Sorry, that's wrong!
Removing |wmode="opaque"| completely would fix it in Firefox but draw the menu behind Flash content in Google Chrome.

Comment 14

[j.j.]

Definitely fixed by removing this nonsensical CSS declaration:

  opacity: 0.99999

on BODY in http://www.dynamicmachinetool.com/html/products.css

Comment 15

[Alice0775 White]

Regression window(m-c)
Works:
http://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/212a391d3b79
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:2.0b8pre) Gecko/20101109 Firefox/4.0b8pre ID:20101110052514
Fails:
http://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/bdbef533364f
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:2.0b8pre) Gecko/20101109 Firefox/4.0b8pre ID:20101110081923
Pushlog:
http://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/pushloghtml?fromchange=212a391d3b79&tochange=bdbef533364f
Suspected bug:
Bug 596451

Comment 16

[Terry R.]

(In reply to j.j. from comment #14)
> Definitely fixed by removing this nonsensical CSS declaration:
> 
>   opacity: 0.99999
> 
> on BODY in http://www.dynamicmachinetool.com/html/products.css

JJ,
I sent an email to to owner.  After his response, I'll change the status of the bug.

Comment 17

[Terry R.]

From the site owner:

"Thanks very much Terry.  And a special thanks to j.j. Looks like he was the one that found the nonsensical CSS declaration: opacity: 0.99999. I inherited this code and I guess I'm not the sharpest tack in the box because I didn't remove something no longer needed.  I really appreciate your organization for using 5 programmers to look at this problem.  You guys and gals are the GREATEST!
I'll have to talk to the boss about giving your organization a donation."


Thank you everyone.  Marking Status as Resolved

Comment 18

[j.j.]

Keeping open because its a Core bug now.

Comment 19

[j.j.]

Attachment: testcase

(depends on external script and Flash)

Comment 20

[Terry R.]

(In reply to j.j. from comment #18)
> Keeping open because its a Core bug now.

Okay.  I thought you said in comment #1 it wasn't a bug.

Comment 21

[u597032]

Is this still relevant or can the bug be closed since the website no longer exists and there is no Flash support anymore?

Comment 22

[j.j.]

I agree that closing this bug as INCOMPLETE is appropriate.
It seems unlikely that opacity: 0.99999 causes problems these days. Layout code changed a lot since 2011.