79523 - no purpose for scroll bar in drop down URL list

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(SeaMonkey :: Location Bar, defect)

Description

[Casey Perkins]

The drop-down list of URLs in the URL bar has a scroll bar, as does Netscape 4
and every other browser I can think of.
But there is no purpose for it. The maximum amount of URLs contained in the
drop-down will not pass the status bar / bottom of the screen, or even come
close to so doing.
The scrollbar just serves to hide a few entries, forcing the user to scroll
unnecessarily. Also, if the list is open, the user **must** use the scrollbar
(if they are using the mouse not the keyboard) to scroll to the other entries,
instead of hovering or dragging to show more entries, since doing either of
those only scrolls one more item at the most. (If you end up marking this
invalid, I will file a separate bug on that).
I know the scrollbar in the drop-down URL list has been around forever, but I
think we should re-evaluate - why is it needed?
It just annoys.

Comment 1

[Warner Young]

Casey, if I understand you correctly, what you are really advocating is that the
dropdown list for the URL bar should be lengthened so that a user can see all
the entries at once?  Unless the number of entries really IS too much to display
at once, in which case I guess the scrollbar should be present.

Comment 2

[Casey Perkins]

Warner,
What you said. Exactly.
There just doesn't seem to be much of a reason to have a scrollbar except when,
like you said, the entries really are to much to be seen at once (a very rare,
if nonexistant condition).
We shouldn't be afraid of covering up the viewing area since the user is not
concerned with the viewing area while typing in or selecting a URL. They're
interested in leaving the page and going to a new one.

Comment 3

[Alec Flett]

a) this is a design feedback issue, not a bug - take it up on the newsgroups if
you don't like the design.
b) this is working as designed.
resolving INVALID

Comment 4

[Casey Perkins]

User Interface Design is a valid bug category...should I resubmit as that category?
Incidentally, the scrolling mechanism is **not** working as designed, as I
mentioned in the original report. It only scrolls one additional item. But, like
I said, I'll go ahead and file that one separate.

Comment 5

[Chris Lyon]

*** Bug 129562 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***