Firefox/Feature Brainstorming:User Interface

« Firefox/Feature Brainstorming

Autohide Menu Bar

This is an idea I got from vista. All the menu bar options (like File, Edit, View) should be autohidden, and appear when the user presses "ALT".

• A better option could be to have a button named "Menu" in the toolbar which when clicked will present the normal menus which would cascade down."Something like the gimp."

Better Tabs

The current new tab icon and its position in IE7 is good. It makes logical choice where to add the new tab. However don't show the tab when the single page is open by default. It is visual noise. Further when cursor is paused over a tab it should show a floating thumbnail of the page if it is not the active tab. There should be a way to see all the page images at the same time of all or at least 4 tabs for normal and 6 for wide screen. You can take a tip from compiz. Such a feature can be inserted in the bottom arrow present in the tab bar extreme right. When multiple tabs have been opened in the background they should be coloured in such a way as to to show that they have not been viewed during the current session - useful for those on dial-up connections who surf and open tabs whilst reading current view. Some links are not compatible with the opening in a new tab : when we click upon the scroll wheel, it opens a blank tab because it is a javascript pop-up for instance.

Back In New Tab

• Allow user to open the previous page in a new tab.
• This can be done by middle clicking on the back button, although an improvement can be made. In the new page it doesn't allow you to go back. It would be nice to have it be an exact duplicate of the previous tab, only one step back. It is definitely a feature missing from FF. In IE if ctrl + n is clicked a new duplicate window opens. Both include all previous pages in the back button.

Save tabbed Session

When the computer crashes, Mozilla gives you a restore session parameter. Many of us use certain websites as a personal portal, would it be possible to Save/Load sessions into mozilla -- it would make my life easier specifically as a developer

Auto-hide option

It would be very helpful if there would be an auto-hide button next to minimize button (right-up corner) for hiding the toolbar, bookmark and tab bar, so we could see more of the web page on the screen, not just in "full screen" mode.

When we want use one of the features of the bars, we just move mouse pointer to the top of the page and all the bars would appear. Just like happen in NetBeans, Eclipse, etc. IDE's for toolboxes.

Sorry for my bad English, I speak Spanish.

Save Multiple tabs

It'd be great if we could save all of the tabs I'm currently browsing, and not only to bookmark them. maybe in the Menu: File-->save this (Session / all tabs)
so that all the opened Tabs will be saved in a File in text form named *.tabs and that it could be opened with firefox in the next time I start the browser

Would this save the back/forward histories of the tabs? If so, this is an excellent idea. --Armaetin 13:26, 28 December 2006 (PST)

Support for Microsoft Vista's Aero

• Vista has been released to manufactures already. Id be great to see the toolbars in Firefox using the Aero transparency effects, same with the status bar...
  • An excellent idea! I assume such effects would also apply to non-default toolbars? --Armaetin 00:00, 13 January 2007 (PST)

Pro-Linux advertising in the taskbar

• For users who have installed Firefox on a Windows (especially the dreadful Windows Vista), there should be a reminder in the taskbar that they are using an anti-freedom OS, and should change to Linux because linux won't control their every move, contrary to Microsoft.
  • Even if I really like Linux, I think the OS is a matter of personal choice... And a web browser shouldn't annoy users. I see no difference between this and adware.
  • I like Linux, but if Firefox put a reminder, I think it would be a kind of Spam.
  • The day this ever is implemented, even as an optional feature, I think I will switch to IE or Opera. After all, how could you attack Windows for being anti-freedom when you want to impose Linux on everyone? In a sense, Linux wouldn't be controlling our every move, but Firefox would. I would rather not see what I believe to be the world's best browser transformed into a tool of oppression. --Armaetin 13:26, 28 December 2006 (PST)

Variable Sized fonts in the Menu Bar

• This would be useful for people with poor eye-sight or who use high resolutions (causing the menu fonts to be too small)

Easily Edit Right Click Menu

• Right click menu becomes cluttered with options after installing extensions.
  • The Menu Editor extension will do that.
• Being able to move options around and creating groups would be useful.
• User should be able to indicate in which context these groups should be visible
• Why not merge the functionality of the main menu, context menus and toolbars? Then a single editor as easy to use as the "Customize Toolbar" dialog can be used to edit both, as well as move menu items into the "Bookmarks Toolbar", or bookmarks into a context menu. There is already overlap between the "Bookmarks" menu and the "Bookmarks" toolbar, so obviously they share structure and functionality. This would open up a whole realm of possible configurations.

As an extension of this, it would be nice if something similar was applied to the main menu (File, Edit, View, etc.) so it would be easy to remove various options from the toolbar, such as "Help>For Internet Explorer Users", and other such options.

Floating tool bars

• Allow all tool bars to be detached and float (like the tool bars in GIMP). They could then be tiled, overlapped, stacked or moved to any convenient location.
  • This is not necessarily good. It may confuse users, and I have never felt the need for such a feature. Of course move them to the bottom for example, but not floating. --Eproxus 05:54, 26 October 2006 (PDT)
  • Limitation above can be removed by locking the toolbars by default. To dock/move toolbars, user has to unlock them. Not only toolbars, but menu bar, address bar and links bar should be dockable. IE6 has this feature which unfortunately missing from IE7. This gives more space for browsing area which power users love.
  • I don't think it is such a good idea. More advanced customization, though, would be an improvement. For example, allowing the icon-links such as the Downloads button, Home, or any add-on, to be place on the side (either to the absolute right or to the left. With wide-screen laptops you find yourself having way to much left-right space and not enough up-down space. This would help with the problem.
  • I also agree, adding floating toolbars will confuse those who are not quite as computer-friendly as others of us. What could benefit from being implemented is an option to allow changing size, position, etc. (in a Microsoft sort of way, where the toolbars can be dragged and optimized to fit the users screen). This should stay an option though, because as can be expected with any program, some users will not need this or will find it worse off than its benefits can help it. --FlyingIsFun1217 12:30, 29 December 006 (CST)

Reorganize and Simplify Options

• With new features, the Options preferences have now become cluttered and difficult to use.
  • For example, proxy settings is now under "Advanced->Network->Settings". No setting should be deeper than two levels.
• The Advanced Tab should be removed. What's considered advanced? There's no way to tell without having to look. All settings should be in their appropriate categories so the user can easily find what they're looking for.
  • For example, "Encryption" should be under "Security" (perhaps under a "Settings" submenu). The "Languages" setting should be under "Content" not "Advanced->General".
• In general, the whole Options menu should be reorganized and reviewed for simplicity of use.
• In a principal text of page do the last word in the last line another color and when roll one page this word appear on top very easy find to read from you stopped in a previous page.

MS Office like Flat menu and toolbar

• This is just a preference but it look like more beautifull than pseudo-3d toolbar and old-style menus...

Workspace management

• There are so many way to use Firefox and his extensions it should be great to have the ability to switch from a layout to another, according to our needs.

Throbber

• Reinstate the throbber's (the circle thingy at the top right) link to firefox's support page.

Password Request

• Allow user to continue to use the browser window while the password dialog is shown. Currently, Firefox switches to the tab that requests the password and denies the user any navigation. It should allow the user to switch tabs and continue browsing, just as if the user had multiple windows open.
  • Better yet, all modal dialogs should work like that. --Pile0nades 19:37, 31 October 2006 (PST)
• The dialog on the Master Password request alert labeled "Password Required" is not informative. "Please enter the master password for the Software Security Device" should be changed to something more informative as described on the Self Explaining Password Dialog page.

Real full screen

I wish I could activate a "presentation mode", where even the address bar and the tabs disappear. There would be only the web page left in the whole screen. This is currently done by an add-on "Full Fullscreen". Setting this as an option would be nice.

• I second the motion on an auto-hide of the address bar in full-screen mode.
• I agree. Something similar to IE7, only better, because it's Firefox ;-)
• I agree. At least minimize excess content other than the back and forward buttons. They are very essential. A border around the presentation page is also recommended for aesthetics reason.

Better interpolation for resized images

• Whenever an image is displayed that is not it's actual size, it has so many horrific looking artifacts. A better interpolation algorithm or a feature to override HTML sizing of pictures would make things look a lot better.
  • I may be wrong, but i think this was left out Firefox 2.0 only because of Windows 9x/ME compability issues. It will be in 3.0, considering it won't be compatible with 9x/ME.

Better view of full-sized images

When zoomed in it could also have a box in the corner to drag around where you want to look. It's kind of hard to explain, but I am talking about what is on Google Maps. It has a box that shows a zoomed out view, with a small box that can be drug around shifting what you are viewing. This is integrated into Picasa by Google when looking at a picture in full resolution. It is very helpful.

Multiline copy and paste into textbox

When copying from one page to a single line search box, a new line somewhere necessiates copying multiple times into a search box, e.g. an address into google maps. A way of reducing a multiline copy and paste to a single line for textbox would be useful.

Example:

• 123 Fake
• Some City, State
• 10001

With Opera, copy and pasting into the search box will paste the entire line '123 Fake Some City, State 10001' but Firefox only paste's '123 Fake'.

Customizable Hotkeys

The ability to change around hotkeys as desired would be great because, not only does it give the user a much more personalised experience and interface with the browser, but it means that Firefox doesn't bug you with the "Bookmarks" sidebar every time you try to press ctrl+i to switch to italics in a textbox.

File manager

Firefox should be able to be used as a file manager. That way it would be easy for ftp. When I'm on a Windows computer I hate having to use IE for ftp. It would be nice if Firefox did it the graphical way like konquerer.

• Though there is FireFtp extension for ftp which works very well, ability to be used as a file manager for ftp will add to easy use of ftp well within current window of browser. Uploading is important! downloading happens without any hiccups.
• To make it like konqueror(adding kio slaves etc.) is a lengthy and complex process and unwarrented. Firefox is a browser and keep it as simple as possible.

Mute Button

The should be control over the sound Firefox and its plugins emit. I generally find it annoying to visit a website with background music or to have to listen to advertisement, especially when I'm listening to my own music or watching a video.

Galeon User Interface Features

Galeon showed some really neat features that make adictive. Some of them are:

• Tab Handling: Duplicate a tab
• Smart bookmarks: Its great to have a row of fields with your prefered forms where you can input a value. This row from galeon is quicker than the single drop down list where you can select your search engine or whatever.
• Fast changing of proxy (Feature of Galeon 1.0.x which enabled a quick access to proxy settings without awkward preferences editing)

Stop Animation Button/Combine with existing Stop Button

• Also, a stop animation button would be great too. Or when you press stop maybe it could stop sound and animations (including flash).

Scrollbar Reminder of Where You Scrolled From

• Let the user scroll briefly to review another part of the document without losing their current location. Some scroll bars work this way by default ( if you drag the mouse off the scrollbar it reverts back to where you started scrolling from ) - I'd like to see this across all versions in some equivalent form.

Icon Size

Upon first installing or upgrading Firefox, icons under the "Customize Toolbar" feature are small when added to the bookmarks toolbar and big when added to the Navigation toolbar. However, after clicking "Restore Default Set" or checking "Use Small Icons", this is no longer the case. These Toolbars with Small Icons should be integrated into Firefox.

Restart command

If I might add my two cents, I often wish there was a "Restart Firefox" command, for instance in the "File" menu, just before the "Quit" command : Firefox already has the (extremely valuable)ability to restart and restore your session, whenever you download any update. Why not making this possibility available at any time ?

And by the way, it's a pity FF doesn't restart by itself when you install an extension or a theme. Every time I try some new add-on, I have to close FFox, relaunch it, and then try to remember my opened tabs and so on...

• • While I disagree that FF should automatically restart upon adding an extension (many people install many extensions in one session, and to restart every time would be Extremely time consuming), I agree that better integration of the restart function should be implemented into FF. Not just the extensions dialog, but maybe allow the user to add a button to a toolbar with 'View->Toolbars->Customize'.--FlyingIsFun1217 12:40, 29 December 2006 (CST)
  • I agree with FlyingIsFun. This idea would be a great convenience for uninstalling add-ons. --Armaetin 00:10, 30 December 2006 (PST)

Customize Bookmark Icons

We should be able to change the icons associated with our bookmarks, with the specific page's original icon as the default. For instance, a bookmark of mine has an icon to the left that is null or aesthetically displeasing, so I can change it to my will. This would also give us the opportunity to modify live feed icons on the bookmarks toolbar, so that if we had about 10 of them, we would see more diversity than just 10 orange square (the RSS icons looks great, but it would be nice to be able to easily change the color from orange to whatever).

"Wesnoth" Scrolling

The game "Battle for Wesnoth" has a really usefull model for scrolling with scroll mouse. The screen is virtually divided into four triangles by drawing every possible line between the four corners of the screen.

Holding the cursor on top or bottom triangle while scrolling triggers vertical scrolling, while holding the cursor on side triangles triggers horizontal scrolling. Scrolling forward moves up or left, depending on the triangle under the cursor. Scrolling backward then moves to the opposite direction.

As an addition to this. The lack of either horizontal or vertical scroll bar should trigger scrolling the existing one. Ignoring the cursor position.

• This should be optional and off by default (some of us like the current method of scrolling). By the way, would you mind it if I moved this suggestion to "Firefox/Feature Brainstorming:Accessibilities" so that it is with the other scrolling suggestions, or would you rather it be here? --Armaetin 16:07, 21 January 2007 (PST)