Firefox/Projects/PanelImprovements

Summary

Improve panels in a number of ways. See XUL:Panel_Improvements for specifics of which features would be useful.

Current Status

Still in preparation and investigation phase.

Next Steps

• titlebar: linux support
• thin and normal titlebars
• seperate hiding and hidden steps for Mac
• panel docking
• dock/undock button on titlebar
• dock/undock api
• dock events
• special titlebar when docked
• panel level windows support
• panel level mac support
• panel level linux support
• background drag to move
• create a binding for arrow popups with an arrow pointing to the anchor
• sort out panel focusability with levels

Related Bugs

Bugs are pointed to by XUL:Panel_Improvements.

Team

Enn

Goals/Use Cases

This is a tentative list of how we may use panels in Firefox's UI in the future:

• [currently in use] Bookmark properties
• [currently in use] Site identity
• Context menu on hyperlink > "Bookmark This Link"
• Context menu on bookmark > "Properties"
• Notification of site level events (password manager, geolocation, popups blocked, xpi install, etc.)
• Download progress (Limi is the main contact, he'll post details soon)
• Items on the extension bar, both jetpacks and converted traditional toolbars (Boriss is the main contact)
• Test pilot notifications from the extension bar, not technically part of Firefox but nonetheless a good example of extensions using panels for parts of their UI.
• Firebug would like to have some floating tool palette panels.