Firefox/Feature Brainstorming:User Interface
« Firefox/Feature Brainstorming
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
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
- 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.
Trobber
- Reinstate the trobber'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.
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.
Real full screen
I wish I could activate a "presentation mode", where even the adress 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.
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.
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.
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).