Session Manager 0.1 to 0.3.9+

[old zeniko]

Another update: <a href="http://www.haslo.ch/zeniko/software/sessionmanager.xpi">Session Manager 0.2.5</a>.

@alta88: The startup prompt can be enabled through the hidden pref extensions.sessionmanager.resume_prompt (requires that "Resume Current Session At Startup" is disabled). As for the naming: while I could name my kids the same, I obviously won't. But I don't need nobody to tell me that I'm about to choose the same name again... Anyway, I've adapted a dialog quite similar to TMP's.

@bhe2g1: I can't reproduce what you are describing. I've already included a hack for remedying the tabbar problem. And the undo close tab feature should not interfere with any other extension. Anyway, you can explicitly disable the undo feature by setting the hidden pref extensions.sessionmanager.max_tabs_undo to 0.

@Recall: What I'm working on here should in no way influence the basic session resuming performance. Session Manager is actually just a nice GUI to the Crash Recovery component which does all the work. And that one should be about as small as possible. I don't know where you get that speed comparison from, but as for reliability and simplicity you shouldn't find anything to criticize.

@AnonEmoose: Although I've been looking at these dates all the time, I never noticed that they were actually wrong... thanks for the notification. The only thing that won't work is the 12 hour format (I've just forgotten to remove the code you modified).

[alta88]

dialog is slick now! but if an existing session is double clicked, it should just replace and go (don't need to confirm the doubleclick). single click selection of an existing name should change the button to Replace and require enter to confirm.

still some problems in flow. perhaps a test script (like the QA guys call it) will help.

Start FF. Open random web site #1, save as Session A. Reposition Window, replace tab with random site #2, save as Session B. Replace Existing Windows is <off>. Click icon, select Session A.
Expected behavior: Second window appears, at its original saved location, with tab for site #1; window with site #2 remains
Actual behavior: Session resume dialog appears (shouldn't). Hitting cancel brings up second window in a strange state: extra untitled tab has been added, position and size are 'stacked' as if new window, and window is unresizable.

Second unresizable window is closed. Existing window is closed (FF closed). Restart FF, select [Previous Browsing Session].
Expected: Window with site #2 appears, with its last position/size before closing.
Actual: Window appears with additional home page tab added, site #2, last position/location not maintained.

other things:

- tooltip the same for all menu items
- File->New Window brings up the Session Resume dialog each time!
- upon closing FF, it would help a lot if the autosaved session attached a date/timestamp, and be displayed with [Previous Browsing Session] on restart.

thanks!

ps. i understand you re the naming thing, and agree totally. i should have phrased my request better

[Recall]

Another update: <a href="http://www.haslo.ch/zeniko/software/sessionmanager.xpi">Session Manager 0.2.5</a>.

@alta88: The startup prompt can be enabled through the hidden pref extensions.sessionmanager.resume_prompt (requires that "Resume Current Session At Startup" is disabled). As for the naming: while I could name my kids the same, I obviously won't. But I don't need nobody to tell me that I'm about to choose the same name again... Anyway, I've adapted a dialog quite similar to TMP's.

@bhe2g1: I can't reproduce what you are describing. I've already included a hack for remedying the tabbar problem. And the undo close tab feature should not interfere with any other extension. Anyway, you can explicitly disable the undo feature by setting the hidden pref extensions.sessionmanager.max_tabs_undo to 0.

@Recall: What I'm working on here should in no way influence the basic session resuming performance. Session Manager is actually just a nice GUI to the Crash Recovery component which does all the work. And that one should be about as small as possible. I don't know where you get that speed comparison from, but as for reliability and simplicity you shouldn't find anything to criticize.

@AnonEmoose: Although I've been looking at these dates all the time, I never noticed that they were actually wrong... thanks for the notification. The only thing that won't work is the 12 hour format (I've just forgotten to remove the code you modified).

You make a fair point about the current gui setup, i was just voicing my concerns that continued additions of features could potentially make for a more bloated extension. Like I said your extension is fantastic and I hope you get it even faster. There is one small request, and I guess this could be classed possibly as the bloat I am so afraid of. However, I dont think it would affect size too much. Basically I would like to be able to access session manager options via the extension menu. Why you ask? Reason being I use Mr Techs Local Install and it allows me to access the options of an extension just by placing the extension manager button from customize on the toolbar.

[old zeniko]

Just another update: <a href="http://www.haslo.ch/zeniko/software/sessionmanager.xpi">Session Manager 0.2.6</a>, which mainly adds an Options dialog for all hidden prefs (for Firefox users only).

@alta88: The main problem should now be resolved. As for the details: the tooltip problem is actually a Firefox bug (just check the Back drop-down menu). The Select Session problem is a symptom of the same problem you elaborated more extensively before. And I'll think about an automatic timestamp for regularly closed sessions.

@Recall: By sheer coincidence, I've just implemented a slick Options dialog for Session Manager (which adds to the download size but shouldn't otherwise slow anything notably down). As for your "bloat" fears, please read this article from Joel first, before requesting any further Tab Mix Plus Minus-a-half or Session Manager Super-light-but-with-Options . I guess, in the end the only option you have is mine: rewrite the stuff you need yourself and be happy with your minimized extensions nobody else is really interested in (although they're so cool)... or restart adding the requested features and try to find a solid compromise (what Joel calls "good" design).

[alta88]

By sheer coincidence, I've just implemented a slick Options dialog

purtroppo, i get a hash error when trying to install the xpi...

[old zeniko]

This seems to happen occasionally when the .xpi and update.rdf aren't cached simultaneously. Unfortunately Firefox usually gets stuck after a hash error, so you'll have to download the extension and install it locally.

[AnonEmoose]

@AnonEmoose: Although I've been looking at these dates all the time, I never noticed that they were actually wrong... thanks for the notification. The only thing that won't work is the 12 hour format (I've just forgotten to remove the code you modified).

Nice work on 2.6, youe head must be spinnig from all the work you've put it... excellent job....


As for the AM/PM it still can be used for the customized format
change line
var values = { text: this.getFormattedName(content.document.title || "about:blank", new Date())};
to
var values = { text: this.getFormattedName(content.document.title || "about:blank", new Date()) || (new Date()).toLocaleString() };

this way if one leaves the pref extensions.sessionmanager.name_format empty (ie. no value at all), the suggested name is in the AM/PM format instead of having a blank suggestion.

*******************************************************
A minor thing I noticed. If extensions.sessionmanager.max_tabs_undo is > 0 then UndoCloseTab Enhanced doesn't save removed Tabs (I haven't tested with UndoCloseTab). Some quick testing points to the patchTabBrowser function not passing on the removeTab data or perhaps UndoCloseTab hooks in a different place to catch that info . I'm not sure if this is a real big deal since if one uses SessionManager to reopen Tabs than they wouldn't need to keep UndoCloseTab (Enhanced) installed.

This is not a big issue for me as I keep turned off SessionManager's UndoTab functionality.

[neocamp22]

With this extension, can you make it so that you can set a few tabs with specific websites to open every time you start up firefox. Can you have a certain session load up every time, regardless of what last session was? This is what I really like about sessionsaver. I set a session that I want as startup, and enabled that for startup. Then I created a new session called shut-down, which get stores the current session whenever firefox shuts-down. This was I always get a few websites I want when I start up, but I can revert back to my last session if I wish.

[alta88]

yep, each window is now started and located properly.

it's hard to separate session from window, so if i have 3 windows and want to save just the tabs in Session C window, C "Session" will now come to include the other 2 windows. even harder if using a virtual desktop with FF window running in different desktop windows. but i guess making this easier is not in your plan..

the prompt for session on restart dialog in now never appearing. the pref is set. also, i'm not sure what is included in [Previous Browsing Session]. if i have 3 windows open, each started by a named session, then a Restart of FF should snapshop that state. but it doesn't. it would be nice to have an optional shutdown dialog to save the session, or else autosave it.

haven't tested yet to see what happens in a crash, ie kill task.

save dialog doesn't replace and go on a double click.. it would be extra ergonomic if right click on a session gave the choice to open in new window or replace, like TMP. those guys have figured out how to save a lot of specious clicks.

thanks.

[dezydery]

Great extension, I just switched over from Session Saver and so far all seems to work well.

A question - I notice you don't store password fields, but what if I'm shopping online - will my credit card number get stored on the hard disk? Doesn't really bother me much, but I thought I'd ask anyhow!

[aoeu]

Hey!

Just discovered your extension, happy to see that someone is actively developing a session-related extension, especially now that SessionSaver seems to be dead.

I was wondering, haven't really tried your extension yet because of that, if it is possible to import the sessions made in SessionSaver? I've got quite a few of them and I'm not interested in losing them.
Neither do I have the time to start deciphering SS's pref's syntax, and yours, to develop a custom converter.

It would be cool, if there would be one implemented, to make the transition as easy as possible.
Even though I'm having very annoying problems with SS, I have to stick with it due to my saved sessions.

Good luck!

[AnonEmoose]

I was wondering, haven't really tried your extension yet because of that, if it is possible to import the sessions made in SessionSaver? I've got quite a few of them and I'm not interested in losing them.
Neither do I have the time to start deciphering SS's pref's syntax, and yours, to develop a custom converter.

You haven't tried the extension yet, but still have requests !? hehehe... and you don't have time to develop a converter, but zeniko should make some time to convert your sessions & your prefs ?!! whew !!..... hmmmmmm

[old zeniko]

<a href="http://www.haslo.ch/zeniko/software/sessionmanager.xpi">Session Manager 0.2.7</a> adds some more requested features (all of them available through the Options dialog):

@AnonEmoose: I've added your suggestion so that an empty name_format string now produces a localized date. As for the Undo Close Tab incompatibility: this is unavoidable if Session Manager should be able to interact with Tab Clicking Options. On the other hand, you hopefully won't need two extensions providing this same feature. Setting the maximum number of remembered closed tabs to 0 will completely disable it for Session Manager. BTW: This incompatibility comes from an interesting choice about in what way to patch Firefox' internals (see this discussion).

@neocamp22: This is as of this version also possible: save a session, select it under "At startup always load...", make sure you've set "At shutdown" to "backup the current session" and uncheck "Resume Current Session At Startup" (since it temporary overrules these options). You'll then get the previous session as "[ Previous Browsing Session ]".

@alta88: You can now save just the tabs of one window. As for the never appearing Session Prompt: that's actually a bug in Restart Firefox. Then a shutdown prompt can now optionally be enabled. And if you really want to get rid of that additional click, you'll just have to use TMP (I'm not yet convinced that you surely won't accidentally replace a session you still needed).

@dezydery: By default, Session Manager/Crash Recovery doesn't save any sensitive data on encrypted sites (i.e. everything starting with https://). You can change that setting through the last pref in the Options dialog.

@aoeu: It would sure be nice if somebody wrote a convertor for all different session managers (SessionSaver, Tab Mix Plus, Opera, Session Manager, etc.). Until that happens, you could of course just install both SessionSaver and Session Manager, then load your sessions one by one from SessionSaver and then save them with Session Manager...

[aoeu]

@aoeu: It would sure be nice if somebody wrote a convertor for all different session managers (SessionSaver, Tab Mix Plus, Opera, Session Manager, etc.). Until that happens, you could of course just install both SessionSaver and Session Manager, then load your sessions one by one from SessionSaver and then save them with Session Manager...

If that works, that'll be nice.
I was more afraid that SS and SM together will... blow up or something ;)

You haven't tried the extension yet, but still have requests !? hehehe... and you don't have time to develop a converter, but zeniko should make some time to convert your sessions & your prefs ?!! whew !!..... hmmmmmm

A request is just what is is -- a request. It's not an order or a threat. They are making it for the public, if I understood correctly, and are open to suggestions, which basically are the same things as requests.
And I'm probably not the only one wishing to convert from SessionSaver. But if the above suggestion works, then I'm happy with it.

[AnonEmoose]

<a href="http://www.haslo.ch/zeniko/software/sessionmanager.xpi">Session Manager 0.2.7</a> adds some more requested features (all of them available through the Options dialog):

@AnonEmoose: I've added your suggestion so that an empty name_format string now produces a localized date. As for the Undo Close Tab incompatibility: this is unavoidable if Session Manager should be able to interact with Tab Clicking Options. On the other hand, you hopefully won't need two extensions providing this same feature. Setting the maximum number of remembered closed tabs to 0 will completely disable it for Session Manager. BTW: This incompatibility comes from an interesting choice about in what way to patch Firefox' internals (see this discussion).

Very well done on the localized date option, the cool startup/shutdown and privacy options.

I agree about why incompatibility exists with UndoCloseTab & Session Manager's respective undo-close-tab functions. I have previously followed the thread you mentioned as well. The post I made was really just to give a heads up/solution to anyone else who noticed that UndoCloseTab wasn't working but still wanted to use both extensions; as well as the solution to do so (reduce SessionManager's extensions.sessionmanager.max_tabs_undo value to 0)

********************************************************************

You haven't tried the extension yet, but still have requests !? hehehe... and you don't have time to develop a converter, but zeniko should make some time to convert your sessions & your prefs ?!! whew !!..... hmmmmmm

A request is just what is is -- a request. It's not an order or a threat. They are making it for the public, if I understood correctly, and are open to suggestions, which basically are the same things as requests.
And I'm probably not the only one wishing to convert from SessionSaver. But if the above suggestion works, then I'm happy with it.

Just a bit of dry humor on my part. I didn't mean to sound harsh.

An Alternate solution to "I was more afraid that SS and SM together will... blow up or something ;":
1. load each on of your Session Saver sessions and bookmark them as a group in an individual folder (CTRL+SHIFT+D).
2. Uninstall SessionSaver
3. Install SessionManager. Close FireFox
4. Restart FireFox
5. For each individual folder you created, load the bookmarks and save it as a seperate SessionManager session. Voila....