[Ext] App Tabs 0.6.2 - inspired by Firefox 4 planned feature

[********]

I don't know what happened to it either
I tried to contact the site administrators, but it's not very easy to do.

I have a new version (0.4) that I would like to upload but would prefer an official server to which I could upload the file.

[aronin]

I don't know what happened to it either
I tried to contact the site administrators, but it's not very easy to do.

I have a new version (0.4) that I would like to upload but would prefer an official server to which I could upload the file.

Thats a funny situation...looks like Google got its eyes on this one and got it down... they must've thought that they take so much pains to market a 'Feature' like this in Chrome...so much so that they even change the version number of the browser, and here you are, implementing the same thing in Firefox with such ease Jealousy my friend!

[********]

I don't know what happened to it either
I tried to contact the site administrators, but it's not very easy to do.

Thats a funny situation...looks like Google got its eyes on this one and got it down... they must've thought that they take so much pains to market a 'Feature' like this in Chrome...so much so that they even change the version number of the browser, and here you are, implementing the same thing in Firefox with such ease Jealousy my friend!

For the record and to be clear, I actually have great respect and admiration for Google and its product, Chrome. As you can see below in my UA string, I'm actually using it concurrently with Firefox.

There are multiple possible reasons why Pin Tab might have been taken down, and I have listed several but not all possibilities below:

1. A glitch/bug on addons.mozilla.org (AMO). - In this case, the AMO developers could help me get it back up

2. Intentionally disabled by AMO staff by arbitrary reasons. - This would be troubling, as I still do not know why and have not been notified why this happened.

3. Unintentional trademark infringement on Google Chrome's feature or some other product/service. - In this case, I would find it surprising that Google or another company would trademark such a term as 'Pin Tab', but if the trademark were valid, I would be required to rename the extension.

4. Unintentional copyright infringement on Google Chrome's feature. - Actually, this would be an invalid argument since I did not look at nor use Chrome's source code to develop Pin Tab.

5. Unintentional software patent infringement on Google Chrome's feature. - This would also be invalid since I did not look at nor use Chrome's source code to develop Pin Tab.

In any case, I would first simply like to be informed of the reason, so I can figure out how to proceed from there. This must be most disappointing to the numerous web users who browsed or will browse online articles that featured 'Pin Tab' and tried or will try to click on the link to Pin Tab's page on AMO only to be met with a confusing redirect or notice that the add-on does not exist.

I do hope that this issue is resolved soon.

[aronin]

I really hope it does get resolved soon... and the comment was indeed a joke ofcourse... even I use Chrome from time to time as a secondary browser

But frankly, I really would not read too much into it and 'hope' its just some kind of technical glitch, because recently there was this hue and cry about an addon called Skipscreen (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/11243) and they had some problems from the file uploading sites, but Mozilla supported them and they are still up there... besides, if 'Pin Tab' feature itself was patented, Mozilla wouldn't have used it in there mockups (besides am not really sure what came first, the mockups or Chrome feature).

I guess you could try uploading it as a new addon again, so
- if there is a rights issue, the admins will inform you anyway
- if there was a technical glitch, that would automatically be taken care of

Or you could have a word with Spewboy (Strata40's developer) and name this as App Tab (since he created that addon earlier, and has now discontinued it because of 'Pin Tab', besides I think even Mozilla intends to name this feature as App Tab or something like that).

[aronin]

Is it possible they deleted the wrong one (or both) by mistake: https://forums.addons.mozilla.org/viewt ... 432eefe688

[********]

Is it possible they deleted the wrong one (or both) by mistake: https://forums.addons.mozilla.org/viewt ... 432eefe688

That would be epic fail.

Anyways, I squashed some bugs, made some improvements, and resurrected Pin Tabs as App Tabs!
Better name imho and better focus. See first post.

[aronin]

Is it possible they deleted the wrong one (or both) by mistake: https://forums.addons.mozilla.org/viewt ... 432eefe688

That would be epic fail.

Anyways, I squashed some bugs, made some improvements, and resurrected Pin Tabs as App Tabs!
Better name imho and better focus. See first post.

What do you think? I have been tracking this thread like every 2 hours... already have App Tabs installed ... now heading to AMO to write a review...

I had written to Lifehacker earlier to feature Tabberwocky (which they did I guess)... and they also featured Pin Tabs... I think you should mail them telling them about this name change - just so they can clarify to their readers.

[********]

When i have a pinned tab in focus, and then i open a new tab, it automatically makes the new tab pinned as well. For example, say i'm on my pinned Gmail tab and i decide that i want to read BBC News. So i go up to my Bookmarks bar and click on BBC News (which opens in a new tab to the right of the current one, thanks to Tabberwocky) — suddenly i've got a new pinned tab with BBC News in it.

edit: Actually, to be more accurate, this only happens when you have another pinned tab to the right of the one you're focussed on it. If you're focussed on the right-most pinned tab then it works as expected.

I think ideally what should happen when i'm on a pinned tab is that any new tabs should be opened as a standard tab based on your tab-opening preferences. For example, if you're like me and you have tabs set to open next to the current one, then your new tab should open as close to the pinned tab as possible (i.e., it should become the first non-pinned tab). If you have your tabs set to always open at the end, then of course a new tab opened from a pinned tab should always open at the end.

As it stands, i always have to open new tabs from a separate blank non-pinned tab or else tab creation won't work properly.

Actually, I think I fixed this bug in App Tabs 0.5, I hope

I've one more (small) bug: The order of the pinned tabs seems to change when i restart my browser. For example, say i have two pinned tabs — Gmail on the left and reddit on the right. Then say i close Firefox and restart. When the window re-appears, the order of the pinned tabs will be reversed (Gmail on the right and reddit on the left). Not sure why that happens.

Fixed in version 0.5. Thanks

By the way, this will fix the bug with the default Mac theme:

Code: Select all

.tabbrowser-tab[pinned="true"] {
   min-width: 28px !important; /* or whatever value you'd like */
}

I implemented some code that will detect whether the app tabs are too small and tries to make sure that they are at least 30px wide. Let me know if I need to add more compatibility code for the default Mac theme and GrApple themes.
By the way, pinned="true" is now apptab="true", since I had to rebrand Pin Tab in order to upload it to addons.mozilla.org without additional confusion to the site adminstrators and to users. Thanks!
EDIT: I actually had to remove the compatibility code in version 0.5.1 since it broke switching in and out of private browsing mode even more

I had written to Lifehacker earlier to feature Tabberwocky (which they did I guess)... and they also featured Pin Tabs... I think you should mail them telling them about this name change - just so they can clarify to their readers.

Thanks for the review! I emailed the writer for Lifehacker who featured Pin Tab just before reading this post.

[aronin]

Bug: http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/6334/squished.png

God knows how this happened... first happened when I switched from Private Browsing to normal mode and then it remained even after I restarted Firefox.

Also, regarding another issue about the App Tabs staying across from normal browsing session to Private Browsing session, where you said that some users have Private Browsing set by default - one way to address the issue could be to maintain the App Tabs in private browsing session, 'IF' they were created during a Private Browsing session. If not, they should be closed when entering PB mode and reopened while exiting.

[aronin]

A feature request:

Since most App Tabs would be the kind of Tabs that a user always wants to have a view of, they should always be visible. Right now, when the Tab Scrolling begins (on overflow), the App Tabs behave like normal tabs and scroll along with other tabs. Ideally they should be placed left of the 'Left Scrollbutton' so that they are actually 'Pinned' & are always in-sight.

[********]

Bug: http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/6334/squished.png

God knows how this happened... first happened when I switched from Private Browsing to normal mode and then it remained even after I restarted Firefox.

Also, regarding another issue about the App Tabs staying across from normal browsing session to Private Browsing session, where you said that some users have Private Browsing set by default - one way to address the issue could be to maintain the App Tabs in private browsing session, 'IF' they were created during a Private Browsing session. If not, they should be closed when entering PB mode and reopened while exiting.

Oops, version 0.5.1 fixes that (see AMO). I just backed out the compatibility code for mac themes -_- Full mac theme compatibility is going to be harder than I thought. And yeah, private browsing is admittedly wonky with App Tabs.

Since most App Tabs would be the kind of Tabs that a user always wants to have a view of, they should always be visible. Right now, when the Tab Scrolling begins (on overflow), the App Tabs behave like normal tabs and scroll along with other tabs. Ideally they should be placed left of the 'Left Scrollbutton' so that they are actually 'Pinned' & are always in-sight.

True, this is a lot easier said than done. It actually requires creating a pseudo-toolbar-button for each app tab and hacking all over Firefox's tab code. I don't think I have time to carry this out. I wonder how the official Firefox developers will decide to implement it.

By the way, I will be rather busy this week and possibly the next. Don't expect responses to come as quickly as they have been. I have been spoiling you guys

[vsub]

Ok new name but like the old one Pin Tab was removed,the new App Tab is gone too.I get "Add-on not found!" when I try the link and when I search for it,there is no such add-on.

[aronin]

True, this is a lot easier said than done. It actually requires creating a pseudo-toolbar-button for each app tab and hacking all over Firefox's tab code. I don't think I have time to carry this out. I wonder how the official Firefox developers will decide to implement it.

By the way, I will be rather busy this week and possibly the next. Don't expect responses to come as quickly as they have been. I have been spoiling you guys

Sure... concentrate on your studies now

Regarding the first statement, I agree, its a lot easier said than done. I was thinking more along the lines of the 'New Tab' button... something which keeps moving with the Tabs till the row is full and then it shifts across to the right of 'Right Scrollbutton'. But yeah, I know it must be complicated.

[vsub]

Ok it works now but can I make one request.Can you add check box to display the close button if you want because otherwise I always have to edit the add-on after every update.

[tatool]

Bug (probably) - not working when TabMixPlus add-on is running - look like TMP is preventing App Tabs from using the shortcuts (alt/shift/ctrl+mouse click od double click).