Announcing "All Tabs Helper"

[avada]

Ah, possibly you need to have FAYT option checked in Options window. Options > General > "Typing automatically initiates a search". Then it should automatically switch to search tab. Probably should default to that if user is using the global searchbox option.

Cannot eliminate the search tab as the main menu cannot handle content search results. I suppose there could be a hybrid version, but I am not interested in increasing the complexity of the UI that much.

If people aren't happy with the way it works I can just remove the option.

Ah, okay.
Though, to be honest this feels a bit odd too. If I need to enable it the search field is effectively bypassed. At least there's nor reason to use it.
It's too bad that the switch to the search tab is a necessity, this way most of the gain having the search field in all sections might give is lost.

[Kevin Jones]

Ah, okay.
Though, to be honest this feels a bit odd too. If I need to enable it the search field is effectively bypassed. At least there's nor reason to use it.
It's too bad that the switch to the search tab is a necessity, this way most of the gain having the search field in all sections might give is lost.

Actually, I really am not getting the reason for these requests. It is all really a matter of perception. There is no difference between the "alltabs" menu and the "search" menu. They both use the same scroll box, they are just displaying different items based on the request. There is actually no "switching" to a different menu other than the fact that one says "alltabs" and the other says "search".

Consider this:

You want to be able to type in the searchbox while in the "alltabs" menu, and have the "alltabs" menu suddenly display different items based on the results of the search. If the searchbox is cleared, then you want to "alltabs" menu to go back to displaying all of the tabs.

What is the difference between this and what it is doing now? The only exceptions are, the title says "search" instead of "alltabs", the checkboxes appear which give more control over your search (but can just be ignored), and in order to display all of the tabs again, one must click "all" (or "alltabs") directly above the searchbox instead of clicking in the search box, selecting all of the contents, then deleting, (or deleting one character at a time), an action which takes more steps.

Then when you consider that, if FAYT is selected in options, you can be displaying all of the tabs ("alltabs" menu) and just start typing and your tabs will be filtered according to your search, without even having to click in a searchbox.

[avada]

What is the difference between this and what it is doing now?

Well, having to click to the search mode and back instead of just pressing escape is a tad annoying. I have to grab the mouse.

On the other hand, I can't look a the search being made in the background when FAYT is disabled as anything other than a fault/bug. It's just plain confusing.

[Kevin Jones]

Well, having to click to the search mode and back instead of just pressing escape is a tad annoying. I have to grab the mouse.

I wasn't aware that pressing esc cleared the searchbox. I can grant you that that would be more convenient.

On the other hand, I can't look a the search being made in the background when FAYT is disabled as anything other than a fault/bug.

I don't understand what you are saying here. What do you mean background? Nothing goes on in the background.

[avada]

On the other hand, I can't look a the search being made in the background when FAYT is disabled as anything other than a fault/bug.

I don't understand what you are saying here. What do you mean background? Nothing goes on in the background.

Well, the results are not shown anyway. Until I switch to search mode.

[pista]

First of all, thanks for your work. And thanks in particular for the time you spend to listen your users.

You want to be able to type in the searchbox while in the "alltabs" menu, and have the "alltabs" menu suddenly display different items based on the results of the search. If the searchbox is cleared, then you want to "alltabs" menu to go back to displaying all of the tabs.

Yes, you have perfectly understood.

What is the difference between this and what it is doing now? The only exceptions are, the title says "search" instead of "alltabs", the checkboxes appear which give more control over your search (but can just be ignored), and in order to display all of the tabs again, one must click "all" (or "alltabs") directly above the searchbox instead of clicking in the search box, selecting all of the contents, then deleting, (or deleting one character at a time), an action which takes more steps.

Well, you are right for even this. The difference seems to be a click on all item instead on close (cross icon) in the searchbox.

Anyway, several times I find myself trapped inside the search box, because I am too used to stay in (that is, to interact with) the search box, and I started to think why.

I eventually have reached the conclusion that it is because the behaviour of your addon is not consistent from the one of other programs.
I have already cited Pano, even if you can reply to me that your search is more powerful, because you allow the user to search for url, title or content, and you would be right again; so, please consider another example, the quick filter in ThunderBird.

The quick filter (tool)box is like a "allmessages" mode merged with "search" mode. If I start typing in the filter box, the message panel reflects my input listing only messages which satisfy the filter. When I empty the box, the message panel returns to list all the messages. There is no explicit switch to an "allmessage" mode. Moreover, when I start typing some character in the search box, a new toolbar appears just below allowing me to search for sender, adressee, object, body. I do not attach a screenshot since I think that you have Thunderbiord installed and you can do a quick test by yourself.

Ok, I tried to explain that my confusion with ATH derives from a behaviour I have strongly internalized with other programs (that after all I think it is natural). I've done this mainly for me and even for other people to see if they share my same feelings.

Again, thanks for your work. And thanks in particular for the time you spend to listen your users.

[Kevin Jones]

In my mind, I believe I could accomplish what both of you are asking by doing the following:

If option to make searchbox visible in the alltabs menu is checked:

Force FAYT, so when user starts typing in the searchbox, menu switches to "search" and displays results.
If searchbox is cleared (by esc or click "x" in searchbox) menu returns to "alltabs"

With this behavior, the only difference I can see than what is requested is that while results are being displayed, you have to see "search" bolded instead of "alltabs", and the filter checkboxes. Perhaps you could shift away from the paradigm of "switching" to search.

Would that be satisfactory?

[avada]

Hi! I may have found a bug. When all tabs helper is enabled. I can't type "[", "{" on my keyboard normally (altgr+f, altgr+b or ctrl+alt+f, ctrl+alt+b). I get tabs switched instead. Apparently the key combinations switch between most recently used tabs. If i disable ATH the problem goes away.

Edit:
Disabling the hotkeys in ATH also works. These have a red text color. Does that mean that they're supposed to be firefox-wide hotkeys? (the options windows shows no hint.) Anyway I don't think they're supposed to be active when I type in a textbox or an input field.

(PS What's "alternate tab open" feature is supposed to be doing, I don't see anything)

[pista]

In my mind, I believe I could accomplish what both of you are asking by doing the following:

If option to make searchbox visible in the alltabs menu is checked:

Force FAYT, so when user starts typing in the searchbox, menu switches to "search" and displays results.
If searchbox is cleared (by esc or click "x" in searchbox) menu returns to "alltabs"

Would that be satisfactory?

Oh, for me, yes! Thank you.

[Kevin Jones]

Hi! I may have found a bug. When all tabs helper is enabled. I can't type "[", "{" on my keyboard normally (altgr+f, altgr+b or ctrl+alt+f, ctrl+alt+b). I get tabs switched instead. Apparently the key combinations switch between most recently used tabs. If i disable ATH the problem goes away.

Have you tried changing the keybindings in Options > Keybindings ? "go back/forward in tab visited history"?

[Kevin Jones]

In my mind, I believe I could accomplish what both of you are asking by doing the following:

If option to make searchbox visible in the alltabs menu is checked:

Force FAYT, so when user starts typing in the searchbox, menu switches to "search" and displays results.
If searchbox is cleared (by esc or click "x" in searchbox) menu returns to "alltabs"

Would that be satisfactory?

Oh, for me, yes! Thank you.

I believe also there is no purpose for the searchbox in the "dups" and "recent" menu, just the "alltabs" menu.

[pista]

I believe also there is no purpose for the searchbox in the "dups" and "recent" menu, just the "alltabs" menu.

If the searchbox always searches in all the tabs and not in dup or recent tabs, yes, you are right.

[Kevin Jones]

I believe also there is no purpose for the searchbox in the "dups" and "recent" menu, just the "alltabs" menu.

If the searchbox always searches in all the tabs and not in dup or recent tabs, yes, you are right.

Yes, having it in the other menus could imply it is just searching the results of those menus.

[avada]

Yes, having it in the other menus could imply it is just searching the results of those menus.

I think that actually might be useful for some. (Particularly tab hoarders)

[quote="Allasso"r+b or c]

Hi! I may have found a bug. When all tabs helper is enabled. I can't type "[", "{" on my keyboard normally (altgr+f, altgtrl+alt+f, ctrl+alt+b). I get tabs switched instead. Apparently the key combinations switch between most recently used tabs. If i disable ATH the problem goes away.

Have you tried changing the keybindings in Options > Keybindings ? "go back/forward in tab visited history"?[/quote]

It looks like you missed my edit, and I missed that you posted in the meanwhile. I'll just copy it in:

Edit:
Disabling the hotkeys in ATH also works. These have a red text color. Does that mean that they're supposed to be firefox-wide hotkeys? (the options windows shows no hint.) Anyway I don't think they're supposed to be active when I type in a textbox or an input field.

(PS What's "alternate tab open" feature is supposed to be doing? I don't see anything)

I can't change it to most ctrl+alt+something (or altgr+something), because ATH doesn't accept it. I get for example just a "G" when I press altgr/ctrl+alt g. (If I hammer the shortcut I see the character it refers to flashing for a split second.) If I save for example "G" ATH breaks it for all text input. So it seems most altgr/ctrl+alt shortcuts (thos that have a character assigned) are excluded. I have a fair bit of those:

[pista]

I've noted that opening a link in a new tab (by right clicking and selecting the first tem in the contextual menu) makes ATH sidebar first taking and then losing the focus, and this result into an annoying flickering (the sidebar goes from gray to white and then to gray again).
Maybe it depends on some of my settings, so I ask: which settings can I use to prevent the problem I have described?